Rudolph was born in Lake County, Indiana in 1918.

From Rudolph's daughter Rudi;

From the 445th BS War Diary:
The 445th participated in the bombing of the Pracitca di Mare airdrome near Rome today. LT's William S. Kent, Rudolph W. Kazich; Sgt's Joseph R. Toy, Francis J. Klocke and Michael Boris today completed their 50th combat missions.

Dad was a career Air Force officer and retired as a Lt. Col. in 1966. He flew for many of those years and was a Command Pilot. He also flew in the Berlin Airlift. His "other AF job" was in communications and electronics, and we hit lots of little radar sites across the country while Toni (other daughter) and I were growing up. After he retired he went to work for Civil Service and continued to be stationed at various AF Bases.

Some years after Mother died Dad decided he really wanted to fly again and he eventually purchased a little Cessna 172. (See photo below) He's flown back and forth between here (WA) and Kansas City numerous times. He had a pacemaker implanted last fall (2004) and decided last month to sell his plane, however if the FAA gives him his ticket back it will probably be difficult to keep him on the ground.

In June 2005, he will be moving to WA to live with Rudi and her husband.

Barbara Ennis Connolly, 57th Bomb Wing Historical Researcher, 319th and 321st Bomb Group Historian and one of the "History Team"… John T Fitzgerald, Patti Johnson and Barbi Ennis Connolly PRINCESSBARBIB25@msn.com_

Rudolph W Kazich