Oral history of Kelby HagerlaClemson University Libraries. Special Collections and ArchivesA video recording of an interview conducted by Daniel Redmond with Lieutenant Colonel Kelby Hagerla on March 28, 2024. Born on September 9, 1980, Hagerla joined the United States Air Force and was commissioned in 2003.
Hagerla was trained as a C-17 Globemaster pilot, initially stationed at Charleston Air Force Base before later becoming an instructor at Altus Air Force Base. Over a 20 year career, he flew global airlift missions, transporting a wide range of things. He talks about missions taking him to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Africa and recalls airdropping supplies into mountains, presidential support missions, and transporting fallen service members home.