Forrest “Dutch” Kissinger

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Bio

Col. (ret) Forrest “Dutch” Kissinger enlisted in the Air Force at 18 years old in 1949 as an aircraft mechanic. Three years later, he had the opportunity to become a pilot during the Korean War, when the Air Force needed to surge and grow its pilot population.

“I had to take a test, and if I passed the test they would let me be a pilot,” Forrest said. “If I didn’t pass, then my enlistment was up, and I would go home. Well, thirty-one years and three months later, I had a great career and retired as a full bird colonel.”

Col. (ret.) Kissinger’s career included deploying to Vietnam in 1968, flying the F-4 Phantom with the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing.