75th fighter squadron obituary 75th fighter squadron obituary

(Airman First Class Eugene Oliver/Air Force) About 240 airmen with the 75th Fighter Squadron, which flies A-10C Warthogs, began returning home to Moody Air Force Base in Valdosta, Georgia,. On this date, Major Hill attacked, without hesitation, superior numbers of enemy aircraft that were rising to intercept United States B-24 bombers. [7] It upgraded to the F-86D Sabre interceptor in 1953 at Suffolk County Air Force Base, New York, where the squadron remained for three years before moving to Dow Air Force Base, Maine. It flew the A-7D until 1981 when conversion to the A-10 Thunderbolt II was completed. This site is provided as a service of SCI Shared Resources, LLC. Tail number 995 was recently restored, and who better to fly the aircraft than Bye. Following a period of activations and inactivations, during which the squadron was assigned to such bases as Northwest Field, Guam, and Howard Air Force Base, Canal Zone, the squadron returned to active duty on 12 January 1951 as the 75th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron stationed at Presque Isle Air Force Base, Maine. once you become Fully Mission Qualified (FMQ) where our Aggressor Squadron looks to make you even better. 169th Operations Support Squadron 803-647-8231. [1] In terms of guarding India, it was tremendously successful because the Japanese were distracted by having to deal with the guerrilla incursion, Mr. Birkey said. Taylor Bye, 75th Fighter Squadron pilot and chief of standardization and evaluation, poses on the flight line at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, May 5, 2021. The intercepting pilots were credited with the destruction of two enemy bombers and two probables. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. "We take the honor of being a member of the 75 th seriously, and use our incredible heritage as motivation to continue the legacy of excellence. Lt. Col. William Broman, Commander. Box 758516 Topeka, Kansas 66675-8516, support.woundedwarriorproject.org. Constituted as the 75th Pursuit Squadron(Interceptor) on 17 December 1941 Redesignated 75th Fighter Squadronon 15 May 1942 Activated on 4 July 1942 Redesignated 75th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 28 February 1944 Inactivated on 5 January 1946 Activated on 10 October 1946 Redesignated 75th Fighter Squadron, Jet on 3 May 1949 [2][3] This group of men, under the leadership of General Claire Lee Chennault, engaged in aerial . One G, zero knots is something Ive heard experienced pilots say, Bye said. The salute personifies the trust and connectedness of maintainers and pilots throughout the Air Force. Colonel Brandon Kelly is an A-10C instructor pilot and the Commander of the 476th Fighter Group, Moody AFB, GA which is a Geographically Separated Unit of the 442d Fighter Wing at Whiteman AFB, MO. "What's most important is preventing total loss of the A-10 or, even worse, her life.". There the squadron was inactivated on 5 January 1946. [6], Hill died at the age of ninety-two on October 11, 2007, in Terrell Hills, Texas, of congestive heart failure. The across-the board spending cuts, called sequestration, took effect 1 March when Congress failed to agree on a deficit-reduction plan. The 75th Fighter Squadron (75 FS) is a United States Air Force unit. During World War II, the 74th Fighter Squadron was one of the three original squadrons (74th, 75th, 76th) of the 23d Fighter Group . Her work has appeared in Air Force Magazine, Inside Defense, Inside Health Policy, the Frederick News-Post (Md. 75 th FIGHTER SQUADRON MISSION LINEAGE 75 th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) constituted, 17 Dec 1941 Redesignated 75 th Fighter Squadron, 15 May 1942 Activated, 4 Jul 1942. From that day on, the Japanese never advanced further than the west bank of the Salween. Postwar, in July 1946, Hill was asked by Texas Governor Coke Stevenson to activate and accept command of the 136th Fighter Group of the Texas Air National Guard. Inactivated on 5 Jan 1946. 169th Fighter Wing Units - McEntire Joint National Guard Base 169th Operations Group 803-647-8231. An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. Three fighter squadrons were tasked with defending. To reduce her wind exposure without the canopy, Bye lowered her seat, but that made it difficult to see the runway below, she said. Bye maintained control of the aircraft and safely landed the Warthog on its belly. Ingber said in the statement that it was his "job to think of everything that (Bye) is not because she has a massive handful of an airplane that is falling apart.". The Air Force has tried to retire the 1970s-era attack planes but was rebuffed by Congress. 75th fighter squadron obituary Vincent De Groot U.S. Air National Guard photo: Senior Master Sgt. Upon return to Maine in 1959 the squadron converted to the McDonnell F-101B Voodoo supersonic interceptor and the F-101F operational and conversion trainer. [7] It became an A-10 training unit and remained at England AFB supporting the deployments of the 74th and 76th TFS. Retired Lucerne aviator flew with a Bangor fighter squadron (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Briana Beavers), U.S. Air Force Capt. Arrangements entrusted to Greenlawn Funeral Home. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Briana Beavers), An Airman displays the aircraft forms binder for A-10C Thunderbolt II tail-995 at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Nov. 3, 2021. [15], 75th Fighter Squadron, 23d Fighter Group, Tenth Air Force, Department of the Army, General Orders No. With skillful marksmanship, he destroyed one aircraft and severely damaged three others resulting in their probable destruction. John Alison, left, after a 2008 Air Force presentation. Hill's first flight occurred at Winburn Field, when Marion P. Hair took Tex and a friend up in his Travel Air 4000. The across-the board spending cuts, called sequestration, took effect 1 March when Congress failed to agree on a deficit-reduction plan. [1] He learned to fly the P-40 in the AVG training program in Burma, and did well as a fighter pilot in the 2nd Pursuit Squadron (the "Panda Bears") as a flight leader and then squadron commander, becoming one of the top aces under the tutelage of Claire Chennault. My job was to take care of myself and to take care of the jet. During this period, the 75th served under the Air Defense Command and flew the F-86 Sabre day interceptors with a mission to maintain a high degree of operational proficiency so that it might repel any possible enemy air attack. To stem this tide, squadron leader Hill led a flight of four new P-40Es bombing and strafing into the mile-deep gorge. During a training strafing run at about 375 mph, the 30 mm GAU-8/A Avenger rotary cannon on his aircraft unexpectedly failed, triggering an explosion that blew off the canopy, stripped off some of the panels, and damaged the landing gear. Flying Tigers reunite, honor 70 years of service > Air Force > Article Redesignated as 75 Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942. On 3 April 1992, the squadron was again activated, as the 75th Fighter Squadron located at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina. Airman 1St Class Jason Epley/US Air Force, via Associated Press. Preferred memorial to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. He ended his military career in the Air Force Reserve, retiring as a brigadier general. Performing proper checks before and after flights is crucial to the safety of pilots. Several hundred men and 348 aircraft including C-47 transports, Waco CG-4A gliders, P-51 fighters and B-25 bombers were assigned to the mission. Memorial to Hail 12 Victims of '92 Copter Crash The 75th Fighter Squadron departed for Combat Hammer, an air-to-ground exercise hosted at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. He was a bombardier in the 571st Bomb Squadron, 390th Bomb Group and his aircraft "Decatur Deb" was shot down on May 28, 1944. The American force returned home with no casualties. Bye successfully landed an A-10C Thunderbolt II with minimal damage, during an in-flight emergency last year, earning her the Air Combat Command Airmanship Award. The two-seat trainer version was equipped with dual controls, but carried the same armament as the F-101B and were fully combat-capable. Taylor Bye, 75th Fighter Squadron standardization and evaluation chief, prior to her flight at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Nov. 3, 2021. [13], Air Combat Command officials announced a stand down and reallocation of flying hours for the rest of the fiscal year 2013 due to mandatory budget cuts. [1], The 75th Fighter Squadron's first assignment as an active unit was in the China-Burma-India theatre. Happy 75th Brrrthday, 190th Fighter Squadron - laststandonzombieisland Austin Duffey, 75th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron cann manager, left, and Tech. Soon after graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in engineering in 1936, Mr. Alison enlisted in the Army Air Corps. After 22 years in the Air Force, he moved to Fort Wayne and retired from Joselyn Stainless Steel. During this period, the 75th served under the Air Defense Command and flew the F-86 Sabre day interceptors with a mission to maintain a high degree of operational proficiency so that it might repel any possible enemy air attack. The 75th AMU repaired A-10C tail-995s damages from a gun malfunction and failed landing gear. (PDF) 75th FIGHTER SQUADRON - PDFSLIDE.NET As a professional researcher and World War II historian, Bill Beigel provides research services to genealogists, historians, authors, and civilians who are looking for information found in WW2 military unit records. [7] It took part in a variety of operational exercises both in the United States and overseas, including tactical bombing competitions against the Royal Air Force at RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland, during October 1977 and July 1978. Send a note, share a story or upload a photo. Ive never seen anything like this before in my career, said Staff Sgt. All the wraps in the group have shark teeth and an aircraft metal background, but each squadron has its own unique look. Received A/OA-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft transferred from the 353d Tactical Fighter Squadron at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, South Carolina prior to the 353d's inactivation and the base's closure in January 1993. The 75th Fighter Squadron (75 FS) is a United States Air Force unit. The F9F-6 Cougar was the first F9F variant with swept wings. Let others know about your loved one's death. He is credited with .mw-parser-output .frac{white-space:nowrap}.mw-parser-output .frac .num,.mw-parser-output .frac .den{font-size:80%;line-height:0;vertical-align:super}.mw-parser-output .frac .den{vertical-align:sub}.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px}12+14 victories as a squadron leader with the Flying Tigers and another six as an officer in the United States Army Air Corps in World War II. He retired as a brigadier general. An F-16 Fighting Falcon assigned to the 80th Fighter Squadron takes off from the flightline at Kunsan Air Base, Republic of Korea, Nov. 18, 2022. Austin Duffey, 75th AMU cann manager. DVIDS - News - 75 FS pilot crash lands A-10 75th Fighter Squadron Tiger Sharks A-10 Warthog Model, Fairchild, 1/33 It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group, Air Combat Command and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. "The amazing thing about the A-10 is, even though all these things happened, I had two perfectly working engines and hydraulic systems.". The commander of the 75th Fighter Squadron, Lt. Col. Stephen Joca, said following the incident that "what's most important is preventing total loss of the A-10 or even worse, her life," adding that "there are some steps that were covered in the checklist - the rest was just superb airmanship and decision making." As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Related: A-10 Pilot Awarded Distinguished Flying Cross for Landing Without Canopy, Landing Gear. A-10 Thunderbolt "Heritage Hawg" | National Review Hill activated Guard units throughout the Gulf Coast and became the youngest brigadier general in the history of the Air National Guard. 75th Fighter Squadron Wiki - Everipedia Air Force Capt. At the same time the unit received their newly upgraded A-10C fighters, which allow for greater employment guided munitions. Bye successfully flew A-10C Thunderbolt II tail-995 after its restorations from a gun-malfunction that caused her canopy to depart and stopped her landing gear from deploying. I think it will help build my continued confidence in learning how to fly the A-10 and mastery of it. The chief of Irans nuclear program, Mohammad Eslami, acknowledged the findings of the IAEA report. On 2 December 1991, the 75th Fighter Squadron was inactivated as part of the conversion to the Objective Wing and drawdown of the Air Force after the end of the Cold War. The enemy managed to get seven fighters airborne, but they were promptly shot down. The 75th Fighter Squadron (75 FS) is a United States Air Force unit. The Japanese had 100 bombers and 100 fighters at Shinchiku Airfield, and the bombers were landing as Hill's force arrived. [1], During World War II, the 75th Fighter Squadron was one of the three original squadrons (74th, 75th, 76th) of the 23rd Fighter Group. This doesnt happen very often in the history of the A-10, Joca said of Byes incident. On Nov. 3, 2021, Bye departed on a sortie in that same A-10C. On the same day as its activation, the 75th scored its first major victory during a night interception flight against Japanese bombers. Some members of the famous American Volunteer Group known as the "Flying Tigers" joined the 75th Fighter Squadron after the AVG was disbanded. The squadron flew the F-101B Voodoo, a supersonic fighter that could carry nuclear-tipped. They delivered 539 British soldiers and 66,000 pounds of equipment to a gully-pitted glade 165 miles inside Burma, known as Broadway. Mr. Alison, a retired Air Force Reserve major general, was a lieutenant colonel in what was then the Army Air Forces in late 1943 when Gen. Henry Arnold, commander of the Air Forces, assigned him and another lieutenant colonel to organize Operation Thursday, which is credited with having helped protect India from invasion by the Japanese. 307 75th fighter squadron Images: NARA & DVIDS Public Domain Archive Comfort the family with flowers or a sympathy gift. WWII Flying Tigers, Eagle SQdrn, Allies, and Misc. Squadron Patch 75 FS pilot crash lands A-10 > Air Combat Command > Article Display First to an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia for a series of exercises with friendly Middle Eastern air forces, then onto Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan to fly close-air support missions in support of U.S. and Afghan forces.[15]. Capt. After graduating from Austin College in 1938, Hill enlisted in the United States Navy. Upgraded to the F-86D Sabre Interceptor in 1953 at Suffolk County Air Force Base, New York, where the squadron remained for three years before moving to Dow Air Force Base, Maine. Pilot Gets Airmanship Award for Crash-Landing A-10 After Gun By the time the AVG was disbanded in the summer of 1942, Hill was a double ace, credited with 12+14 victories. An A-10 pilot made an emergency wheels-up landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California during a 2008 training flight, but it still had its cockpit canopy. There the squadron was inactivated on 5 January 1946.[7]. Bye successfully landed her first flight in the aircraft since its restorations from a crash-landing that happened nearly 2 years ago. On a basic surface attack in 2020 Capt. Bye successfully landed an A-10C Thunderbolt II with minimal damage, during an in-flight emergency last year, earning her the Air Combat Command Airmanship Award. [13], Hill married Mazie Sale on March 27, 1943, two weeks after noticing her at the First Presbyterian Church in Victoria, Texas while on leave, recovering from malaria. The squadron is equipped with the Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft. When anything [unusual] happens, its apparent and very easy to spot it and fix it, Ingber said in the release. On 17 December 1941, the AVG 2d Fighter Squadron was redesignated as the 23d Pursuit Group 75th Pursuit Squadron and subsequently the 75th Fighter Squadron. [8] He was buried at nearby Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. And there to be recognized was actually one of the founding members, retired Air Force Col. Dale Hendry. David Lee "Tex" Hill (July 13, 1915 October 11, 2007) was an American fighter pilot and triple flying ace. John R. Alison, an ace fighter pilot in World War II who helped organize and lead a broad American air campaign that enabled British forces to bog down the Japanese in the jungles of Burma, died Monday at his home in Washington. If nothing else, I will know that this is not going to keep me from flying and continuing to pursue my passion.. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Briana Beavers). Capt. Two years after the war, when President Harry S. Truman appointed him assistant secretary of commerce for aeronautics, The New York Times wrote, As Major Alison, according to dispatches in July 1942, he scored one of the most spectacular individual performances by the Air Forces in China by shooting down two of three Japanese bombers out of a nine-plane squadron that was raiding Hengyang in Hunan Province., John R. Alison, Ace Fighter Pilot in World War II, Dies at 98, https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/us/10alison.html. Within 72 hours, the 75th Fighter Squadron redeployed to Ahmad al-Jaber Air Base, Kuwait, becoming the first U.S. fixed-wing aircraft to be stationed in that country since the end of the 1991 Gulf War. On Thanksgiving Day 1943, he led a force of 12 B-25s, 10 P-38s, and 8 new P-51s from Saichwan, China, on the first strike against Formosa. There's no Thunderbirds or Blue Angels this year, but a new Air Force demonstration team will debut at this weekend's Melbourne Air & Space Show. Bye's leadership presented her with the Air Combat Command Airmanship Award on May 5 for outstanding performance and dedication to safety during the incident, according to a news release. Taylor Bye, 75th Fighter Squadron pilot and chief of standardization and evaluation, poses on the flight line at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, May 5, 2021. Ryan Foltz, 75th AMU cann manager. With over 1,900 locations, Dignity Memorial providers proudly serve over 375,000 families a year. Tisha Yates, a spokeswoman for Air Combat Command, didn't rule out the possibility of Bye also receiving the Distinguished Flying Cross in the future. 75th Fighter Interceptor Squadron F-89 Model - amazon.com (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Briana Beavers), U.S. Air Force Capt. Along with her courageous flight are the extraordinary efforts of the 75th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron to repair the aircraft. Leave a memory or share a photo or video below to show your support. During World War II, the 75th Fighter Squadron was one of the three original squadrons (74th, 75th, 76th) of the 23rd Fighter . A pilot climbs into the cockpit of an aircraft, which looked much different than it did on the day a catastrophic gun malfunction stopped the landing gear from deploying and ripped off the canopy mid-flight. [7] More than 2,000 people attended his funeral. The other incidents involved engine issues: A Warthog suffered an engine fire during flight but safely returned to base in Afghanistan in January 2020. The boys had snuck out of church one Sunday, and paid for the flight with their collection money. A-10 Warthog Emerges In New Camouflage | The Drive [1][2], On May 7, 1942, the Japanese Army began building a pontoon bridge across the Salween River, which would allow them to move troops and supplies into China. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. [9], On November 2, 2007, the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg observed "Tex" Hill Day with speeches, patriotic music, and friends' memories of the fallen hero.[10]. Lt. Col. Stephen Joca, the 75th Fighter Squadron commander, said in a statement that "what's most important is preventing total loss of the A-10 or even worse, her life." His sights were set after a barnstormer took him on a flight as a teenager, his son David said. [5], In 2002, he was conveyed an honorary lifetime membership in the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary (Civil Air Patrol) with a squadron of the CAP named in his honorthe Tex Hill Composite Squadron, of San Marcos, TX (SWR-TX-435). On 3 April 1992, the squadron was again activated, as the 75th Fighter Squadron located at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina. The squadron is equipped with the Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft. I guess I was nervous the whole time, but I didnt have time to think about being nervous. He activated the 75th Fighter Squadron and later commanded the 23rd Fighter Group as a colonel. The squadron moved to Moody AFB, Georgia in 2007 due to the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) panel recommendations. Lineage, including assignments, stations and aircraft in Robertson, AFHRA Factsheet, Learn how and when to remove this template message, 23d Tactical Fighter (later, 23d Fighter) Wing, "History: The Flying Tigers - American Volunteer Group - Chinese Air Force", "How the A-10 Warthog Keeps Getting Better and Better", "Reduced flying hours forces grounding of 17 USAF combat air squadrons", "75th Fighter Squadron and its A-10s return to Moody after six-month deployment", House Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces, House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces, Aerospace Defense Command Fighter Squadrons, Chinese-American Composite Wing (Provisional), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=75th_Fighter_Squadron&oldid=1130929175, Fighter squadrons of the United States Air Force, Military units and formations in Georgia (U.S. state), Fighter squadrons of the United States Army Air Forces, Articles needing additional references from December 2012, All articles needing additional references, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Air Force Historical Research Agency, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 19421946; 1946-1949; 1951-1968; 19681969; 19721991; 1992-present, Discontinued and inactivated, on 30 June 1968, 23d Fighter Group, 10 October 1946 24 September 1949, 23d Fighter-Interceptor Group, 12 January 1951, 23d Operations (later, 23 Fighter) Group, 1 June 1992 present, Luliang Airfield, China, 12 September 1944, Hangchow Airfield, China, 10 October 1945 10 December 1945, Presque Isle Air Force Base, Maine, 18 August 1955, This page was last edited on 1 January 2023, at 18:04. 9 (November 18, 2005), Last edited on 3 September 2022, at 14:27, "David Lee "Tex" Hill Composite Squadron", "World War II fighter ace 'Tex' Hill dies at 92", "Legendary Flying Tiger Tex Hill passes away", "Fredericksburg Museum to Honor 'Tex' Hill", "Board Names New School David Lee "Tex" Hill Middle School", "David Lee "Tex" Hill AVG Flying Tiger Ace, 18+ kills", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tex_Hill&oldid=1108279081, This page was last edited on 3 September 2022, at 14:27. Upon return to Maine in 1959 the squadron converted to the McDonnell F-101B Voodoo supersonic interceptor and the F-101F operational and conversion trainer. Altogether, Hill was credited with destroying 18.25 enemy aircraft. On 22 October 1962, before President John F. Kennedy told Americans that missiles were in place in Cuba, the squadron dispersed one third of its force, equipped with nuclear tipped missiles to Niagara Falls International Airport at the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Download Images of 75th fighter squadron - Free for commercial use, no attribution required. As she approached her departure in the aircraft, she showed complete resilience. The squadron remained at Dow Air Force Base until 1968 when it was transferred to Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan. The 74th fighter squadron has a blue stripe with a white lightning. 2019 a busy year for Hill's 75th Logistics Readiness Squadron Taylor Bye, 75th Fighter Squadron pilot and chief of standardization and evaluation, poses on the flight line at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, May 5, 2021. That landing took place in 2017 when DeVries, then a captain, was flying with other A-10 pilots over the Grayling Air Gunnery Range in the northern part of the state. In 1944, Hill returned to the U.S. and took command of the 412th Fighter Group, America's first operational jet fighter group flying the P-59 Airacomet and the P-80 Shooting Star. He separated from active service in the USAAF in 1945. At 17, he became a pilot in WWII, and was attached to the 75th Fighter Squadron in China, Burma, and India Theater. Lt. Col. Madison Woo, Commander. It doesnt matter the challenge that the 75th faces, Foltz said.