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Name: Harold Kahler Rank/Branch: O4/US Air Force Unit: Date of Birth: 27 January 1923 Home City of Record: Lincoln NE Date of Loss: 14 June 1969 Country of Loss: Laos Loss Coordinates: 201051N 1035449E Status (in 1973): Missing In Action Category: 2 Acft/Vehicle/Ground: F105D |
Other Personnel In Incident: (none missing)
Source: Compiled by Homecoming II Project 01 March 1991 from one or more
of the
following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence
with
POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews. Copyright 1991
Homecoming II
Project.
REMARKS: (None)
SYNOPSIS: Maj. Harold Kahler was the pilot of an F105D Thunderchief
aircraft
sent on a mission over Laos on June 14, 1969. His aircraft was the
number two
plane in a flight of two. The flight was trying to locate some 20 trucks
on a
highway in northwest Laos, but were unable to do so. They located a
bridge in
the target area and were given permission to release their ordnance on
the
bridge. The lead aircraft rolled in on the target followed by Kahler in
the
number two aircraft. As the lead F105 was coming off the target he saw a
flash
of light in his rear-view mirror.
The lead aircraft immediately tried to contact Kahler by radio, but was
unsuccessful. He had enough fuel to make just one pass over cloud
coverage and
monsoon weather, but did not see a parachute indicating Kahler
successfully
ejected from his aircraft. The aircraft went down about 18 miles
northeast of
Sam Neua.
The Sam Nuea area is noted for caves in which American prisoners of war
were
held during the war. After the plane went down, a team reached the site
and
found the cockpit of the plane empty with no parachutes either inside or
on the
ground nearby. It was thought at the time that Kahler was working his
way to a
safer area where he could be rescued. The plane itself was in fair
condition,
considering the violent impact. This information was given to one of
Kahler's
family members during an information-seeking trip to Laos. The relative
was able
to see the jungle area near the crash.
On June 14, the Pathet Lao acknowledged shooting down an F105 and stated
that
the pilot was "suitably punished." The mission had been Kahler's 81st
combat
mission. The aircraft went down about 18 miles northeast of Sam Neua.
Nothing
has been learned of Harold Kahler's fate since that time.
Kahler is one of nearly 600 Americans who were lost in Laos. None were
successfully negotiated for at the end of the war. Many of the thousands
of
reports concerning Americans still held captive come from Laos. While
the U.S.
has limited diplomatic relations with the communist government of Laos,
it has
failed to negotiate the freedom of those American prisoners.
Kahler was raised in Lincoln, Nebraska, and took pilot training in
Lubbock,
Texas, where he received his wings in 1943. He trained pilots during
World War
II. Following the war, he remained in the Air Force until he was sent to
Vietnam. His wife and two children lived in Tempe, Arizona in 1974.
Kahler was
promoted to the rank of Colonel during the period he was maintained
Missing.
The following text is from Gunny, who has tons more information on his site. 
I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep pushing this issue inside the Beltway... The need to get specific answers is more important now than ever before. If still alive, some MIAs are now in their 70s...They don't have much time left. We have to demand the answers from the bureaucrats and keep standing on their necks (figuratively speaking) until they get the message that THEY work for US and that we are serious about getting these long overdue responses. Diplomatic considerations aside... We can no longer allow questionable protocols established by pseudo-aristocratic armchair strategists, to determine or influence the fate of the men who were in the trenches while the diplomats were sharing sherry and canapes and talking about "Their Plans" for the future of SE Asia.
If you'd like to see what some others are doing in addition to writing their congressmen, senators and the Whitehouse, check out some of these sites: Mia List
Another remarkable site is by an 11 year old angel who has never even set foot on American soil...She not only put up a page...she started a major project for an organization of Kids on the Net called KeyPals International. Visit her Bring Grandpa Home page! If you come away from that site without a lump in your throat, then you just weren't paying attention.
Other Nebraskan's that are MIA
Nebraska's Vietnam POW/MIAs
Check your own state for MIA/POW's:
State POW/MIA Pages
This site is owned by Lori Bucevicius |
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This POW/MIA Ring
site |
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All Biographical and loss information on POWs provided by Operation Just Cause have been supplied by Chuck and Mary Schantag of POWNET. Please check with POWNET regularly for updates.
Last update May 29th, 1999.
