Call Sign Misty 73
By Nadia Vick
Clyde Seiler pictured on the left in his F-100 Super Sabre jet fighter in Vietnam.[15]
An image of Seiler’s awards and decorations.[22]
Clyde Kia Seiler
May 24, 1931 – March 27, 1969
In Erie, Pennsylvania, on May 24, 1931, Clyde Kia Seiler was born into a world still reeling from the Great Depression.[2] Seiler was born to two immigrants: his father, Joseph Szeiler, was born in Germany and immigrated to the US with his family in 1904 at the age of one.[3] His mother was born in Switzerland, according to the 1930 census.[4] Growing up in Aurora, Colorado, he would go on to serve not only his state but his nation with distinction. Known to his fellow airmen by the call sign “Misty 73,” Major Seiler was a decorated pilot, a devoted family man, and a figure whose life continues to echo in the institutions and people he touched.[5]
Seiler began his military career in 1951, enlisting in the U.S. Air Force at the age of 20.[6] From the outset, he demonstrated a rare combination of technical skill and quiet leadership that earned him a respected reputation in the Colorado Air National Guard, where he would spend most of his 18-year career.[7] He married Joan Gellerman in 1952 in Seattle, their partnership would anchor his life during years of military movement and wartime intensity.[8]
During the Vietnam War, air power played a vital yet often understated role in the broader conflict. Although the war was largely fought on the ground, especially in South Vietnam, U.S. air operations were critical in supporting troops through close air support, the interdiction of enemy supply routes, airlifts, and battlefield illumination.[9] In South Vietnam, the Air Force employed innovative tactics and technologies, including advanced reconnaissance systems to detect enemy movement on the Ho Chi Minh Trail and heavily armed gunships to suppress enemy forces. The air campaign over North Vietnam proved more controversial and complex, marked by strict rules of engagement designed to prevent civilian casualties and avoid escalation. U.S. aircraft faced a formidable North Vietnamese air defense network, prompting the use of electronic countermeasures, evasive flight tactics, and highly coordinated missions involving aerial tankers, escort fighters, and airborne control centers. These missions often required more support aircraft than bombers, underscoring the complexity and high stakes of American air involvement.[10]
Seiler rose through the ranks to become a Major (O-4), taking on a junior field officer rank. This rank would entail him operating as a main staff officer on brigade-sized forces.[11] He would have “taken on larger roles at the Squadron, Wing, and Group levels,” often serving as a Squadron Commander.[12] By the late 1960s, he was flying the F-100 Super Sabre, a supersonic jet aircraft at the center of the U.S. military’s air operations in Vietnam.[13] His unit, the 120th Tactical Fighter Squadron, was activated in response to the USS Pueblo crisis, deploying to Phan Rang Air Base in Vietnam in 1968. The squadron’s first mission took place just two days after arriving and soon became one of the most active Air National Guard squadrons in the war.[14]
Seiler was part of that high operational tempo. By early 1969, he had flown dozens of missions, including the 5,000th sortie of his unit, a milestone that symbolized not only perseverance but a personal legacy of reliability and courage.[16] Sadly, on March 27, 1969, while on a low-altitude strafing mission near Bien Hoa, Seiler’s aircraft was hit by enemy fire. The damage triggered a premature napalm explosion, killing him instantly.[17] He was just 37 years old, and two weeks away from returning home to his wife and community.[18]
His death marked a painful first: Seiler became the Colorado Air National Guard’s first casualty of the Vietnam War.[19] He is buried at Fort Logan National Cemetery, and his name is etched on Panel 28W, Line 64 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.—a solemn and permanent reminder of his sacrifice.[20] Among his many honors, Major Seiler was awarded the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Air Force Presidential Unit Citation, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry, Air Force Good Conduct Medal, and the United States Aviator Badge—decorations that reflect the courage, dedication, and excellence he embodied throughout his military career.[21]
But Major Seiler's legacy did not end on the battlefield. In 1973, a group of Colorado veterans founded Disabled American Veterans Chapter 21 in Aurora, naming it in his honor.[23] This chapter, now known as Seiler-Berget Chapter 21, has become one of the largest DAV chapters in the state, continuing to assist veterans with support, benefits counseling, and community engagement.[24] His son, Technical Sergeant William Seiler, has taken an active role in preserving his father’s memory, including presenting a photograph of his father to the chapter’s commander in 1982.[25]
Seiler’s character left a deep impression on those who served with him. A painting entitled “Scramble at Phan Rang” still hangs in the DAV chapter’s main hall, depicting the intense atmosphere of a mission launch at the base where Seiler flew his final sorties.[26] Seiler’s story is more than a tale of heroism in combat—it is a story of deep-rooted commitment, quiet leadership, and enduring remembrance. His life is honored not only through medals and memorials, but through the work of veterans, families, and friends who continue to draw inspiration from the values he lived by.
Footnotes ↓
[1] Major Clyde Seiler. Seiler-Berget Chapter 21, Disabled American Veterans. Accessed July 18, 2025. https://dav21co.org/clyde-seiler.dav21co.org
[2] “Public Story: Connections,” Ancestry.com, accessed August 23, 2025, Family Story Page - Ancestry.com.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] “Clyde Kia Seiler: Buffalo Sabre #56,” Super Sabre Society, accessed July 18, 2025, https://supersabresociety.com/biography/seiler-clyde-kia.
[6] Ibid.
[7] “About,” Disabled American Veterans Chapter 21, accessed July 18, 2025, https://dav21co.org/about#2bd93580-4917-4866-9ad2-4195e47d7ad3.
[8] Ancestry.com, Washington Marriage Records, 1854–2013, record for Clyde Seiler and Joan Gellerman.
[9] Berger, Carl, Jack Stokes Ballard, and United States. Air Force. Office of Air Force History. The United States Air Force in Southeast Asia, 1961–1973: An Illustrated Account. Edited by Carl Berger. Revised edition. Washington, D.C.: Office of Air Force History, United States Air Force, 1984. Accessed August 23, 2025. https://media.defense.gov/2010/Oct/01/2001329799/-1/-1/0/01-ILL_HIST_FRONT-CH02_(PAGES_I-36)-1.PDF
[10] Ibid.
[11] Bajza, Stephen, and Tiffini Theisen. “Air Force Ranks: A Complete Guide to Enlisted and Officer Ranks.” Military.com, July 16, 2025. Accessed August 24, 2025. https://www.military.com/air‑force/ranks.
[12] USAF Officer. Air Force Officer Rank Structure – Promotion Requirements & Timeline. November 12, 2017. Accessed August 24, 2025. https://usafofficer.com/air‑force‑officer‑rank‑structure/.
[13] “Clyde Seiler,” The Virtual Wall, accessed July 18, 2025, https://virtualwall.org/ds/SeilerCx01a.htm.
[14] “About,” DAV Chapter 21.
[15] Seiler, Seiler-Berget Chapter 21, https://dav21co.org/clyde-seiler.
[16] “Clyde Kia Seiler: Buffalo Sabre #56.”
[17] Ibid.
[18] Seiler, Seiler-Berget Chapter 21, https://dav21co.org/clyde-seiler.
[19] Ibid.
[20] “MAJ Clyde Seiler (1931–1969),” Find a Grave, accessed July 18, 2025, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/29253256/clyde-seiler.
[21] “Clyde Kia Seiler: Buffalo Sabre #56.”
[22] “Clyde Seiler,” The Virtual Wall.
[23] “About,” DAV Chapter 21.
[24] Ibid.
[25] Denver Post, “An Officer and a Friend,” April 2, 2008, accessed July 18, 2025, https://www.denverpost.com/2008/04/02/an-officer-and-a-friend/.
[26] Ibid.
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