Karl W. Richter
From USAFA Folklore
Lieutenant Karl W. Richter (1942-1967), Class of 1964, was the youngest pilot to down a MiG in air-to-air combat.
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[edit] Background and education
Richter was born in 1942 in Holly, Michigan, the youngest of three children. From a young age, he had an interest in flying, and with the help of his sister Betty, Richter had developed into a highly skilled pilot by the age of 18. On the encouragement of his sister, Richter applied to the Academy. He was accepted, and graduated from the Academy in 1964.
After a short leave, he went to Craig Air Force Base, Alabama for pilot training. He then went to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, where he began advanced training in the F-105. Without any leave in-between, Richter flew his F-105 directly to Korat Air Base, Thailand on April 6, 1966, and four days later was flying his first mission over North Vietnam.
[edit] Vietnam
Richter quickly became an exceptional fighter pilot, and took on every opportunity to fly. With only two years' Air Force experience and even less in combat, Lieutenant Richter became an element leader. Once, while on leave, he turned down the possibility of a trip to Bangkok or Hong Kong and went instead to Nakhon Phanom where he flew combat missions in an O-1E Bird Dog.
On September 21, 1966, Richter was flying as element leader, north of Haiphong on a mission to seek out surface-to-air missile sites. While preparing to strike a discovered site, Richter saw two MiG-17s making a pass. Richter assessed the situation and began closing in on the enemy aircraft. He engaged the MiG with his 20mm cannon and impacted the enemy aircraft. Just as Richter's guns went empty, the MiG's wing broke off and Richter saw the MiG pilot eject. In a later comment, Richter noted "...It's strange, but, in a way, I was happy he got a good chute. I guess that's the thought that runs through all our minds. He's a jock like I am, flying for the enemy of course, but he's flying a plane, doing a job he has to do."
At the age of 23, Karl Richter had become the youngest American pilot to shoot down a MiG over Vietnam. Lieutenant Richter went to Saigon to receive the personal congratulations of Lt. Gen. William W. Momyer, Seventh Air Force commander, and again at the personal invitation of Premier Nguyễn Cao Kỳ when he was awarded the Vietnamese Distinguished Service Medal.
As he approached the 100-mission mark, Lieutenant Richter asked permission to fly a second 100 missions, believing his combat experience should be used to advance the war effort. On April 20, 1967, Richter was leading a defense-suppression flight of F-105s into intense enemy fire through weather that hindered navigation. His flight destroyed or pinned down a number of enemy anti-aircraft artillery and surface-to-air missile crews, enabling the strike force to eliminate an important railroad target. Lieutenant Richter, who had already won the Silver Star, was awarded the Air Force Cross for his skill and heroism that day. Richter and his plane flew more strike missions into North Vietnam than any other man and machine—198 in all.
Richter was killed on July 28, 1967 on a flight over North Vietnam. Flying with a new pilot, Richter spotted a bridge, instructing the trainee to stay above and watch as Richter rolled his F-105 toward the target. Suddenly, enemy anti-aircraft artillery opened up, hitting Richter's plane. Richter was forced to eject, but his parachute disappeared into the fog bank and cloud cover. A nearby rescue helicopter picked up Richter's beeper signal and homed in to get the downed pilot. However, Richter was severely injured during his descent, most likely from swinging into the side of a sandstone cliff. He died en route to a hospital.
[edit] Awards and decorations
In 1969, Richter was posthumously awarded the Jabara Award for airmanship. The public schools administration building in his hometown of Holly, Michigan was named in his honor. In 2005, he was named Class exemplar of the Class of 2008. A statue of his likeness stands at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, with the inscription: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Here am I. Send me." (Isaiah 6:8)
