He flew a total of 101 combat missions in an F-86E Sabre and scored 6 confirmed air-to-air victories and two more damaged against MiG-15s, becoming among the first jet aces of the Korean War.

[6] While flying F-105D-31-RE Thunderchief 62–4343 on his 91st combat mission on August 8, 1966, Kasler was awarded a second Air Force Cross as leader of a formation that was evaluating low-level delivery against a priority target.

When his wingman, 1st Lt Fred R. Flom was hit and ejected, Major Kasler located the downed pilot, flew cover at low altitude until his fuel was almost gone, refueled with an aerial tanker, and returned to direct rescue operations.

He received his third award of the Air Force Cross for resisting torture inflicted on him over a two-month period during the summer of 1968 in an attempt to coerce his cooperation with visiting anti-war delegations and propaganda film makers.

The Vietnamese were attempting to force me to meet a delegation and appear before TV cameras on the occasion of the supposed 3,000th American airplane shot down over North Vietnam.

Other honorees at the 1973 Banquet included Sir Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay, Neil Armstrong, Ray Kroc, Senator Howard Baker, and Bart Starr[11] In 2007, Kasler appeared on an episode of the History Channel series Dogfights.

Kasler died April 24, 2014, in West Palm Beach, Florida and is buried with full military honors at Crown Hill Cemetery.

On that date, Major Kasler was Mission Commander of the second and largest wave of fighter-bombers to strike the heavily defended Hanoi petroleum products storage complex.

Despite a seemingly impenetrable canopy of bursting projectiles thrown up by hostile defenses of this key facility, Major Kasler determinedly and precisely led his striking force to the exact release point where he and his followers placed their ordnance directly on target, causing it to erupt in a huge fireball of burning petroleum.

[13]The President of the United States of America, authorized by Title 10, Section 8742, United States Code, takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Air Force Cross to Major James Helms Kasler, United States Air Force, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force as an F-105 Thunderchief pilot with the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, Takhli Royal Thai Air Base, Thailand, in action near Yen Bay, North Vietnam, on 6 August 1966.

On that date, Major Kasler led a flight of fighter-bombers against a heavily defended target in evaluating a low level ordnance delivery tactic.

At great risk to his own life, he explored the gun infested countryside at tree-top level, valiantly searching, but was unable to locate his fellow American.

During this period, Colonel Kasler accomplished an amazing feat of resistance against the North Vietnamese when they attempted to force him to meet a visiting delegation and appear before television and news cameras.

Through personal fortitude and absolute heroism, he completely withstood the most brutal of Vietnamese tortures and caused his captors extreme embarrassment in their failure to gain useful propaganda statements.

Through extraordinary heroism, staunch display of courage, and willpower in the face of the enemy, Colonel Kasler reflected the highest credit on himself and the United States Air Force.

[14]The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress July 9, 1918 (amended by an act of July 25, 1963), takes pleasure in presenting a Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster in lieu of a Second Award of the Silver Star to Colonel James Helms Kasler (AFSN: O-2221728/24551A), United States Air Force, for gallantry in connection with military operations against an opposing armed force as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam.

Colonel Kasler, although very seriously wounded, resisted the Vietnamese through extraordinary willpower and gallantry in a manner which reflected great credit on himself and the United States Air Force.