Major Kahl was the pilot of a B-26B Invader bomber with the 13th Bomber Squadron, 3rd Bomber Wing. On 22 November 1951, while on a night intruder mission, his aircraft crashed on inbound and was observed by Soviet anti-aircraft troops. He was listed as Missing in Action and was presumed dead on 31 December 1953.

Kahl was awarded the Air Medal, the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal.