Simon Jay Kittler passed peacefully and went to be with God on March 22, 2019 at the age of 88, with his wife at his side.

Si was born in Detroit, MI on May 16,1930, the son of Simon James and Margaret Mary (Alterton) Kittler. Upon graduation from high school, he received a congressional appointment to the United States Naval Academy where he graduated with the Class of 1953 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.

After serving as an infantry platoon commander during the Korean War, he was assigned to flight school at NAS Pensacola where he met the love of his life, Peggy Jean (Lackey) Kittler. They were married on August 11, 1956 at Corry Station.

After completing flight school, he was assigned to VMA-211 then VMA-225 where he flew the A-4D Skyhawk. While he was on a deployment in the Mediterranean on board the USS Essex (CVA-9) during her final carrier deployment, the crew of the Essex and the 17 pilots of VMA-225 collaborated on an unprecedented achievement that possibly remains unduplicated to this day. On January 23, 1960, VMA-225 qualified all 17 of its pilots as Centurions when every pilot in the squadron completed his 100th arrested carrier landing of the deployment on the Essex on that day.

Then, he underwent helicopter transition training with HMM-362 in Santa Ana, California in preparation for service in the Vietnam War, known by many as "the helicopter war." With his transition training complete, he was promoted to Major and joined the newly formed HMM-365 in August of 1964 to fly the UH-34D, which he later referred to as "one helluva war bird." The squadron deployed to Vietnam in 1965 and immediately went to work providing combat support for U. S. Marines, South Vietnamese forces, and U. S. Special Forces.

Then, Major Kittler again transitioned to a new aircraft in 1967, this time to the OV-10 Bronco as a member of VMO-5 before returning to Vietnam in May of 1968 as officer-in-charge (OIC) and pilot in a VMO-2 detachment. Within just a few hours of the squadron's Broncos arriving in Vietnam from the Philippines, he became the first pilot to fly the OV-10 aircraft in combat. Operating out of Marble Mountain in Vietnam, he flew both the OV-10A and the UH-1E Huey on direct combat support missions for Marine forces.

When he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel in October of 1968, he was transferred to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW) G-3 in DaNang to serve as assistant operations and assistant plans officer. While in that assignment, he continued to fly combat missions in the OV-10 and the TA-4 on "Steel Tiger" forward air controller (FAC) missions along the Ho Chi Minh Trail until 1969 when he returned to the United States.

Following his promotion to Colonel in July of 1975, he assumed command of the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU)/Task Group (TG) 79.5. He then served as commanding officer of the Marine Corps Air Reserve Training Detachment (MARTD) in El Toro, California from 1977 to 1980. Finally, Colonel Kittler took command of the Naval ROTC Unit and served as the Professor

of Naval Science at the University of Missouri in 1980 before retiring from active duty in September of 1982 with 30 years of service.

During his distinguished Marine Corps career, Colonel Kittler saw service in the Korean War as a ground officer then participated in 15 major combat operations as an aviator in Vietnam. Among his many decorations and awards are the Legion of Merit for valor, two Distinguished Flying Crosses for valor, 22 Air Medals, the Meritorious Service Medal, two Combat Action Ribbons, and numerous unit citations and campaign and service medals.

After his retirement from the Marine Corps, Colonel Kittler went to work in program management at McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach, California, working on the T-45, A-4, A-3, and the KDC-10 aircraft.

Ultimately, he settled in Pensacola, Florida, returning to his aviation roots where he was able to watch his two grandsons grow. He enjoyed seeing them play baseball and excel in school, and was able to witness them eventually becoming Marines like their father and grandfathers before them.

From his childhood and throughout his adult life, during the high points and the low, through critical moments of life and death, and in periods of peace and extraordinary trial, he was buoyed by his Faith, his family, his country, and his unwavering loyalty and service to them all. Always a humble and composed warrior, he embraced life with good cheer and selfless personal courage to his final day. His steadfast adherence to the Catholic teachings guided him throughout his life.

He and Peggy embraced the rigors of military life with extraordinary grace: the wartime deployments, the risks and hazards, the long hours and days apart from family. However, while

he served his country, he also served his family, always mindful of his family's welfare and consistently supportive and enthusiastic of each family member's endeavors. He encouraged and enjoyed his children's widely varied hobbies, activities, and interests. Although he was an impeccably humble man, he was always willing to boast about one thing: his family.

He and Peggy loved each other and enjoyed each other's company and partnership. Whether it was their participation in gourmet dinner clubs, gatherings in their home, military social events, water aerobics classes, or vacation trips together, they always seemed perfectly matched to each other. Even their senses of humor was a team effort as Peggy always seemed to know what jokes needed to be told. Although she was eager to get them started, she occasionally would get stuck and Si would finish telling them for her, which he patiently did while enduring her corrections when he ad libbed and failed to tell the joke just right. Peggy was never far from his view and thoughts, nor he from hers. Peggy warmed hearts with her gentle and loving references to him as "My Si."

Colonel Kittler is preceded in death by his parents and his sister Donna Marie. He is survived by his wife of 62 years Peggy Jean (Lackey) Kittler, daughters Angela (Steve) Roberts and Christina (Rob) Doss, son Mark Kittler, grandsons Robert (Lara) Doss III and Bryan Doss, great-granddaughter Camden Doss, brothers Pat (Linda) Kittler, Dick (Jane) Kittler, John Kittler, and sister Carol Beth Gasa.

The Rosary will be recited Thursday, March 28 at 4:30 pm, with visitation that day from 5:00-7:00 pm, at Harper-Morris Memorial Chapel, 2276 Airport Blvd, Pensacola. A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Nativity of Our Lord Catholic Church at 10:00 am, Friday, March 29 with Father James Grebe as celebrant. Interment will follow the service at 1:00pm at Barrancas National Cemetery.

The family would like to thank the staff of Azalea Trace and Emerald Coast Hospice for their love, kindness, and care. We will be forever grateful.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Catholic Charities of Northwest Florida, 1815 N. 6th Ave., Pensacola.