LTC Walter Kosko

Name: Walter Kosko

Rank/Branch: USAF, O3

Date of Birth: 01 December 30

Home City of Record: Columbia, VA

Date of Loss: 27 July 65

Country of Loss: North Vietnam

Loss Coordinates: 210400N 1051800E

Status (in 1973): Missing

Category: 2

Acft/Vehicle/Ground: F105D

Remarks: Ejected-no beep voice srch neg-j

Source: Compiled by THE P.O.W. NETWORK 02 February 93 from the following published sources - POW/MIA's -- Report of the Select Committee on POW/MIA

Affairs United States Senate -- January 13, 1993. "The Senate Select Committee staff has prepared case summaries for the priority cases that the Administration is now investigating. These provide the facts about each case, describe the circumstances under which the individual was lost, and detail the information learned since the date of loss. Information in the case summaries is limited to information from casualty files, does not include any judgments by Committee staff, and attempts to relate essential facts. The Committee acknowledges that POW/MIAs' primary next-of- kin know their family members' cases in more comprehensive detail than summarized here and recognizes the limitations that the report format imposes on these summaries."

SYNOPSIS: On July 27, 1965, Captain Kosko was the pilot of an F-105D, one in a flight of four aircraft from Takhli Air Base, Thailand, on a bombing mission over Phu Tho Province, North Vietnam. There was intense anti-aircraft fire directed at the flight. Following an explosion near his aircraft, Captain Kosko reported he was hit and there was smoke in his cockpit. He later ejected and other flight members observed a fully deployed chute and survival gear. There was no beeper or voice contact with him after his ejection.

Captain Kosko was seen to land in the Black River. A search of the river disclosed an inflated life raft which was empty and no evidence of the pilot. On July 27th and 28th, Radio Hanoi reported eight U.S. aircraft shot down on July 27, 1965 and stated that pilots had been taken into custody from shoot downs in Ha Tay Province. Captain Kosko landed on the border of Ha Tay and Vinh Phu.

Captain Kosko was initially declared missing. Returning U.S. POWs were unable to provide any information concerning his fate. In November 1977 he was declared dead/body not recovered, based on a presumptive finding of death.

U.S. investigators in Vietnam in 1988 and 1990 visited the area of Captain Kosko's loss. Vietnamese officials stated that Captain Kosko's life raft was recovered during the war. One witness stated it was used as a fishing boat in the local river until it deteriorated and was discarded. U.S. investigators were told Captain Kosko had indeed landed in the Black River, had never reappeared after going under water, and they believed he drowned in the river.

Information from No-Quarter:

Last name: KOSKO
First name: WALTER
Home of Record (official): BLACKSBURG
State (official): VA
Date of Birth: Thursday, May 26, 1938
Sex: Male
Race: Caucasian
Marital Status: Married

--- Military ---

Branch: Air Force
Rank: LTC
Serial Number: 225441495
Component: Reserve
Pay grade: O5
MOS (Military Occupational Specialty code): 1115E

--- Action ---

Start of Tour: Tuesday, July 27, 1965
Date of Casualty: Monday, January 9, 1978
Age at time of loss: 39
Casualty type: (A3) Hostile, died while missing
Reason: Air loss - Crashed on land (Pilot - Fixed wing aircraft)
Country: North VietNam
Province: Unknown/Not Reported
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