47th Fighter Squadron History

47th Fighter Squadron

Lineage

Constituted 47 Pursuit Squadron (Fighter) on 22 Nov 1940. Activated on 1 Dec 1940. Redesignated: 47 Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 12 Feb 1942; 47 Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942; 47 Fighter Squadron, Single Engine on 20 Aug 1944. Inactivated on 15 Oct 1946. Redesignated 47 Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 10 Oct 1952. Activated on 1 Dec 1952. Discontinued on 1 Jul 1960. Redesignated 47 Tactical Fighter Squadron on 17 Apr 1962. Organized on 1 Jul 1962. Inactivated on 1 Jul 1971. Activated in the Reserve on 1 Oct 1973. Redesignated 47 Fighter Squadron on 1 Feb 1992.

Assignments

15 Pursuit (later, 15 Fighter) Group, 1 Dec 1940-15 Oct 1946. 4708 Defense Wing, 1 Dec 1952; 518 Air Defense Group, 16 Feb 1953; 15 Fighter Group, 18 Aug 1955-1 Jul 1960. Tactical Air Command, 17 Apr 1962; 15 Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Jul 1962 (attached to 2 Air Division, 25 Jul-22 Nov 1965); 1 Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Oct 1970-1 Jul 1971. 917 Tactical Fighter Group (later, 917 Tactical Fighter Wing; 917 Fighter Wing), 1 Oct 1973; 917 Operations Group, 1 Aug 1992-.

Stations

Wheeler Field, TH, 1 Dec 1940; Bellows Field, TH, 22 Feb 1942; Haleiwa Field, TH, 25 Mar 1942; Barking Sands, TH, 29 Jul 1943; Mokuleia Field, TH, 8 Nov 1943; Bellows Field, TH, 8 Jun 1944-27 Jan 1945; South Field, Iwo Jima, 27 Feb-25 Nov 1945; Bellows Field, TH, 25 Nov 1945; Wheeler Field, TH, 9 Feb-15 Oct 1946. Niagara Falls Muni Aprt, NY, 1 Dec 1952-1 Jul 1960. MacDill AFB, FL, 1 Jul 1962-1 Jul 1971 (deployed at Ubon RTAFB, Thailand, 25 Jul-22 Nov 1965). Barksdale AFB, LA, 1 Oct 1973-.

Commanders

Maj Gordon H. Austin, 1 Dec 1940; Maj Joseph F. Hunker, 12 Feb 1942; Maj Jack M. Hounsom, 16 Sep 1942; Lt Col Norval K. Heath, 6 Mar 1943; Maj Thomas W. Mackey, 16 Apr 1944; Maj John A. Piper, 11 Nov 1944; Maj Theon E. Markham, May 1945; Capt Walter H. Powell, 19 Jul 1945; Capt Ernest W. Hostetler, 31 Jul 1945; Maj Theon E. Markham, 5 Aug 1945-unkn. Maj Orrell Culwell, 1 Dec 1952; Lt Col Rufus Woody Jr., 1953; Maj James L. Price, 1955; Lt Col Harold D. Collins, 1956; Lt Col Leonard L. Thomas, 1 Jun 1958-unkn. Lt Col Maurice Morrison, 1962; Lt Col Jack A. Robinson, 1964; Lt Col Aubrey C. Edinburgh, c. Jul 1967; Lt Col William M. Conner, 20 Sep 1968; Lt Col Solomon D. Whitten Jr., 20 Apr 1970; Lt Col Donald W. Martin, 25 Nov 1970-1 Jul 1971. Unkn, 1 Oct 1973-1976; Lt Col Benjamin Voss, by Jun 1976; Lt Col Stanley F. Smith, by Mar 1980; Lt Col Gerald P. Huckabee, by Jun 1980; Lt Col William D. Tracy, 17 Oct 1981; Lt Col Gerald P. Huckabee, 1982; Maj Ty Gregory, 1982; Lt Col Francis A. Rauch Jr., Dec 1982; Maj George C. Rhymes, by Dec 1986; Lt Col Jerry D. Prather, 24 Apr 1989; Lt Col Robert L. White, 1 Jan 1991; Lt Col John H. Bordelon, 1 Oct 1993; Lt Col James W. Graves, 27 Jul 1996-.

Aircraft

P-26, 1941; P-40, 1941-1943; P-36, 1941-1943; P-47, 1943-1945; P-51, 1944-1946. F-47, 1952-1953; F-86, 1954-1958; F-102, 1958-1960. F-84, 1962-1964; F-4, 1964-1971. A-37, 1973-1980; A-10, 1980-.

Operations

Engaged enemy aircraft with P-40s during the attack on Pearl Harbor, 7 Dec 1941; patrols over the Pacific, 8 Dec 1941-Dec 1944; combat in western Pacific, 10 Mar-14 Aug 1945. Air defense in northeastern United States, 1952-1958. Combat in Southeast Asia, 26 Jul-c. 21 Nov 1965. Replacement training, 1966-1971. Trained for A-37 close air support and special operations, 1972-1980 and for A-10 close air support and battlefield interdiction, 1980-. Periodically deployed A-10s and personnel to Italy to support NATO operations in the Balkans, 1993-1996. Provided A-10 training for reserve pilots, 1996-.

Service Streamers

None.

Campaign Streamers

World War II: Central Pacific; Air Offensive, Japan; Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater. Vietnam: Vietnam Defensive.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers

None.

Decorations

Distinguished Unit Citation: Japan, 7 Apr 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with the Combat "V" Device: 25 Jul-22 Nov 1965. Air Force Outstanding unit Awards: 1 Jan 1965-1 Jun 1966; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1969; 2 Jul 1993-1 Jul 1995; 1 Oct 1997-30 Sep 1999.

Emblem

Approved on 19 Sep 1944.

Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 2 Jul 2001.

Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through Sep 1996.

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