The Republican., 1963-08-22
Air Force Sergeant
Ends Varied Career

The conclusion OF an eventful
and sometimes hazardous career
has occurred for SM Sgt Peter p.
Cardarc. former Kitzmillcr resi-
dent, a test flight engineer and
veteran weather man. Cardaro re-
tired on July 81, and took a busi-
ness position and became a local
citizen of the area around Fair
banks. Alaska He has built a
home one and one-half miles north
OF the main gate of the air base
located in the Moose Creek area.
A story of his activities was com
piled by another master sergeant,
Thurman c.. Woodbury..
Cardaro Joined the L. S. army
air corps in August, 1889, and
closed his career with "a years Of
faithful service which included APP
proximately $4,000 flying hours. He
was in the first air force group TO
go overseas after war was declared
in 1941. He flew combat missions
as engineer, and gunner on the
first BIZ to see action in the China
Burma-India theatre He was forced
to bail out over Burma April 26.
1912. after his plane was crippled
by enemy aircraft fire and artillery
flax. He was forced to walk back
to India
Shortly after his bail-out Sgt.
CardarO was rcassigned to the
North African desert for further
combat missions. In 1943 CardarO
was returned to the United States
but the following year found him
in England flying combat missions
against another enemy, Germany.
The Silver Star, distinguished fly
ing cross. air medal, good conduct
medal and several commendation
loops, clasps and clusters decorate
the uniform that Sgt Cardaro wore
proudly
When the SAC was Termed the
latter part of 1916 he was assigned
to an air force base in Arizona.
In SAC he flew as a flight engineer
on B-29s, B-5Os and B-36s. In 1855
he was again assigned overseas,
this time on Guam. as flight engi-
neer on the commanding generals
aircraft The following year he
Joined the air weather service on
Guam as a member of the 54th
WRS. Included in his flying hours
in B-50s out of Guam were storm
penetratiOns into the eyes of hur-
ricanes Again in 1857 Sgt Cardaro
was on the move, this time wind
ing up in Alaska and being as
signed to the 58th WRS. Following
his Alaskan tour he returned to
the United States for a shor, time
at McChord AFB, Washington, and
Mcclellan AFB, California, but was
destined to return to Alaska in
1860 as test flight engineer and
commander of a quality control
section of the air weather service
at Erelson AFB in Alaska.
In addition to flying 65 combat
missions, y hurricane penetrations,
IS flights over North Pole and
thousands Of hours of transition
training and routine flights, the
sergeant has survived eight air
craft accidents. Strangely Pete's
last flight as a member of the air
force team marked his last acci-
dent The mission was routine and
the aircraft landed safely, called
an eight flight" The craft landed
seven hours and five minutes later
just 55 minutes short of his COM
mItment A few days later he
boarded a B-57 for a tWo-hour
night proficiency flight which
would round out his flying career
in the air force. The flight was
fast and uneventful The B-57 made
final approach and let down the
landing gear smoothly but the
landing gear collapsed, marking
his eiohth aircraft accident He
was not injured
SMI Sgt Cardaro is the son of
Mr.. and Mrs. Carl Cardara, Of
Kitzmiller. He is married to the
former Mildred Turner, of Tucson.
Arizona They have one son, Scott,
who is now residing in Los Angeles,
Calf.
Bootino-Fishinq Lows