The Vietnam War Years of

Korat Royal Thai Air Base

80th Fighter Squadron

 

Lineage

Constituted 80th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 6 Jan 1942. Activated on 10 Jan 1942. Redesignated: 80th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942; 80th Fighter Squadron (Two Engine) 22 Jul 1943; 80th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 20 Aug 1943. Inactivated on 26 Dec 1945. Redesignated 80th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, 14 Jan 1947. Activated on 20 Feb 1947. Redesignated: 80th Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 1 Jan 1950; 80th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 20 Jan 1950; 80th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Jul 1958; 80th Fighter Squadron on 3 Feb 1992.

Assignments

8th Pursuit (later, 8th Fighter) Group, 10 Jan 1942–26 Dec 1945. 8th Fighter (later, 8th Fighter-Bomber) Group, 20 Feb 1947 (attached to 49th Fighter-Bomber Group, 11 Aug–25 Sep 1950; 51st Fighter-Interceptor Group, 25 Sep–27 Oct 1950; Twentieth Air Force, 21 Oct 1954–10 Feb 1955; 49th Fighter-Bomber Group, 10 Feb 1955–18 Oct 1956; 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 Feb–30 Sep 1957); 8th Fighter-Bomber (later, 8th Tactical Fighter) Wing, 1 Oct 1957 (attached to 41st Air Division, 13 May–17 Jun 1964); 41st Air Division, 18 Jun 1964 (attached to 2d Air Division, 30 Oct–29 Dec 1964); 6441st Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Apr 1965 (attached to 2d Air Division, 27 Jun–26 Aug 1965); 41st Air Division, 15 Nov 1966; 347th Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Jan 1968 (attached to Detachment 1, 475th Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Feb–15 Mar 1971); 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Mar 1971; 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, 16 Sep 1974; 8th Operations Group, 3 Feb 1992–.

Stations

Mitchel Field, NY, 10–26 Jan 1942; Brisbane, Australia, 6 Mar 1942; Lowood, Australia, 28 Mar 1942; Petric, Australia, 10 May 1942; Port Moresby, New Guinea, 20 Jul 1942; Milne Bay, New Guinea, 8 Nov 1942; Mareeba, Australia, 6 Feb 1943; Port Moresby, New Guinea, 21 Mar 1943; Dobodura, New Guinea, 11 Dec 1943; Cape Gloucester, New Britain, 28 Feb 1944; Nadzab, New Guinea, 25 Mar 1944; Owi, Schouten Islands, 18 Jun 1944; Morotai, 20 Sep 1944; Dulag, Leyte, 15 Nov 1944 (operated from Morotai, 15–30 Nov 1944); San Jose, Mindoro, 20 Dec 1944; Ie Shima, 5 Aug 1945; Fukuoka, Japan, 25 Nov–26 Dec 1945. Itazuke AB, Japan, 20 Feb 1947; Ashiya AB, Japan, 14 Apr 1947; Itazuke AB, Japan, 25 Mar 1949; Kimpo AB, South Korea, 27 Oct 1950; Itazuke AB, Japan 20 Dec 1950; Kimpo AB, South Korea, 25 Jun 1951; Suwon AB, South Korea, 24 Aug 1951; Kadena AB, Okinawa, 21 Oct 1954; Itazuke AB, Japan, 6 Aug 1956; Yokota AB, Japan, 13 May 1964 (deployed at Korat RTAFB, Thailand, 30 Oct–29 Dec 1964; Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, 27 Jun–26 Aug 1965; Osan AB, South Korea, 26 Dec 1968–20 Feb 1969, 24 Apr–27 May 1969, 5 Aug–10 Sep 1969, 28 Nov–27 Dec 1969, 6 Mar–10 Apr 1970, 29 May–20 Jun 1970, 7 Aug–4 Sep 1970, 30 Oct–28 Nov 1970, and 23 Jan–15 Feb 1971); Kunsan AB, South Korea, 15 Feb 1971–.

Aircraft

P–39, 1942–1943; P–400, 1942–1943; P–38, 1943–1945. P(later, F)–51, 1947–1950; F–80, 1950–1953; F–86, 1953–1957; F–84, 1954–1956; F–100, 1956–1963; F–105, 1963–1968; F–4, 1968–1971, 1971–1981; F–16, 1981–.

Operations

Combat in Southwest and Western Pacific, 22 Jul 1942–16 Aug 1945. Combat in Korea, 27 Jun 1950–27 Jul 1953. Air defense in Japan and Korea, 1953–1954, in Okinawa, 1954–1956, and in Japan and Korea, 1956–1971. Combat in Southeast Asia, 12 Nov–25 Dec 1964 and c. 27 Jun–c. 26 Aug 1965.

Honors

Service Streamers. None.

Campaign Streamers. World War II: East Indies; Air Offensive, Japan; China Defensive; Papua; New Guinea; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon with Arrowhead; Southern Philippines; China Offensive. Korea: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter; Korea Summer-Fall, 1952; Third Korean Winter; Korea, Summer 1953. Vietnam: Vietnam Advisory; Vietnam Defensive.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Papua, 23 Jul 1942–23 Jan 1943; New Guinea, 20 Aug–15 Sep 1943; New Britain, 24 Oct–7 Nov 1943; Philippine Islands, 26 Dec 1944; Korea, [24 Aug–25 Sep] 1950; Korea, [27 Oct]–2 Nov 1950. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 12 May 1963–21 Mar 1964; 1 Apr–30 Jun 1965; 27 Jun–26 Aug 1965; 15 Apr 1969–15 Mar 1971; 1 Jul 1972–31 Dec 1973; 1 Apr 1977–31 Mar 1978; 1 Jun 1986–31 May 1988. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII). Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation: 27 Jun 1950–31 Jan 1951. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 Apr 1966–14 May 1971.

Emblem

On a White disc the face of a headhunter proper wearing Blue pilot goggles, above a White, Brown and Yellow broken bone; all within a narrow Yellow border. MOTTO: AUDENTES FORTUNA JUVAT—Fortune Favors the Bold. Approved on 9 Oct 1986.

 

 

Source: Organizational History Branch , maxwell.af.mil/au/afhra