The Vietnam War Years of

Korat Royal Thai Air Base

35th Fighter Squadron

 

Lineage

Organized as 35th Aero Squadron on 12 Jun 1917. Demobilized on 19 Mar 1919. Reconstituted, and redesignated 35th Pursuit Squadron, on 24 Mar 1923. Activated on 25 Jun 1932. Redesignated: 35th Pursuit Squadron (Fighter) on 6 Dec 1939; 35th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 12 Mar 1941; 35th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942; 35th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 19 Feb 1944; 35th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 8 Jan 1946; 35th Fighter Squadron, Jet, on 1 Jan 1950; 35th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on 20 Jan 1950; 35th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 1 Jul 1958; 35th Fighter Squadron on 3 Feb 1992.

Assignments

Unkn, 12 Jun–Nov 1917; Third Aviation Instruction Center, Nov 1917–Jan 1919; unkn, Jan–19 Mar 1919. 8th Pursuit (later, 8th Fighter; 8th Fighter-Bomber) Group, 25 Jun 1932 (attached to 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, 24 Sep–20 Nov 1964); 6441st Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Apr 1965 (attached to 2d Air Division, 4 May–26 Jun 1965 and 19 Oct–15 Nov 1965); 41st Air Division, 15 Nov 1966; 347th Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Jan 1968 (attached to Detachment 1, 347th Tactical Fighter Wing, 10 Jun–16 Jul 1968, 22 Aug–1 Oct 1968, 22 Nov–26 Dec 1968, 21 Mar–23 Apr 1969, 30 Jun–6 Aug 1969, 17 Oct–29 Nov 1969, 30 Jan–7 Mar 1970, 8–30 May 1970, 11 Jul–8 Aug 1970, 2–30 Oct 1970, and 26 Dec 1970–23 Jan 1971); 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Mar 1971 (attached to 366th Tactical Fighter Wing, 3 Apr–12 Jun 1972; 388th Tactical Fighter Wing, 12 Jun–c. 12 Oct 1972); 8th Tactical Fighter (later, 8th Fighter) Wing, 16 Sep 1974; 8th Operations Group, 3 Feb 1992–.

Stations

Camp Kelly, TX, 12 Jun–11 Aug 1917; Etampes, France, 20 Sep 1917; Paris, France, 23 Sep 1917; Issoudun, France, Nov 1917; Clisson, France, 4 Jan 1919; St. Nazaire, France, 9–20 Feb 1919; Garden City, NY, 9–19 Mar 1919. Langley Field, VA, 25 Jun 1932; Mitchel Field, NY, 14 Nov 1940–26 Jan 1942; Brisbane, Australia, 6 Mar 1942; Port Moresby, New Guinea, 26 Apr 1942; Woodstock, Australia, 29 Jun 1942; Townsville, Australia, 27 Jul 1942; Milne Bay, New Guinea, 18 Sep 1942; Mareeba, Australia, 24 Feb 1943; Port Moresby, New Guinea, 10 May 1943; Finschhafen, New Guinea, 25 Dec 1943; Cape Gloucester, New Britain, 19 Feb 1944; Nadzab, New Guinea, 14 Mar 1944; Owi, Schouten Islands, 1 Jul 1944; Morotai, 4 Oct 1944; Dulag, Leyte, 5 Nov 1944 (operated from Morotai, 5–28 Nov 1944); San Jose, Mindoro, 20 Dec 1944; Ie Shima, 9 Aug 1945; Fukuoka, Japan, c. 21 Nov 1945; Ashiya AB, Japan 20 May 1946; Itazuke AB, Japan, 5 Sep 1946; Ashiya AB, Japan, 15 Apr 1947; Miho AB, Japan, 10 Aug 1948; Itazuke AB, Japan, 16 Jun 1949; Tsuiki AB, Japan, 11 Aug 1950; Suwon AB, South Korea, 7 Oct 1950; Kimpo AB, South Korea, 26 Oct 1950; Pyongyang, North Korea, 25 Nov 1950; Seoul AB, South Korea, 3 Dec 1950; Itazuke AB, Japan, 10 Dec 1950; Kimpo AB, South Korea, 25 Jun 1951; Suwon AB, South Korea, 24 Aug 1951; Itazuke AB, Japan, 20 Oct 1954; Yokota AB, Japan, 13 May 1964 (deployed at Korat RTAFB, Thailand, 24 Sep–20 Nov 1964; Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, 4 May–25 Jun 1965 and 19 Oct–15 Nov 1965; Osan AB, South Korea, 10 Jun–16 Jul 1968, 22 Aug–1 Oct 1968, 23 Nov–26 Dec 1968, 21 Mar–23 Apr 1969, 30 Jun–6 Aug 1969, 17 Oct–29 Nov 1969, 30 Jan–7 Mar 1970, 8–30 May 1970, 11 Jul–8 Aug 1970, 2–30 Oct 1970, and 26 Dec 1970–23 Jan 1971); Kunsan AB, South Korea, 15 Mar 1971– (deployed at DaNang AB, South Vietnam, 3 Apr–12 Jun 1972; Korat RTAFB, Thailand, 13 Jun–c. 12 Oct 1972).

Aircraft

In addition to P–12, 1932–1936, included P–6 during period 1933–1936; in addition to PB–2, 1936–1939, and P–36, 1939–1940, included YP–37 and A–17 during period 1938–1940; P–40, 1940–1941, 1943–1944; P–39, 1941–1943; P–400, 1942–1943; P–38, 1944–1946; P(later F)–51, 1946–1950, 1950; F–80, 1949–1950, 1950–1953; F–86, 1953–1957; F–100, 1956–1963; F–105, 1963–1967; F–4, 1967–1971, 1971–1981; F–16, 1981–.

Operations

Assembled and maintained aircraft and constructed facilities, 1917–1918. Combat in Southwest and Western Pacific, 30 Apr 1942–14 Aug 1945. Combat in Korea, 27 Jun 1950–27 Jul 1953. Air defense in Japan and Korea, 1953–1971. Combat in Southeast Asia, 5 Oct–c. 20 Nov 1964, 5 May–25 Jun 1965, 28 Oct–7 Nov 1965, and c. 3 Apr–10 Oct 1972.

Honors

Service Streamers. World War I Theater of Operations.

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; Vietnam Ceasefire.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citations: Papua, 23 Jul 1942–23 Jan 1943; New Britain, 26 Dec 1943; New Guinea, 16 Jan 1944; Philippine Islands, 26 Dec 1944; Korea, 16 Sep–2 Nov 1950. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 12 May 1963–21 Mar 1964; 1 Apr–30 Jun 1965; 4 May 1965–8 Jun 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 Citations: 27 Jun 1950–31 Jan 1941; 1 Feb 1951–31 Mar 1953. Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: 1 Apr 1966–12 Oct 1972.

Emblem

On a Gray disc within a Blue border a Black panther garnished White courant, tongue Red. Approved on 7 Nov 1932 (K 11990). MOTTO: FIRST TO FIGHT. Approved on 25 Jan 1980.

 

 

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