30 May 2001 We lost Ron Kelsey on a Low Level mission in NE Laos in December, 1970. Ron was my roommate at Udorn RTAFB. I had to move out as I couldn't take the "empty bed". During the low level mission the pilot in the front seat (I can't remember his name right now) got into a Pilot-Induced Oscillation (PIO) - story has it that Ron Kelsey thought they had taken a hit and ejected (rear seat only). The pilot recovered from the PIO and returned to Udorn RTAFB with an empty rear seat (most of us went to see the aircraft). I'm sure that this is the only case like this in USAF history where the front seat pilot returned without the rear pilot. Contact WAS made with Ron as I was one of many on the Search and Rescue mission. Contact was lost after a few hours and it was later communicated to me that the Pathet Lao (bad guys) found him and shot him. He was recovered and his body was returned to Udorn. Ron had 3 kids and a wife in the US - that's about all I remember as I only knew him about a month . . . Alan Cass ex-Capt USAF (13 TFS) 7324 Black Mountain Drive, Austin, Texas 78736 udornf4@iwon.com

 

A Note from The Virtual Wall First Lieutenant Kelsey completed pilot training at Moody AFB, Georgia, and F-4 training at George AFB, California, before reporting for duty with the 13th Tac Fighter Squadron at Udorn RTAFB, Thailand. As noted above, he was survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter.

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