Retired Col. James Kasler, who received three Air Force Cross medals for his actions during the Vietnam War, has received another honor from the town of Momence, Ill., where he now lives. The town dedicated the Kasler-Momence Veterans Park during a ceremony Sept. 15. Maj. Karl Lewis reports that a crowd of more than 300 people gathered to honor Kasler, who began his service career as a B-29 gunner and went on to become an ace flying F-86s in the Korean War. He flew F-105s during the Vietnam War and survived six and one-half years as a POW. The ceremony included a fly-over by four Air Force Reserve Command F-16s. According to Kasler, “There’s nothing more glamorous than to be a jet fighter pilot in the United States Air Force.”
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.