| Date: 8 August 1966 |
| Aircraft type: F-105D Thunderchief |
| Serial Number: 62-4343 |
| Military Unit: 354 TFS, 355 TFW |
| Service: USAF |
| Home Base: Takhli |
| Name(s): |
| Maj James Helms Kasler (POW) |
| A rescue mission was mounted as soon as 1Lt Flom’s aircraft went down and the escort for the rescue force included several of Flom’s colleagues from the 354th TFS. Maj James Kasler, operations officer of the 354th TFS and one of the most experienced and respected Thud pilots in the USAF led the F-105s. As the Thunderchiefs were orbiting at 1,000 feet about 10 miles southeast of Yen Bai, Kasler’s aircraft (call sign Finch) was hit by AAA and burst into flames. Kasler turned to the west but only got about 10 miles before he was forced to eject. Like Flom, he was soon captured and spent the next six and a half years as a POW. James Kasler had served as a B-29 Superfortress tailgunner in the Pacific theatre during the Second World War. Kasler underwent pilot training after the war and was one of the USAF’s most successful F-86 Sabre pilots during the Korean War flying 100 missions and scoring six MiG kills. He was flying his 91st mission of his third war when he was shot down over North Vietnam. In June 1972 Kasler was involved in Operation Thunderhead, an aborted plan to escape from prison in Hanoi in which the escapees would be picked up by Navy SAR helicopters from the Red River. He was released on 4 March 1973 and after serving as Vice Commander of the 366th TFW at Mountain Home he retired from the USAF as a Colonel in 1975. He achieved the dream of many fighter pilots by retiring and owning his own golf course. |
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