By Kyler had to make all of three practice carrier landings before being sent off to war. Once he was successful, he was sent overseas. He was trained to fly the Corsair, and then the F6F Hellcat - son of the F4F. This was as good a plane as the Japanese Zero it was designed to fight against, but was more heavily armored. By was sent to the Pacific, where he flew bombing and strafing missions over Japanese occupied islands. He first went to the big Navy base at Ulithi, before being sent on to Okinawa.

The invasion of Okinawa, named “Operation Iceberg,” was the largest amphibious operation to date in the Pacific War. The Ryuku Islands were a mere three hundred miles from mainland Japan. The planned invasion of the Japanese homeland was to be staged from this island. As the battle was underway, By and the other pilots were targeting the airfields and other installations. But there was a more insidious target - the kamikazes. The suicide pilots wreaked havoc on the Navy as it attempted to land and support troops. During the seven weeks of operations there, over 1,500 kamikaze planes were launched by the Japanese. The Navy sustained high casualties from this deadly and effective weapon. The pilots did their best to stop them, and By was credited with shooting down four. He received several commendations for his fine work, including air medals and a few Distinguished Flying Crosses. “We were pretty lucky,” he said. So were the men whose lives were spared with every suicide bomber who was stopped short of their intended target.

They also flew bombing missions over Japan for five months. The pilots flew at 10,000 feet and dropped their ordnance - one after another so that each set of bombs hit at a different angle. Again, By was lucky as a pilot behind him was hit and crashed, and another was shot down and became a POW. And on one of their missions, By took over the lead and received a radio message to “look around for a bogey.” Another group of flyers were just leaving their ships when the kamikaze came around. By lined him up and shot him down.

When he finally returned home, By married Bette, and they raised two sons. They now enjoy three grandkids. For his career, By taught high school physics, and has remained active in his local VFW. He is looking forward to the trip to Washington with Honor Flight in November, and we are happy to welcome this fine pilot aboard. Thanks for your service, By!

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