KARI, PAUL ANTHONY

Name: Paul Anthony Kari
Rank/Branch: O3/United States Air Force, pilot
Unit: 45th TFS
Date of Birth:
Home City of Record: Columbus OH
Date of Loss: 20 June 1965
Country of Loss: North Vietnam
Loss Coordinates: 212000N 1040800E
Status (in 1973): Returnee
Category:
Aircraft/Vehicle/Ground: F4C
Missions: 69

Other Personnel in Incident: Curt Briggs, escaped, evaded, rescued

Source: Compiled by P.O.W. NETWORK March 1997 from one or more of the
following: raw data from U.S. Government agency sources, correspondence with
POW/MIA families, published sources, interviews.

REMARKS: 021273 RELEASED BY DRV

SOURCE: WE CAME HOME copyright 1977
Captain and Mrs. Frederic A Wyatt (USNR Ret), Barbara Powers Wyatt, Editor
P.O.W. Publications, 10250 Moorpark St., Toluca Lake, CA 91602
Text is reproduced as found in the original publication (including date and
spelling errors).

PAUL ANTHONY KARI
Major - United States Air Force
Shot Down: June 20, 1965
Released: February 12, 1973

I graduated from Ohio State University June 13 1958 and was commissioned the
same day. My assignments were as follows:

Preflight: Lackland AFB,Texas
Primary: Bainbridge AFB, Georgia
Basic: Laredo A F B, Texas
Gunnery F-100: Luke AFB, Arizona
Advanced Gunnery F-100: Nellis AFB, Nevada
F-100: Ramstein AB, Germany
F4C: MacDill AFB, Florida
F4C: Ubon AB, Ubon, Thailand

I was the first F4C to fly combat and I was also the first F-4C shot down.
It was 20 June 1965. My back seater, Curt Briggs, was rescued the next day.
I flew 64 combat missions in 70 days back in those days of the war.

I hope that all Americans had the unselfish zeal and dedication of purpose
of the people who are responsible for the book. I like all ex-POWs have met
many new people since I've been home and I have noticed one thing and that
is that most people are really honest good people and it is only a few who
seem to taint the image of America.

Now that the young people of the United States are asking "Why?" instead of
just "What?" and "When?" I encourage them to use this knowledge wisely and I
am confident that they will help build America into an even stronger leader
of this century. I hope that everyone who purchases this book will place it
in a position in their home or office where it will be noticed periodically.
Not as a reminder of us but rather of those who lost their lives in this
conflict. May those who paid the supreme sacrifice never be forgotten and I
also hope that you are constantly reminded of the unswerving dedication of
our enemy to do anything necessary to eventually destroy everything we hold
so dear.

December 1996
Paul Kari retired from the United States Air Force as a Lt. Colonel. He and
his wife Kathi reside in Nebraska.

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