Karl W. Richter

Karl Wendell Richter (October 4, 1942–July 28, 1967) was an officer in the United States Air Force and an accomplished fighter pilot during the Vietnam War. At the age of 23 he was the youngest pilot in that conflict to shoot down a MiG in air-to-air combat. Karl W. Richter was born October 4, 1942,the youngest of three children. The family lived in and he graduated from High School in Holly, MI. From a young age he was interested in aviation, helped by his sister Betty, and by 18 had developed into a highly skilled pilot. Encouraged, again by his sister, to apply to the United States Air Force Academy, he was nominated by Michigan Senator Philip Hart and Congressman William Broomfield, graduating June 3, 1964, with a commission as a...