2005 Banquette

Thu, 03/14/13, 11:59 AM

U.S. Scale Masters Association

2005 Championships Awards Banquet

To Honor Russ Kyler

Tonight we honor Russ Kyler: patriot, warrior, friend. Russ was born March 13th, 1924, in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in the US Army Air Corps right out of high school at 18 years old in September 1942. Two years later he emerged from the training pipeline as a combat pilot assigned to the famed 56th Fighter Group (“Col. Zemke’s Wolfpack”).

Russ scored his first victory on September 21st, 1944, shortly after arriving for combat duty with the Wolfpack in the 61st Fighter Squadron Bulldogs. Russ was flying on the wing of Maj Mike Gladych, a Polish national and fighter pilot who had received special permission to fly with the Army Air Corps. Russ credited his initial combat success to Maj Gladych’s expert tutelage, but quickly learned the ropes on his own and became a standout fighter pilot in short time. In a time in late 1944 and early 1945 when air victories were becoming a rarity, Russ capitalized on being in the right place at the right time, scoring victories on Fockewulf 190s and a Messerschmidt 109, in addition to a rare probable kill on a Messerschmidt 262, the first combat jet aircraft in history.

On April 13th, 1945, Russ participated in the historic attack on Eggebeck airdrome in which the three squadrons of the Wolfpack destroyed 95 enemy aircraft on the ground in one day. Russ contributed five victories, destroying four Junker 88s and one Messerschmidt 210, raising his total victories to ten. This was a banner day for Russ and for the Wolfpack, which set the record for most enemy aircraft destroyed in one day. It marked the second anniversary of the Wolfpack in combat in the European Theater of Operations. The Wolfpack dedicated their victories in memory of President Roosevelt who had passed away the day before.

Dave Gianakos Model of Russ Kyler's Aircraft