USAG Stuttgart Celebrates Earth
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May 15, 2014 More than 400 volunteers donated Garrison lauds 77,330 hours and ‘saved’ the com- volunteers munity over $1.7 million. 10 Service members tour Dachau Remembering Concentration Camp as part of Vol. 44, No. 11 www.stuttgartcitizen.net the Holocaust Days of Remembrance. 12 Jack Castleberry, a third-grade student at Robinson Barracks Elementary/Middle School, excitedly examines an earth worm he found during a hands-on exercise in ana- lyzing soil types as part of the school’s Earth Day activities April 23. Earth Day activities were conducted at all three Stuttgart elementary schools throughout the month. USAG Stuttgart celebrates Earth Day Story & photos by Greg Jones tion system and connected it to the USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs Office Böblingen hot water district heating system. This project is expected to arth Day, April 22, marked reduce energy usage and save the gar- U.S. Army Garrison Stutt- rison almost €500,000 yearly. Egart’s commitment to good The USAG Stuttgart Directorate of stewardship of environmental resourc- Public Works’ Environmental Division es and heralded a number of Earth Day supported the Army’s theme through themed events in the Stuttgart military educational activities at several local community. Department of Defense Dependents In keeping with the Army’s Earth schools. Day theme of “Sustain the Mission; DPW’s environmental protection Secure the Future,” the garrison’s ac- specialists coordinated a tree planting tivities focused on making better use at Robinson Barracks Elementary/ of resources in accomplishing garrison Middle School on April 23, along missions and ensuring future gen- with a hands-on learning event that erations understand the importance of focused on the natural elements of Students at Robinson Barracks Elementary/Middle School test for soil perme- good stewardship of natural resources. Earth Day. ability during the school’s Earth Day activities April 23. On April 22, garrison and host na- The students, ranging from third tion officials met in the Panzer Heating through sixth grade, rotated through nature, plants, insects and humans. provided information on plants and Plant to commemorate the completion three stations that taught them about At the first station, students inves- animals living in the soil. of a $9.4 million project that replaced soil, emphasizing that clean soil is tigated soil samples using magnifying Panzer Kaserne’s entire heat distribu- important for the sustainability of glasses. Environmental experts also See Earth Day on page 4 Page 2 OPINION The Citizen, May 15, 2014 HE A man of honor T ITIZEN Commentary by Gen. Mark A. Welsh III C Air Force Chief of Staff This newspaper is an authorized publication for members of the Depart- The worst of the torture ment of Defense. Contents of The Citizen are not necessarily the offi cial nyone can carry his burden, how- views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. Government, the Department of De- fense or the Department of the Army. All editorial content in this pub- ever hard until nightfall; anyone came in the summer of lication is edited and approved for public release by the United States can do his work however hard for Army Garrison Stuttgart Public Affairs Offi ce. Advertisements and pri- 1968 when his captors vate organizations noted in this publication are not part of Department “A one day.” of Defense. These words were penned by Robert Louis attempted to force him to Stevenson about one hundred years before retired Air Force fi ghter pilot Col. Jim Kasler used them make statements in sup- to describe the challenge of daily life as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. port of an anti-American For nearly seven years Kasler carried that propaganda event. He burden every day with honor, pride and dignity. He Col. John P. Stack was a remarkable man, an incredible offi cer and a was tortured for six weeks. U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart Commander true American hero. On April 24, 2014, Kasler left He was denied sleep for R. Slade Walters the burdens of this world behind. While his legacy Director of Public Affairs is an enduring gift to our Air Force, all Airmen fi ve days straight, beaten S.J. Grady should feel the loss. Command Information Chief/Managing Editor I never had the privilege of meeting Kasler, every hour on the hour Greg Jones Writer but his military career spans more than three de- cades of service. It’s hard to believe, but when he for three days and all Carola Meusel Writer reported for duty in Vietnam then Maj. Kasler was the while was fed barely USAG Stuttgart Public Affairs Offi ce beginning his third war as an Airman. He is one of Building 2949, Panzer Kaserne a treasured generation who fought three wars and enough food to stay alive. Telephone: +49 (0)7031-15-3105, DSN 431-3105 built our Air Force. Fax: +49 (0)7031-15-3096, DSN 431-3096 Email: [email protected] As a 19-year-old B-29 Superfortress tail gun- Website: www.stuttgart.army.mil Facebook: www.facebook.com/USAGarrisonStuttgart ner, he fl ew combat missions over Japan in World statements in support of an anti-American propa- War II. Following the war and college, he moved ganda event. He was tortured for six weeks. He Army Post Offi ce Mailing Address: Unit 30401, APO AE 09107 into the cockpit of an F-86 Sabre and served in was denied sleep for fi ve days straight, beaten German Mailing Address: Korea where he fl ew 100 combat missions and every hour on the hour for three days and all the Panzer Kaserne, Geb. 2949, 3rd Floor, Panzerstrasse, 71032 Böblingen shot down six MiGs, earning the elite rank of Air while was fed barely enough food to stay alive. Force jet ace. Eventually he and his fellow POWs learned Publisher AdvantiPro GmbH But it was his fi nal confl ict that would prove to to face their captors one day at a time, to endure be the most challenging. all they could until nightfall, when they could get Publishing House • Advertising Agency Soon after arriving in Southeast Asia, Kasler a few hours of relief. This became the pattern of www.advantipro.com established that his success in Korea would con- their lives. tinue in Vietnam by leading a successful strike He later said, “Our treatment in Hanoi only The Citizen is a biweekly off set press publication published by on a heavily defended petroleum storage facility. strengthened our resistance and our faith in our AdvantiPro GmbH and printed by Oggersheimer Druckzentrum. Circulation is 7,000 copies. So successful, his fellow pilots lauded him as country and its cause in Southeast Asia…we could Handelsregister: Zweibrücken, HRB 1824 Z Gerichtsstand Kaiserslautern “The Destroyer” for his effectiveness in the F-105 have easily compromised our beliefs and made our Ust-IdNr.: DE 229812354 Thunderchief. This strike earned him the Air Force lives much easier by cooperating with the Viet- Cross, the fi rst of three. namese. But our goal was to return home with our John Thompson Managing Director Not long afterward in 1966, on his 91st mis- honor.” Telephone: +49 (0) 631-3033-5530 sion in Vietnam, Kasler’s wingman was hit by He never cooperated with the North Vietnam- Email: [email protected] ground fi re and he ejected. Kasler kept watch over ese and survived to return home in March of 1973 Corinna Emser Production Manager the downed pilot until he was almost out of fuel. after 6 1/2 years in captivity. Newspaper Layout/Designer On his way back to coordinate the rescue of his Kasler’s service spanned 31 years and three Alexander Pütz wingman after refueling, Kasler’s aircraft was hit wars. He earned 76 awards for valor and service. Dipl. Designer (FH/University of applied sciences) and he ejected, earning him a second Air Force In addition to being the only man awarded the Air Display Advertising Contact Jaqueline Samad Cross and the beginning of an incredibly horrible Force Cross three times, Kasler was decorated Telephone: +49 (0) 631-3033-5537 tenure as a prisoner of war when he was captured twice with the Silver Star, a Legion of Merit, nine Email: [email protected] soon after hitting the ground. awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross, two Classifi ed Advertising Contact Janina Wuttke Kasler’s third Air Force Cross was awarded for Bronze Star Medals, two Purple Hearts and 11 Air Telephone: +49 (0) 631-3033-5530 his inconceivable resistance to abuse by the North Medal awards. Website: www.class-world.com Vietnamese. He shared the infamous Room 7 of But what was most important to him was his Mailing Address: AdvantiPro GmbH the “Hanoi Hilton” with other great heroes such honor, and return with honor he did. Those who Europaallee 3 as retired Brig. Gen. Robbie Risner, retired Navy knew him, say he was a humble man, who never 67657 Kaiserslautern Vice Adm. James Stockdale, retired Col. Bud Day, expected to be honored. He believed in family, The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or retired Navy Capt. and current Arizona Sen. John God and our nation, and he showed us all what supplements, does not constitute endorsement of the products or services advertised by the U.S. Army or the U.S. Department of Defense. Everything McCain, retired Col. Larry Guarino and retired courage, sacrifi ce and honor really look like. advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use or Navy Rear Adm. Jeremiah Denton. Today’s Airmen have a lot to learn from Col. patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affi liation or any other non-mer- Beatings, starvation, sleep deprivation and Kasler.