247:
in the
Plaines des Jarres area. On 21 May 1964, his first flight into the area, his aircraft was struck by ground fire, and burned for a period of 20 minutes. Exercising superior airmanship, he was able to return safely to his ship. On 6 June 1964, on another low-level flight, his aircraft was shot down about 10 miles south of the Pathet Lao stronghold of Ban Ban on Route 7 east of the Plaines des Jarres at noon local time. Lieutenant Klusmann ejected from his aircraft and was observed on the ground. An attempt was made to rescue him by helicopter from a clearing, but as the helicopter approached the area Lieutenant Klusmann, exhibiting heroism of the highest order, waved it off. Almost immediately, he was observed to be surrounded by Pathet Lao troops. The rescue helicopter was subjected to ground fire and one of its occupants was wounded before it could depart the area. Subsequently, the Chinese Communist radio announced that the Pathet Lao had captured Lieutenant Klusmann. Lieutenant Klusmann's unswerving devotion to duty, professional skill, and courage were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.
296:
282:
441:
268:
246:
For extraordinary heroism and achievement while participating in aerial flight during May and June 1964. Lieutenant
Klusmann, attached to and serving with Light Photographic Squadron SIXTY-THREE, Detachment C, aboard USS KITTY HAWK (CVA-63) has been engaged in unarmed reconnaissance flights over Laos
222:
Officer
Terrence Michael "Terry" Burke. This is notable because the United States government never negotiated for the release of any prisoners held in Laos, and so, not one American held in Laos was ever released.
445:
256:
Klusmann retired from the US Navy as a captain in 1980. A father of two children and a grandfather of three, he retired to
Pensacola, where he had undergone flight training in the Navy, in 1956.
485:
520:
314:
500:
232:
112:
450:
309:
495:
490:
515:
171:
365:
525:
456:
416:
510:
208:
236:
52:
505:
218:
and the first to escape three months later, on August 30. He was rescued two days later by
8:
200:
132:
74:
157:
273:
92:
301:
287:
479:
391:
186:
173:
161:
469:
337:
140:
102:
215:
204:
486:
165:
136:
219:
214:. He was the first airman shot down and captured by the
231:
Klusmann's military awards and decorations include the
263:
470:Story of the mission where Klusmann was shot down
151:
477:
521:United States Navy personnel of the Vietnam War
251:
242:His Distinguished Flying Cross citation reads:
315:U.S. prisoners of war during the Vietnam War
310:List of people from San Diego, California
226:
372:. Pensacola News Journal. 30 August 2014
332:
330:
478:
360:
358:
327:
160:(O-3) when he was shot down over the
131:(born 7 September 1933) is a retired
384:
135:combat pilot who was shot down over
13:
366:"A Pensacolian's escape from Laos"
355:
146:
14:
537:
501:Military personnel from San Diego
463:
409:
444: This article incorporates
439:
294:
280:
266:
152:Shoot down, capture and escape
1:
320:
143:and later escaped captivity.
496:Vietnam War prisoners of war
491:United States Naval Aviators
392:"Charles Frederick Klusmann"
338:"Klusmann, Charles Frederic"
252:Personal life and retirement
199:) on 6 June 1964, flying an
7:
516:American Vietnam War pilots
259:
10:
542:
233:Distinguished Flying Cross
129:Charles Frederick Klusmann
113:Distinguished Flying Cross
118:
108:
98:
88:
80:
68:
60:
35:
27:
20:
457:United States Air Force
472:– from POW-Network.org
446:public domain material
249:
227:Awards and decorations
187:19.46667°N 103.25000°E
244:
237:Prisoner of War Medal
81:Years of service
53:San Diego, California
417:"Charles F Klusmann"
156:Klusmann was a navy
421:VeteranTributes.org
192:19.46667; 103.25000
183: /
526:Shot-down aviators
452:Official Biography
423:. Veteran Tributes
203:aircraft from the
133:United States Navy
75:United States Navy
126:
125:
533:
460:
443:
442:
433:
432:
430:
428:
413:
407:
406:
404:
402:
388:
382:
381:
379:
377:
362:
353:
352:
350:
348:
334:
304:
299:
298:
297:
290:
285:
284:
283:
276:
274:Biography portal
271:
270:
269:
198:
197:
195:
194:
193:
188:
184:
181:
180:
179:
176:
70:
56:
49:
46:7 September 1933
45:
43:
22:Charles Klusmann
18:
17:
541:
540:
536:
535:
534:
532:
531:
530:
476:
475:
466:
449:
440:
437:
436:
426:
424:
415:
414:
410:
400:
398:
390:
389:
385:
375:
373:
364:
363:
356:
346:
344:
336:
335:
328:
323:
300:
295:
293:
286:
281:
279:
272:
267:
265:
262:
254:
229:
191:
189:
185:
182:
177:
174:
172:
170:
169:
154:
149:
147:Military career
51:
50:
47:
41:
39:
23:
12:
11:
5:
539:
529:
528:
523:
518:
513:
508:
503:
498:
493:
488:
474:
473:
465:
464:External links
462:
435:
434:
408:
396:Military Times
383:
354:
342:POWNetwork.org
325:
324:
322:
319:
318:
317:
312:
306:
305:
302:Vietnam portal
291:
288:Florida portal
277:
261:
258:
253:
250:
228:
225:
201:RF-8A Crusader
153:
150:
148:
145:
124:
123:
120:
116:
115:
110:
106:
105:
100:
96:
95:
90:
86:
85:
82:
78:
77:
72:
66:
65:
62:
58:
57:
37:
33:
32:
29:
25:
24:
21:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
538:
527:
524:
522:
519:
517:
514:
512:
511:Living people
509:
507:
504:
502:
499:
497:
494:
492:
489:
487:
484:
483:
481:
471:
468:
467:
461:
458:
454:
453:
447:
422:
418:
412:
397:
393:
387:
371:
367:
361:
359:
343:
339:
333:
331:
326:
316:
313:
311:
308:
307:
303:
292:
289:
278:
275:
264:
257:
248:
243:
240:
238:
234:
224:
221:
217:
213:
212:
206:
202:
196:
167:
163:
162:Plain of Jars
159:
144:
142:
138:
134:
130:
121:
117:
114:
111:
107:
104:
101:
97:
94:
91:
87:
83:
79:
76:
73:
67:
64:United States
63:
59:
54:
48:(age 91)
38:
34:
30:
26:
19:
16:
451:
438:
425:. Retrieved
420:
411:
399:. Retrieved
395:
386:
374:. Retrieved
369:
345:. Retrieved
341:
255:
245:
241:
230:
210:
155:
128:
127:
99:Battles/wars
15:
506:1933 births
190: /
178:103°15′00″E
141:Vietnam War
139:during the
103:Vietnam War
28:Nickname(s)
480:Categories
321:References
216:Pathet Lao
211:Kitty Hawk
175:19°28′00″N
158:lieutenant
61:Allegiance
42:1933-09-07
427:30 August
401:30 August
376:30 August
347:28 August
209:USS
119:Spouse(s)
84:1953–1980
260:See also
69:Service/
370:PNJ.com
93:Captain
205:VFP-63
109:Awards
71:branch
55:, U.S.
448:from
122:Ellen
31:Chuck
429:2018
403:2018
378:2018
349:2018
235:and
166:Laos
137:Laos
89:Rank
36:Born
220:CIA
482::
455:.
419:.
394:.
368:.
357:^
340:.
329:^
239:.
207:,
164:,
44:)
459:.
431:.
405:.
380:.
351:.
168:(
40:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.