As you'll see below, Kinch wasn't the only Ace in the squadron. In addition to flying with William Whisner, Lt. Col. George Jones was commander of the 3596th at this time. Lt. Col. Jones was credited with shooting down 6.5 aircraft in Korea.

Entry for Iven in the Instructor Pilot section of the yearbook.



Major William T. Whisner, 16324A, received his commission and wings at Napier AFB, Alabama on 16 February 1943. His first assignment was with the 487th Fighter Squadron. He then shipped to England with the 352nd Fighter Group in July of 1943. During his first year overseas he destroyed two FW-190s while flying the P-47. Later the outfit was equipped with the P-51. It was then that Bill went on to become an ace by shooting down 16 ½ German aircraft. On one particular mission he destroyed four enemy planes immediately upon retracting his gear after takeoff. This gave him a total of 18 ½ victories at the end of the war.

Upon returning to the States Bill became a civilian for a little more than one year. He received a commission in the Regular Air force in 1946, returning to duty with the 56th Fighter Group at Selfridge AFB, Michigan. He then spent one year in England as an exchange officer with the RAF. After his RAF tour of duty he was assigned as operations officer of the 61st Fighter Squadron until August 1951. It was then that Bill got his chance to become a jet ace. While in Korea he commanded the 334th Fighter Squadron and later the 25th Fighter Squadron. He came home in April 1952 with 5 ½ Mig-15s to his credit.

Bill has been rewarded for his superior flying ability and devotion to duty with the following decorations: Distinguished Service Cross with 2 clusters; Silver Star; Distinguished Flying Cross with 3 clusters; Bronze Star; Air Medal with 12 clusters.


1st Lt. Iven Kincheloe, 22797A, graduated from Purdue University in 1948 with a BS and MS degree in Aeronautical Engineering. He was tendered a Regular Air Force commission upon graduation. Kinch served in various capacities while a "ground pounder". In 1949, he entered flight training, graduating August 1950. He was assigned to the 56th Fighter Group at Selfridge AFB where he flew for one year. August of 1951 saw Kinch in Korea fighting the wily Mig. He started getting his sights on enemy aircraft when first arriving in Chosen and didn't let up until the Air Force made him stop flying missions. After 125 missions he had chalked up a tally of 6 Migs destroyed, 7 Migs damaged, and 4 Yak-9s destroyed on the ground. The majority of his combat tour was spent in the 25th Fighter Squadron, which was commanded by Major Whister. Kinch was a flight leader and received a spot promotion to the rank of Captain. His decorations include the Silver Star, the Distinguished Flying Cross with 2 clusters, and the Air Medal with 3 clusters.




A brief history of the 3596 Fighter Squadron up to 1952. The book goes between calling the unit a "Flying Training Squadron" and "Fighter Squadron."