Joseph Kittinger Former American Air Force officer Date of Birth: 27.07.1928 Country: USA

1. Joseph Kittinger: The Former American Air Force Officer
2. Early Life and Military Career
3. Military Service and Captivity
4. Post-Military Life

Joseph Kittinger: The Former American Air Force Officer

Joseph Kittinger, a former American Air Force officer, gained fame for his participation in the 'Excelsior' project. In 1960, he made a parachute jump from a height of 31 kilometers. Kittinger later revealed that his right glove burst at an altitude of 13 kilometers, causing his hand to swell to an incredible size. However, his hand eventually returned to normal, and more challenges awaited Kittinger, including the Vietnam War and captivity.

Early Life and Military Career

Joseph Kittinger was born in 1928 in Tampa, Florida. After completing high school in Jacksonville, Florida, he attended the University of Florida. In 1949, he joined the army and became a pilot after completing his training in 1950. Kittinger served at various military bases, working as a flight safety officer and also teaching survival and parachuting courses. He was later invited to join the 'Excelsior' project, which focused on high-altitude parachute jumps. His first jump from a height of 23 kilometers took place in 1959. However, the parachute failed to open, and Kittinger went into a spin, losing consciousness due to high G-forces. He was saved by his emergency parachute. The second jump, in December of the same year, was successful, and Kittinger received the 'A. Leo Stevens Parachute Medal' for this achievement. His final jump as part of the 'Excelsior' project occurred on August 16, 1960. Jumping from a record-breaking altitude of 31,300 meters, he freefell for over 4 minutes at a speed of 988 km/h. The International Aviation Federation (FAI) did not officially recognize this record as Kittinger used a stabilizing parachute during the jump. However, in 2012, Felix Baumgartner achieved a similar feat without a stabilizing parachute, jumping from a height of 39 kilometers.

Military Service and Captivity

When the Vietnam War started, Kittinger volunteered for combat duty and completed 483 combat missions during the conflict. In May 1972, his aircraft was shot down in North Vietnam, and both Kittinger and Lieutenant William J. Reich ejected and were taken as prisoners of war. They spent 11 months in the infamous Hanoi Hilton prison, where Kittinger endured torture.

Post-Military Life

On March 28, 1973, Kittinger and Reich were released and returned to service. Kittinger was promoted to the rank of colonel. He retired from the Air Force in 1978 and settled in Orlando, Florida, where he worked on various aviation-related projects. He continues to occasionally speak to students, and in 2013, he visited his alma mater, the University of Florida.