KARST, CARL FREDERICK
The symbol on the Wall next to Carl's name was changed from a cross (MIA) to
a star (KIA) April 30, 1994. Remains were identified.
Name: Carl Frederick Karst
Rank/Branch: Colonel USAF
Unit: Pleiku, South Vietnam
Date of Birth: 27 October 1930
Home City of Record: Galatia KS
Loss Date: 16 November 1968
Country of Loss: South Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 212659N 1052546E
Status (in 1973): Missing In Action
Category: 4
Acft/Vehicle/Ground: O1F
Refno: 1323
Other Personnel In Incident: Capt. Nguyen X. Quy (VNAF - missing)
Source: Compiled from one or more of the following: raw data from U.S.
Government agency sources, correspondence with POW/MIA families,
published sources, interviews. Updated by the P.O.W. NETWORK in 1998.
SYNOPSIS: On November 16, 1968, (then) Major Carl F. Karst, pilot, and Capt.
Nguyen X. Quy, VNAF observer, departed Pleiku in an O1F on a visual
reconnais- sance mission over South Vietnam. At 1640 hours (4:40 p.m.),
shortly after takeoff, Karst reported that his position was two nautical
miles east of Plei- ku, and that he was proceeding with his mission. When
subsequent attempts to raise Karst by radio failed, a search began. The
search continued for three days without success. Karst was classified
Missing in Action.
A few months later, a Vietnamese informer reported information given him by
a NVA/VC propaganda team that Karst's aircraft was shot down by small arms
fire and the Vietnamese observer was killed. The informer stated that Karst
evaded to the south, but was captured and executed in a village in northern
Phu Bon Province. The informant did not witness any of these events. The
report was considered inaccurate because the a NVA/VC team was known for
coloring stories to impress the local population, and because Karst was very
knowledgeable of the location of Viet Cong and North Vietnamese units in the
area. Those who knew Karst agreed that he would not have evaded to the
south, but rather to the west where he knew he might reach friendly forces
and safety.
In December 1983, a refugee turned over two bone fragments and a rubbing of
a metal ID tag bearing Karst's name to U.S. officials in Malaysia. He
stated that he had been given the remains and rubbing by a Buddhist monk in
1981. The refugee was told that the remains were among 7 American remains
recovered at an unspecified location in the Central Highlands.
By 1984, U.S. officials had received a series of reports from eight separate
sources reported information concerning the alleged remains and dog tags of
Karst. Four provided information solely on Karst, while the other four
sources related Karst's name to other Army personnel who had returned from
Vietnam at the end of their tours.
Whether any of the reports relating to Carl Karst are true is not known. It
is apparent, however, that someone knows his fate and that of his observer.
Karst is one of nearly 2500 Americans who remain missing in Southeast Asia.
Unlike MIAs from other wars, most of the missing can be accounted for.
Tragically, based on thousands of reports received by the U.S. Government,
many are still alive in captivity. They must be brought home.
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