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68th Fighter Squadron emblem (approved 29 November 1944)[2]
Military unit
The 68th Fighter Squadron was one of the longest-serving fighter squadrons in U.S. Air Force history, remaining active almost continually for 60 years. Known as the "Lightning Lancers", on the morning of 27 June 1950 pilots of the 68th Fighter-All Weather Squadron flying the North American F-82 Twin Mustang made history by achieving the first aerial kill of the Korean War.
Established in early 1941 as part of the United States' defense buildup after the breakout of World War II in Europe. Trained under Third Air Force, then deployed to the Southwest Pacific after the Attack on Pearl Harbor for combat duty with Fifth Air Force. Reassigned to Thirteenth Air Force and provided air defense of Tongatabu from, June–October 1942 with a mixture of P-40s and P-39s. Engaged in combat in Solomon Islands, 1943-1944 using long-range P-38 Lightnings; moved to Southwest Pacific and flew missions over New Guinea and Netherlands East Indies during General Douglas MacArthur's island hopping campaign; arrived in the Philippines in February 1945 and spent the remainder of the war clearing the Japanese from those islands.
Far East Air Forces
Moved to Japan as part of the occupation forces, December 1945 although most personnel had been demobilized and returned to the United States. From 2 November 1945 to 1 October 1946, the 68th was non-operational and became, in name only, part of the large occupational force stationed in Japan. Then, in October 1946, the squadron began search and patrol missions and participated in exercises and maneuvers out of various bases in Japan flying the P-51D Mustang. In February 1947 assumed the air defense mission of northern Japan with Northrop P-61 Black Widow night fighters, personnel, and equipment of the inactivating 421st Night Fighter Squadron.[3] It replaced war-weary F-61s in 1949 with new North American F-82 Twin Mustangs.
68th Fighter All Weather Squadron F-82G Twin Mustang 46-376 based at Itazuke AB, 1950
Hurriedly engaged in combat operations over Korea, June 1950 as the first USAF squadron operational over war zone. Engaged North Korean Air Force aircraft and scored first aerial victories of the conflict. Replaced by Republic F-84 Thunderjets for combat air patrols in July 1950, engaging largely in long-range reconnaissance and weather flights over North Korea, 1950-1951 as F-51D Mustangs used for ground support and jets for air superiority missions, also maintained air defense of Southern Japan. Also engaged in night-interceptor missions over North Korea. Twin Mustangs replaced by jet Lockheed F-94C Starfire interceptors in 1951 and later to North American F-86D Sabres in 1954.
The squadron upgraded to and Convair F-102A Delta Daggers in 1959. It began rotational deployments to Osan Air Base, South Korea in 1960, providing air defense over South Korean airspace. In 1963, Headquarters, United States Air Force instituted Project Clearwater. Clearwater was designed to return overseas F-102 squadrons to United States in order to reduce "gold flow" (negative currency exchange). The 68th's planes were withdrawn from Japan and dispersed over Air Defense Command squadrons in the United States and the squadron moved on paper to the US in 1964.[4]
Reassigned to Tactical Air Command, re-equipped with new McDonnell F-4C Phantom IIs in 1964. Deployed to bases in Thailand in 1964-1965 flying air superiority missions, close air support, strategic bombing over North Vietnam and initiating "night-owl" tactics and procedures in the fall of 1965 over North and South Vietnam during early stages of the United States' involvement in that conflict. Returned to George Air Force Base and became a replacement training unit for F-4 aircrews from February 1966 to October 1968. The unit became nonoperational for a short time.
Assigned to Florida in 1968 with TAC's control of Homestead Air Force Base, but deployed to South Korea in 1968 in the wake of the Pueblo Crisis. Returned to the United States in late 1969; leaving F-4 Phantoms in South Korea and being re-equipped with F-100 Super Sabres in Louisiana before being reassigned to the Philippines in 1973 as an F-4E squadron at Clark Air Base.
Tactical Fighter Squadron
Returned again to the United States with TAC's activation at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia in 1975. Flew F-4Es and deployed overseas in February 1985 to Panama to take part in exercise Kindle Liberty. It regularly deploys to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, for intensive Red Flag and Green Flag mock combat exercises, then in 1987 being re-equipped with F-16A/B Falcons reassigned from Kadena Air Base, Japan as they upgraded to F-16C/Ds. The F-4Es were reassigned to the Missouri ANG. It deployed aircraft and personnel to Saudi Arabia between 26 June and 22 December 1991.[1]
In 1999 the 68th conducted two deployments to Al Jaber Air Base Kuwait in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH. During the two deployments the Lancers flew 460 combat sorties dropping their first bombs in combat since the Vietnam War. The 68th was credited with the destruction of numerous 57 and 100 MM AAA guns, radar/cable relay stations, ammunition storage facilities, and surface-to-air missile sites. Of particular note; during the first deployment the 68th delivered 14 GBU-12 and 6 GBU-10 laser-guided bombs on Iraqi targets with a perfect 100 percent hit rate for the entire rotation, a US Air Force record.
The 68th was inactivated on 30 April 2001 as part of realignment at Moody.[1]
Lineage
Constituted as the 68th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 November 1940
Activated on 15 January 1941
Redesignated 68th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942
Redesignated 68th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 20 August 1943
Redesignated 68th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine on 24 May 1944
Redesignated 68th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 8 January 1946
Redesignated 68th Fighter Squadron (All Weather) on 20 February 1947
Redesignated 68th Fighter Squadron, All Weather on 10 August 1948
Redesignated 68th Fighter-All Weather Squadron on 20 January 1950
Redesignated 68th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 25 April 1951
Redesignated 68th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 25 July 1964
Inactivated on 30 June 1971
Activated on 30 September 1973
Redesignated 68th Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991
McMullen, Richard F. (November 1964). The Fighter Interceptor Force 1962 – 1964(PDF). ADC Historical Study No. 27. Ent Air Force Base, Colorado: Air Defense Command. – Formerly Confidential, declassified 22 March 2000.
United States
United States Air Force
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