Capt. During World War II, the 74th Fighter Squadron was one of the three original squadrons (74th, 75th, 76th) of the 23d Fighter Group . U.S. Air Force Capt. 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. Capt. He was preceded in death by his wife, Alice; daughter, Dona (Jerry) Kelker; and son, Randy A. Miller. In addition to Byes experience, a similar accident occurred in Nevada in July 2020 when an A-10s engine stalled and its gun overheated, causing significant damage but no injuries. She was recently awarded the Air Combat Command Airmanship Award for her skillful flying. It will instead rely on further refurbishment to fly Warthogs for about another two decades. This was one of our biggest struggles because we had no experience with rebuilding a crashed jet.. So, just sitting (in the aircraft) at zero knots is the best time to make decisions, because going 300 miles per hour is not the time where I want to make a decision without having thought about it. The intercepting pilots were credited with the destruction of two enemy bombers and two probables. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Another mishap in Arizona in March 2020 saw the A-10s engine compressor stall out; the engine was damaged and the pilot returned to base without injury. The F9F-6 Cougar was the first F9F variant with swept wings. The 124th Fighter Wing conceived the idea to commemorate the unit's 75th anniversary and lineage to their predecessor, the 405th Fighter Squadron. (U.S. Air Force photo by Andrea Jenkins), An official website of the United States government, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. All rights reserved. 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. Taylor Bye when her attack aircraft began falling apart in midair. This was the first night interception ever attempted over the China theatre and gave the Japanese quite a shock. And there to be recognized was actually one of the founding members, retired Air Force Col. Dale Hendry. I guess I was nervous the whole time, but I didnt have time to think about being nervous. A memorial to Army Rangers and Air Force Special Operations airmen killed in an Oct. 29, 1992, helicopter crash in the Great Salt Lake will be dedicated Sunday at 1 p.m. at Antelope Island State Park. The 75th Fighter Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Ryan Callaghan) Photo Details/ [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). He was a bombardier in the 571st Bomb Squadron, 390th Bomb Group and his aircraft "Decatur Deb" was shot down on May 28, 1944. One G, zero knots is something Ive heard experienced pilots say, Bye said. [4][5] This group of men, under the leadership of General Claire Lee Chennault, engaged in aerial combat against the Japanese very soon after 7 December 1941. Welcome home, 75th Fighter Squadron | Editorials | valdostadailytimes.com He separated from active service in the USAAF in 1945. Within an aircraft forms binder is a record of every discrepancy that has been fixed or needs to be fixed on a particular aircraft. Arrangements entrusted to Greenlawn Funeral Home. Altogether, Hill was credited with destroying 18.25 enemy aircraft. Sgt. .Flags collection; Made with 100% cotton canvas. Juggling a malfunctioning 30mm Gatling gun, a landing gear that wouldnt deploy and a cockpit canopy that fell off in flight, Bye managed to safely land the aircraft with minimal damage to the runway or the plane. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Rachel Perkinson), An A-10C Thunderbolt II sits on the runway after making an emergency landing April 7, 2020 at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. Remained at Dow Air Force Base until 1968 when it was transferred to Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan. CANDLE HAS BEEN LIT CANDLES HAVE BEEN LIT, We are reviewing your submission. There the squadron was inactivated on 5 January 1946.[7]. [1] To reduce her wind exposure without the canopy, Bye lowered her seat, but that made it difficult to see the runway below, she said. The .25 kills comes from an assist; he and 3 other pilots worked together to shoot down a Japanese Nate fighter. 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. 169th Operations Group 803-647-8231. Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Times as senior reporter in March 2021. World War II ace Joe Foss celebrated with blue 75th anniversary F-16 The Air National Guard's 190th Fighter Squadron commemorates the unit's 75th anniversary with an A-10 Thunderbolt II painted to resemble the P-47 Thunderbolt the squadron flew during World War II. The A-10C Warthog Gets New Upgrades To Be Ready To Fight In Future High As the Commander, Col Kelly is responsible for the integration of 250 Maintenance, Operations, Logistics and Medical personnel within the 23d Wing . 8th Operations Group - Kunsan Air Base Taylor Bye, 75th Fighter Squadron pilot and chief of standardization and evaluation, pose for a photo during a ceremony at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, May 5, 2021. General Arnold decided he needed the two lieutenant colonels because the British, under Maj. Gen. Orde C. Wingate, had faced calamitous conditions in 1943 when they first tried to pin down Japanese occupation forces in Burma. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. Tail number 995 was recently restored, and who better to fly the aircraft than Bye. Due to the relationship between the 75th FS and 76th FS, Paetzhold is slated to deploy as the 75th FSs weapons officer. Some members of the famous American Volunteer Group known as the "Flying Tigers" joined the 75th Fighter Squadron after the AVG was disbanded. [14] This affected the 75th Fighter Squadron with a reduction of its flying hours, placing it into a basic mission capable status from 5 April-30 July 2013. 75 Fighter Squadron (ACC) - Air Force Historical Research Agency After graduating from Austin College in 1938, Hill enlisted in the United States Navy. The across-the board spending cuts, called sequestration, took effect 1 March when Congress failed to agree on a deficit-reduction plan. That incident is believed to be the first time in the four-decade history of the A-10 that a pilot landed with no canopy and with the landing gear up, the Air Force said in 2017. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross, the militarys highest award for aerial achievements, fall. "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. [10] 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. It was one of the squadrons that became known as the Flying Tigers. He retired from two careers. Evan Bergstrom talks about the upgraded controls in the aircraft with J.M. We have a great online selection at the lowest prices with Fast & Free shipping on many items! [2][3] This group of men, under the leadership of General Claire Lee Chennault, engaged in aerial . Capt. Before returning to the states in late 1944, Hill and his P-51 downed another six Japanese aircraft. He was sent to London in the spring of 1941 as a technical adviser to the Royal Air Force. The US Air Force awarded one of its pilots for skillfully landing a damaged aircraft without a cockpit canopy or working landing gear after what the service described as a "catastrophic" failure. 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. At General Wingates behest, Prime Minister Winston Churchill asked President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide American air support for another incursion. 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] More than 2,000 people attended his funeral. 74th Fighter Squadron | Military Wiki | Fandom 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. After determining what was wrong, Bye had to figure out how to land the plane. The 75th Fighter Squadron's first assignment as an active unit was in the China-Burma-India theatre. 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's first assignment as an active unit was in the China-Burma-India theatre. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group, Air Combat Command and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. Her nearby wingman, Maj. Jack Ingber, the squadrons assistant operations director, looked over her jet from his own plane and helped guide Bye back to the runway. There the squadron began flying the A-7D Corsair II ground attack aircraft. I think it will help build my continued confidence in learning how to fly the A-10 and mastery of it. Buy 75th Fighter Interceptor Squadron F-89 Model: Aircraft - Amazon.com FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases Amazon.com: 75th Fighter Interceptor Squadron F-89 Model : Arts, Crafts & Sewing During World War II, the 75th Fighter Squadron was one of the three original squadrons (74th, 75th, 76th) of the 23d Fighter Group. The first operational deployment of a composite wing happened in October 1994, when Iraqi troops began massing near the Kuwaiti Border. Preferred memorial to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Despite these problems, DeVries got the plane back on the ground safely. It consisted of an F-22, an F-15E, an F-16C, and a P-40 like the one Hill flew with the AVG. With exceptional flying ability, Major Hill forced enemy aircraft to turn from the attack and dive away. Timothy Dischinat) Vincent De Groot Pilot exemplifies Total Force Integration On 3 April 1992, the squadron was again activated, as the 75th Fighter Squadron located at Pope Air Force Base, North Carolina. The 75th Fighter Squadron (75 FS) is a United States Air Force unit. But he wanted to be in combat, and in July 1942 he was assigned as deputy commander of the 75th Fighter Squadron in China. Since the A-10 is an increasingly difficult airframe to maintain, there were moments of uncertainty for the aircrafts restoration. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group, Air Combat Command and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia . Lt. Col. Madison Woo, Commander. The 75th AMU repaired A-10C tail-995s damages from a gun malfunction and failed landing gear. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Briana Beavers). Sgt. Im excited, Bye said. 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. The two-seat trainer version was equipped with dual controls, but carried the same armament as the F-101B and were fully combat-capable. U.S. Air Force Capt. The 80th Fighter Squadrons executes air combat operations in support of U.S. and ROK interests in the Pacific area of responsibility. Activated on 4 Jul 1942. At the same time the unit received their newly upgraded A-10C fighters, which allow for greater employment guided munitions. [4] This affected the 75th Fighter Squadron with a reduction of its flying hours, placing it into a basic mission capable status from 5 April-30 July 2013.[4]. ", "This doesn't happen very often in the history of the A-10," said Lt. Col. Stephen Joca, 75th Fighter Squadron commander. The exercise is designed to collect and analyze data on the performance of precision weapons and measure their suitability for use in combat. After World War II, the squadron returned to the United States and was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. They wrote the playbook to do this on the fly, because nobody had ever done this before, said Douglas Birkey, director of government relations for the Air Force Association, which promotes education about air power. WW2 Army Air Corps (Air Force) Unit Records Research Taylor Bye Belly-Landed Her A-10 Warthog After Its - warhistoryonline Soon after graduating from the University of Florida with a degree in engineering in 1936, Mr. Alison enlisted in the Army Air Corps. 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. Donald Miller Obituary - Fort Wayne, IN - Dignity Memorial The squadron flew the F-101B Voodoo, a supersonic fighter that could carry nuclear-tipped. The two officers were authorized by General Arnold to acquire as many aircraft and men as needed to insert British forces behind Japanese lines, to set up airfields to supply them and to evacuate the wounded. Surviving are his daughter, Mary (Carl) Straley; son, Ron (Caroline) Miller; daughter-in-law, Nan (Randy) Miller; ten grandchildren; and 16 great-grandchildren. The first operational deployment of a composite wing happened in October 1994, when Iraqi troops began massing near the Kuwaiti Border. A-10 Thunderbolt "Heritage Hawg" | National Review [2], Hill made his first kills on January 3, 1942, when he downed two Nates over the Japanese airfield at Tak, Thailand. Taylor Bye, 75th Fighter Squadron standardization and evaluation chief, prepares to enter the A-10C Thunderbolt II tail-995 cockpit at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, Nov. 3, 2021.