609th Special Operations Squadron

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609th Special Operations Squadron
609th Special Operations Squadron USAF patch.svg
609th Special Operations Squadron patch
Active1942-1944; 1944-1945; 1967-1969
CountryFlag of the United States.svg  United States
BranchFlag of the United States Air Force.svg  United States Air Force
Role Special Operations
Part of Pacific Air Forces
Nickname(s)Nimrods
Engagements Vietnam War
Decorations Presidential Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm

The 609th Special Operations Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the 56th Special Operations Wing at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Navy Base, Thailand. The squadron served for two and a half years combat duty during the Vietnam War, primarily flying missions over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. It earned several decorations, including the Presidential Unit Citation, before it was inactivated in December 1969.

Contents

The first predecessor of the squadron was the 349th Night Fighter Squadron, which served as a night fighter training unit in Florida and California until it was disbanded in a reorganization of Army Air Forces training units and replaced by the 450th AAF Base Unit.

The second predecessor of the 609th was the 329th Transport Squadron, which was organized overseas to provide airlift services in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations

History

Night fighter training

The first YP-61 to arrive at Orlando Army Air Base and a squadron P-70 349th Night Fighter Squadron YP-61 P-70.jpg
The first YP-61 to arrive at Orlando Army Air Base and a squadron P-70

The 349th Night Fighter Squadron was formed at Orlando Army Air Base, Florida in October 1942 as part of the Army Air Force School of Applied Tactics Fighter Command School from elements of the 81st Fighter Squadron. Its personnel were veteran American pilots trained by the Royal Air Force in night interception operations. It was initially equipped with three Douglas DB-7s and twenty-three Douglas P-70s. Shortages in operational flying aircraft, spare parts and other issues kept flying training very rudimentary for the squadron's first classes that graduated in December 1942. [1]

As 1943 progressed additional aircraft and equipment arrived and the program expanded. In September, the first American-built dedicated night fighter began to arrive, the YP-61, and a few production Northrop P-61A Black Widows. In January 1944 the entire night fighter training program moved to Hammer Field, California and was placed under IV Fighter Command. The move placed the squadron nearer to Northrop Aircraft manufacturing facility at Hawthorne, California. Most P-61 squadrons trained by the squadron were planned to deploy for operations in the Pacific and China Burma India Theaters. [1]

In March 1944 the 348th was disbanded when the AAF found that standard military units, based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were proving less well adapted to the training mission. Accordingly, a more functional system was adopted in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit during a reorganization of units in the United States. [2] The squadron's personnel and equipment were transferred to Squadron B of the 450th Army Air Forces Base Unit (Night Fighter Replacement Training Unit). [1]

Airlift in the Mediterranean Theater

The 329th Transport Squadron delivered cargo and mail throughout the Mediterranean Theater of Operations from its activation in March 1944 until it was inactivated in September 1945. The squadron was disbanded in 1948, then reconstituted in 1985 and consolidated with the 609th. [3]

Combat Operations During the Vietnam War

An A-26 Invader of the 609th Special Operations Squadron flying near Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Base in 1969. A-26A 609SOS near NKP 1969.jpg
An A-26 Invader of the 609th Special Operations Squadron flying near Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Base in 1969.

The 609th Special Operations Squadron was organized as the 609th Air Commando Squadron at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand on 15 September 1967. It was assigned to the 56th Air Commando Wing. The squadron flew the Douglas A-26 Invader, a twin engine attack bomber of WWII vintage. These aircraft were transferred from the 606th Air Commando Squadron which transitioned to other aircraft. The primary mission of the 609th was night interdiction of truck traffic along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. Its call sign for these missions was "Nimrod", inherited from the 606th and other squadrons that had flown that mission, and "The Nimrods" soon became the squadron's nickname. The squadron's A-26 aircraft carried tail letters "TA".

On 1 August 1968, all Air Commando Wings were redesignated as Special Operations Units, and the 56th Air Commando Wing became the 56th Special Operations Wing, with the 609th Air Commando Squadron becoming the 609th Special Operations Squadron. [3] [4]

The night interdiction tasks of the 609th were gradually taken over by squadrons flying Lockheed AC-130 gunships, and the A-26 aircraft were phased out of active service by November 1969. [4] By the time the last four surviving A-26s were withdrawn at the unit stand down, the squadron had flown 7,159 combat missions, and been credited with destroying 4,268 enemy supply trucks. [5]

The 609th was inactivated on 1 December 1969. The squadron's losses had been heavy, and it was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for gallantry. [4]

The remains of two squadron pilots, Maj. James E. Sizemore and Maj. Howard V. Andre, shot down over Laos in 1969, were recovered in 2013 and buried at Arlington National Cemetery [6]

Lineage

349th Night Fighter Squadron
Activated on 4 October 1942
Disbanded on 31 March 1944 [7]
Reconstituted on 19 September 1985 and consolidated with the 609th Special Operations Squadron
329th Transport Squadron
Activated on 31 May 1944
Inactivated on 9 September 1945
Disbanded on 8 October 1948
Reconstituted on 19 September 1985 and consolidated with the 609th Special Operations Squadron
the 349th Night Fighter Squadron patch 349th Night Fighter Squadron - Emblem.png
the 349th Night Fighter Squadron patch
609th Special Operations Squadron
Organized on 15 September 1967
Redesignated 609th Special Operations Squadron on 1 August 1968
Inactivated on 1 December 1969

Assignments

Stations

Commanders

Lt Col William R. Yancey, January 1943-31 March 1944 [8]
Maj James E. Scoggins Jr., 31 May 1944
Capt William E. Gedecke, c. June 1944
Capt Bernard J. Weist, 24 August 1944 - unknown
Lt Col Allen F. Learmonth, 15 September 1967
Lt Col Robert E. Brumm, by 31 March 1968
Lt Col John J. Shippey, by 30 September 1968
Lt Col Robert L. Schultz, by 31 December 1968
Lt Col Robert W. Stout, by 30 September 1969
Lt Col Jackie R. Douglas, by 30 October 1969 – 1 December 1969 [3]

Aircraft

Awards and Campaigns

Award streamerAwardDatesNotes
Streamer PUC Army.PNG Presidential Unit Citation 1 October 1967–30 April 1968609th Air Commando Squadron (later 609th Special Operations Squadron) [3]
Streamer PUC Army.PNG Presidential Unit Citation1 November 1968-1 May 1969609th Special Operations Squadron [3]
Streamer PUC Army.PNG Presidential Unit Citation1 October 1969-1 December 1969609th Special Operations Squadron [3]
AFOUA with Valor.jpg Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device 1 July 1968–1 December 1969609th Special Operations Squadron [3]
VGCP Streamer.jpg Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm 15 September 1967-1 December 1969609th Air Commando Squadron (later 609th Special Operations Squadron) [3]
Campaign StreamerCampaignDatesNotes
Streamer AC.PNG American Theater without inscription9 October 1942 – 31 March 1944349th Night Fighter Squadron [7]
Streamer EAMEC.PNG Rome-Arno31 May 1944 – 9 September 1944329th Transport Squadron [3]
Streamer VS.PNG Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II15 September 1967 – 31 March 1968609th Air Commando Squadron [3]
Streamer VS.PNG Vietnam Air/Ground22 January 1968 – 7 July 1968609th Air Commando Squadron [3]
Streamer VS.PNG Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III1 April 1968 – 31 October 1968609th Air Commando Squadron (later 609th Special Operations Squadron) [3]
Streamer VS.PNG Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV1 November 1968 – 22 February 1969609th Special Operations Squadron [3]
Streamer VS.PNG Tet 1969/Counteroffensive23 February 1969 – 8 June 1969609th Special Operations Squadron [3]
Streamer VS.PNG Vietnam Summer-Fall 19699 June 1969 – 31 October 1969609th Special Operations Squadron [3]
Streamer VS.PNG Vietnam Winter-Spring 19703 November 1969-31 December 1969609th Special Operations Squadron [3]

Decorations

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References

Notes

  1. 1 2 3 Pape, Campbell & Campbell, [ page needed ]
  2. ↑ Goss, p. 75
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 USAF Official Fact Sheet, Prepared 20 Jul 2005, Prepared by Carl E. Bailey, Reviewed by A. Timothy Warnock, http://www.af.mil/information/factsheets/%5B%5D
  4. 1 2 3 "Douglas B-26K Counter-Invader, A-26A". Joe N. Baugher. 26 August 2000. Archived from the original on 11 June 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  5. ↑ Anthony, p. 106.
  6. ↑ Henneberger, Melinda (23 September 2013). "Fallen Vietnam airmen finally laid to rest". Washington Post. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 344
  8. ↑ The squadron was not manned prior to January 1943.

Bibliography

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates  public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/ .

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