Word: kasler
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1966-1966
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
MAJOR JAMES KASLER, ace U.S. Air Force pilot, flew back into danger to help a buddy, and was last heard reporting: "My leg is broken." See THE WORLD...
Along with his aggressiveness, U.S. Air Force Major James Kasler has always been admired for fierce loyalty to his buddies in time of trouble. "I know if I get in a jam," said a fellow pilot recently, "I'm going to get help. I can depend on Kasler." Last week loyalty brought disaster to Jim Kasler, the "one-man Air Force" who was fast becoming the most famous pilot over-North Viet Nam (TIME...
Leading his flight of four F-105s on a mission 55 miles northwest of Hanoi one afternoon, the 40-year-old Kasler had completed his primary assignment of bombing a cluster of warehouses, and could have returned to his base in Thailand. As usual, however, his flight began prowling the countryside for "targets of opportunity." Spotting several trucks, the jets hit them and were looking for more when ground fire caught Kasler's wingman, and he ejected. Kasler circled the area to protect him until rescue helicopters could get in. When Kasler's fuel gauge hit "bingo" (minimum...
Suddenly, ground fire thudded into Kasler's Thunderchief, crippling it. He bailed out, his parachute deployed, and he floated down near a village. Only a brief message came from his beeper radio: "My God, my leg is broken." Despite a major search by nearly 50 aircraft for eight hours, Kasler was not seen again; and Hanoi later gleefully announced that he had been captured...
...four-plane flight that Kasler commands as part of the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron claims to have destroyed or damaged 219 buildings, 66 barges, 53 railroad cars, 44 trucks, 36 fuel tanks, 28 bridges and 16 flak sites-a record for any such air unit. And, miraculously, in 72 missions Kasler has yet to be shot down-though statistically, every American airman is downed at least once by the time he has reached 60 missions. The Indianan has an explanation for that too. Says he: "The best way to survive is by being aggressive...