609th Special Operations Squadron
Encyclopedia
The 609th Special Operations Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force
unit. The squadron was constituted on 1 October 1942, and was originally designated the 349th Night Fighter Squadron. Its last assignment was with the 56th Special Operations Wing based at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand
. The squadron served notably for two and a half years combat duty during the Vietnam War
. It was inactivated on 1 Dec 1969.
on 22 Aug 1967 and officially organized on 15 Sept 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.
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. The 609th was inactivated on 1 December 1969. The squadron's losses had been heavy, and it was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary gallantry.
Vietnam: Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; Tet 69/Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer/Fall 1969; Vietnam Winter/Spring 1970.
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
unit. The squadron was constituted on 1 October 1942, and was originally designated the 349th Night Fighter Squadron. Its last assignment was with the 56th Special Operations Wing based at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. The squadron served notably for two and a half years combat duty during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. It was inactivated on 1 Dec 1969.
Combat Operations During the Vietnam War
The 609th Special Operations Squadron was activated as the 609th Air Commando Squadron at Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, ThailandThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
on 22 Aug 1967 and officially organized on 15 Sept 1967. It was assigned to the 56th Air Commando Wing
56th Fighter Wing
The 56th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona where it also is the host unit....
. The squadron flew the Douglas A-26 Invader
A-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
, 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.
The night interdiction tasks of the 609th were gradually taken over by squadrons flying Lockheed AC-130
Lockheed AC-130
The Lockheed AC-130 gunship is a heavily-armed ground-attack aircraft variant of the C-130 Hercules transport plane. The basic airframe is manufactured by Lockheed, while Boeing is responsible for the conversion into a gunship and for aircraft support...
gunships, and the A-26 aircraft were phased out of active service by November 1969. The 609th was inactivated on 1 December 1969. The squadron's losses had been heavy, and it was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for extraordinary gallantry.
Lineage
- 349th Night Fighter Squadron (constituted on 1 Oct 1942; activated on 4 Oct 1942; disbanded on 31 Mar 1944; reconstituted on 19 Sept 1985).
- 329th Transport Squadron (Cargo & Mail), (constituted on 12 May 1944; activated on 31 May 1944; inactivated on 9 Sept 1945; disbanded on 8 Oct 1948; reconstituted on 19 Sept 1985) consolidated (19 Sept 1985) with the 609th Special Operations Squadron.
- 609th Special Operations Squadron (constituted 609th Air Commando Squadron, and activated on 22 Aug 1967; organized on 15 Sept 1967; redesignated 609th Special Operations Squadron on 1 Aug 1968; inactivated on 1 Dec 1969).
Assignments
- Fighter Command School, 4 Oct 1942
- Army Air Forces School of Applied Tactics, 21 Jan 1943
- 481st Night Fighter Operational Training Group, 26 Jul 1943
- Fourth Air ForceFourth Air ForceThe Fourth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Reserve . It is headquartered at March Air Reserve Base, California....
, 15 Jan 1944-31 Mar 1944. - Mediterranean Air Transport ServiceAir Transport CommandAir Transport Command is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its mission was to meet the urgent demand for the speedy reinforcement of the United States' military bases worldwide during World War II, using an air supply system to supplement surface transport...
, 31 May 1944-9 Sept 1945 - 56th Air Commando Wing (later Special Operations Wing)56th Fighter WingThe 56th Fighter Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Education and Training Command's Nineteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona where it also is the host unit....
, 15 Sept 1967-1 Dec 1969.
Stations
- Kissimmee Army Air FieldKissimmee Gateway AirportKissimmee Gateway Airport , formerly known as Kissimmee Municipal Airport, is a public airport in Kissimmee, a city in Osceola County, Florida, United States. The airport is located 16 nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Orlando...
, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, 4 Oct 1942; - Hammer FieldFresno Yosemite International AirportFresno Yosemite International Airport , formerly known as Fresno Air Terminal, is a joint civil-military public airport located in eastern Fresno, in Fresno County, California. The airport is more than south of Yosemite National Park on California State Route 41. The airport covers and has two...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, 15 Jan-31 Mar 1944 - CapodichinoNaples AirportNaples Airport can refer to:*Naples International Airport in Naples, Italy*Naples Municipal Airport in Naples, Florida...
, NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, 31 May 1944-9 Sept 1945 - Nakhon Phanom RTAFB, ThailandThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, 15 Sept 1967-1 Dec 1969.
Commanders
Not manned, 4 Oct-Jan 1943; Lt Col William R. Yancey, Jan 1943-31 Mar 1944. Maj James E. Scoggins Jr., 31 May 1944; Capt William E. Gedecke, c. Jun 1944; Capt Bernard J. Weist, 24 Aug 1944-unknown. Lt Col Allen F. Learmonth, 15 Sep 1967; Lt Col Robert E. Brumm, by 31 Mar 1968; Lt Col John J. Shippey, by 30 Sep 1968; Lt Col Robert L. Schultz, by 31 Dec 1968; Lt Col Robert W. Stout, by 30 Sep 1969; Lt Col Jackie R. Douglas, by 30 Oct 1969-1 Dec 1969.Aircraft
- DB-7, 1942
- L-6Interstate CadetThe Interstate Cadet is an American two-seat tandem, high wing, single engine monoplane light aircraft. Around 320 of these aircraft were produced between the years of 1941 and 1942 by the Interstate Aircraft and Engineering Corporation based in El Segundo, California...
, 1942–1943 - P-61P-61 Black WidowThe Northrop P-61 Black Widow was the first operational U.S. military aircraft designed specifically for night interception of aircraft, and was the first aircraft specifically designed to use radar. It was an all-metal, twin-engine, twin-boom design developed during World War II...
, 1942–1944 - P-70, 1942–1944
- B-17, 1944–1945
- B-25B-25 MitchellThe North American B-25 Mitchell was an American twin-engined medium bomber manufactured by North American Aviation. It was used by many Allied air forces, in every theater of World War II, as well as many other air forces after the war ended, and saw service across four decades.The B-25 was named...
, 1944–1945 - C-47C-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
, 1944–1945 - C-53C-47 SkytrainThe Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
, 1944–1945 - A-26A-26 InvaderThe Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
, 1967-1969.
Operations
- Trained crews for night fighter operations, Oct 1942-Mar 1944.
- Delivered cargo and mail throughout the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, Mar 1944-Sep 1945.
- Combat in Southeast Asia, Sept 1967-Dec 1969.
Campaign Streamers
World War II: Rome-Arno.Vietnam: Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase II; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III; Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV; Tet 69/Counteroffensive; Vietnam Summer/Fall 1969; Vietnam Winter/Spring 1970.
Decorations
- Presidential Unit Citations: 1 Oct 1967-30 Apr 1968; 1 Nov 1968-1 May 1969; 1 Oct-1 Dec 1969.
- Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat “V” Device: 1 Jul 1968-1 Dec 1969.
- Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 15 Sept 1967-1 Dec 1969.