Nicholas J. Kasun, Jr. – Lieutenant Colonel, United States Air Force

From a contemporary press report:

Nicholas J. Kasun Jr., 78, an Air Force fighter pilot who retired as a lieutenant colonel in 1969, died of pneumonia August 14, 1998 at Inova Fairfax Hospital, Virginia.

Colonel Kasun, who lived in Vienna, was born in Houghton, Michigan. He graduated from Wayne State University and received a master’s degree in administration from George Washington University.

He began his military career during World War II, and he commanded a fighter squadron in Italy during the war. He received a Distinguished Flying Cross with Oak Leaf Cluster. After the war, Colonel Kasun served in Italy, Greece, Japan and in the United States at Andrews Air Force Base and at the Pentagon. He settled in the Washington area in 1961.

After his retirement from the military, Colonel Kasun was a stockbroker with Hornblower, Weeks, Hemphill & Noyes and later a technical writer with Bechtel Corp. in Washington.

His wife, Jacqueline A. Kasun, died in 1997.

Survivors include four children, Nicholas A. Kasun of Spotsylvania, Va., Michael O. Kasun of Herndon, Dana K. Kasun and Theresa M. Kasun, both of Warwick, R.I.; and four grandchildren.

KASUN, NICHOLAS JOSEPH (Age 78)
LTC USAF (Ret.)

Of Vienna, VA, on Friday, August 14, 1998, at Fairfax Hospital. Beloved father of Nicholas Arthur Kasun, Dana Kasun-Stamp, Teri Kasun and Michael O. Kasun; son of Dana Kasun. He is also survived by four grandchildren, Jackie, Harrison, Angela and Victoria. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mark’s Catholic Church, 9970 Vale Rd., Vienna, VA on Monday, August 17 at 11 a.m. Interment Arlington National Cemetery, Wednesday, August 26 at 1 p.m.

Michael Robert Patterson

Michael Robert Patterson was born in Arlington and is the son of a former officer of the US Army. So it was no wonder that sooner or later his interests drew him to American history and especially to American military history. Many of his articles can be found on renowned portals like the New York Times, Washingtonpost or Wikipedia.

Reviewed by: Michael Howard