The first contingent flew up in transports on the 26th, and the pilots flew the P-39s up on the 28th. They encountered severe weather and lost 15 planes en route. It was a staggering blow to both Americans and Australians. Another 26 P-39s arrived safely on the 30th.

The first combat mission for the 36th PS took place on April 30, 1942. Tasked with a strafing mission at La Salamana, New Guinea, the aircrews encountered 15 to 20 Japanese Zeros. The ensuing dogfight lasted all the way back to Port Moresby. Two pilots of the 36th, Captain Paul G. Brown and Captain James J. Bevlock, were forced to land. Capt. Brown claimed probable destruction of one Zero. During the entire war, the 36th would lose 56 men listed as killed or missing in action.

From April through June 1942, more than 300 enemy planes flew sorties over Seven-Mile Drome in an effort to soften Allied defenses and eliminate Allied air power in that area, prior to a major Japanese invasion effort. The now redesignated 36th Fighter Squadron defended the Drome and claimed 21 enemy planes destroyed during 94 individual combat engagements. The squadron lost 10 planes, but five pilots were saved. Rations were destroyed for the most part and the aircrews lived on bread, jam and tea.

First Lt. Donald G. McGee was credited with the squadron's first confirmed victory when he shot down a Zero over the Seven-Mile Drome on May 1, 1942. While the 36th FS was establishing its ground echelon force at Port Moresby, the battle of the Coral Sea was underway. In this decisive naval engagement, the Japanese were rebuffed in their efforts to land an invasion force in the vicinity of Port Moresby, thereby marking the beginning of Allied efforts to stem the tide of Japanese conquest.

After three months of heavy combat operations, the pilots and ground crews of the 36th got some welcome relief from another squadron and returned to their former camp near Townsville. Some of the men were suffering from malaria and dengue fever. The reunion of the squadron at Townsville was a cause for great celebration. The kitchen was opened with coffee and sandwiches, a huge stack of mail was waiting to be opened, and in the middle of the room were three large barrels of beer…and the party ended at 3:00 AM.

The Japanese sent several planes to bomb Townsville in late July 1942. After the first incident, the pilots of the 36th took to the skies to defend the city. Unfortunately, local antiaircraft batteries made it very dangerous to pursue enemy aircraft. After closer coordination with ground forces, the 36th attacked the invaders on the night of August 1, 1942 and sent the enemy planes hurtling to the ground in flames.

By September 1942 the 36th FS was located at Milne Bay, New Guinea, and equipped with P-39 Airacobras. They performed patrol and reconnaissance missions, escorted transports, protected Allied shipping to the area of Milne Bay, and during December 1942, patrolled the area between Port Moresby and Buna, New Guinea. Enemy opposition was encountered on only two occasions, the 7th and 28th of December. On the anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Lt. George S. Welsh, who had destroyed four enemy aircraft one year earlier, shot down three Japanese planes near Buna.

After another rest and recovery period, the 36th FS relocated to Ward's Drome, Port Moresby in the spring of 1943 and operated from this location until December 1943. While there, the unit escorted transports to Wau, the Markham Valley and Nadzab, and occasionally escorted bomber missions. However, enemy aircraft had, for the most part, retreated north. Only fourteen aircraft were encountered in seven months. On September 10, 1943, the 36th converted to P-47 Thunderbolts.

In late December 1943, while stationed at Nadzab, New Guinea, sixteen P-47s encountered between 50 to 75 enemy Vals, Oscars and Zeros near Kokopo Point. During the ensuing battle, the 36th destroyed five enemy planes and lost two P-47s. General George C. Kennedy later commended the squadron, and the War Department awarded the unit the Distinguished Unit Citation for bravery in action.

For the rest of the year, the 36th FS escorted bombers and dive-bombed and strafed airfields and other targets in the Halmaharas, Beram and Celebes. Included in this period was the first mission of the 36th to the Philippines on September 2, 1944. Staging through Middleburg Island, next to Sanapor on the Vogelkop Peninsula, the P-38s escorted the B-24s to bomb the airfields at Davao on Mindinao.

The 36th FS participated in the Leyte Campaign in November 1944 by flying against enemy airfields, attacking enemy aircraft formations and providing air escort. The 36th claimed aerial destruction of 30 enemy aircraft over the Philippines and had its first two aces, Capt. William K. Giroux and 1st Lt. John S. Dunaway. Lt. Dunaway destroyed four planes during a single engagement on November 6, 1944, for which he was later awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Prior to entering the Luzon Campaign in December 1944, the 36th FS received new P-38s and set up a ground echelon near San Jose at Hill Strip. A portion of the ground echelon force accompanied the assault forces which invaded Mindoro. Around 9:00 a.m. on December 15, 1944, at a point just off Mindoro, the LST which was carrying these men was attacked by a Japanese kamikaze pilot. The enemy plane hit the side of the LST. 2nd Lt. Kenneth W. Wheeler supervised the dumping of all ammunition drums, and when the 'abandon ship' order was given, searched the burning vessel to determine that all personnel were evacuated safely. The 36th lost only one man.

Pilots of the 36th FS flew their new P-38s from Leyte to Mindoro, and as they prepared for initial landing on the Hill Strip, they were attacked by 12 to 15 Japanese aircraft. Led by their Squadron Commander, Capt. Allen E. Hill, the pilots of the 36th destroyed six enemy fighters and seriously damaged several more.

On the anniversary of the squadron's distinguished action during the invasion of New Britain, it won another Distinguished Unit Citation for outstanding performance. On the evening of December 26, 1944, the 8th Fighter Group received intelligence that an enemy task force was approaching Mindoro. Pilots of the 36th hurriedly took off from Hill Strip and attempted to locate and strafe the enemy ships. Lt. Herald B. Lowery found them in the darkness and circled about the convoy with his landing lights on - thus exposing himself to antiaircraft fire, while other pilots attacked the ships. One destroyer was sunk and two were damaged, therefore halting the enemy until light bombers and dive bombers could enter the battle.

While on patrol four days later, Capt. James A. Moss sighted an Oscar making a suicidal dive at a Liberty Ship. Without concern for his own safety, Capt. Moss dove his ship through intense enemy naval anti-aircraft fire and hit the enemy aircraft with close fire, causing it to explode. Ground fire hit Moss' plane and it crashed into the sea where he was killed.

From January through July 1945, the 36th FS performed patrol missions in areas north and east of the Philippines, with some flights over the Central Islands. Deploying bombers were escorted through their sectors by 36th aircraft. Some air support was provided to ground forces. Of course, while on patrol the aircrews strafed and dive-bombed ships, troop concentrations, motor vehicles, railroads and rolling stock, airfields, gun emplacements, bridges and ammunition and fuel dumps located chiefly on Luzon. Occasionally, they would hit targets on other island of the Philippines, and on Formosa, Indochina, North Borneo and China.

The 36th FS moved northward to Ie Shima, Ryukyu Island in August 1945. On August 10th through 12th, the squadron flew against Kyushu, Japan. The strafing and dive-bombing sorties flown against enemy airfields and bridges were the last combat missions flown by the 36th during the war. Official kill totals as credited by Headquarters Fifth Air Force showed the Flying Fiends of the 36th FS as having destroyed 95 enemy aircraft in aerial engagements. After the surrender of Japan, the 36th moved to Fukuska, Japan and became the only functioning squadron of the 8th Fighter Group.

The 36th FS converted to P-51s (later designated F-51s) in early 1946. The squadron moved back and forth among many bases in Japan during the next three years. Primary training was centered around air defense commitments for Japan.

On December 22, 1949, the 36th FS landed its first F-80 at Itazuke. The commanding officer, Major Richard A. McNees, along with three other pilots, had flown F-51s to Misawa AB where they exchanged them for the F-80s for the return trip home.

On June 25, 1950, the now redesignated 36th Fighter-Bomber Squadron was alerted for possible combat duty in South Korea due to the invasion of North Korea. The next day, the squadron flew protective cover near Kimpo AB, while American personnel were being evacuated by transport aircraft. Three North Korean aircraft were sighted, but U.S. aircraft held their fire. On June 28, 1950, F-80s of the 36th FBS attacked advancing North Korean forces, hitting tanks, trucks, artillery and troops.

On June 30, 1950, the 36th FBS recorded its first enemy aircraft kill of the Korean War with 1st Lt. John B. Thomas, and 1st Lt. Edwin T. Johnson narrowly escaped death in his F-80 which was damaged by anti-aircraft fire and also hit overhead cables following an attack against the marshaling yards near Suwon.

At 13,000 feet, with the entire tail section moving back and forth as though it was about to fall off, Lt. Johnson bailed out, hitting the right horizontal stabilizer, breaking it free from the plane. He landed near Suwon and was picked up and airlifted back to Itazuke that same afternoon, with one tremendous headache.

On November 24, 1950, the 36th FBS relocated to Pyongyang after the successful UN offensive. However, as a result of an enemy counter-offensive in December, the 36th moved south to Seoul AB, and later to Itazuke, Japan. Once there, the squadron converted back to F-80s.

On June 25, 1951, the anniversary of the North Korean invasion, the 36th FBS completed its 9,000th sortie of the war and moved back into Kimpo AB. Twelve F-80s of the 36th encountered twelve MiG-15s over North Korea on October 3, 1951. They shot down two of the MiGs and damaged one, while not suffering any losses of their own.

In a one-day strike on March 11, 1952 against enemy troop and supply concentrations in the Mulgae-Ri area of Korea, the 8th FBG flew a total of 254 sorties, and delivered 153 tons of bombs, 124 tons of napalm, and 46,000 rounds of ammunition, heavily damaging and killing dumps, buildings, troops, anti-aircraft positions and vehicles. Two months later, the Group destroyed positions near Pyongyang. On June 23, 1952, the 36th successfully bombed the Suiho hydroelectric plant on the Yalu River and one of the chosen hydroelectric plants in northeast Korea. The raids were highly successful and electric power was cut off for industrial areas of North Korea and Manchuria. On August 29, 1952, the 8th Group flew 166 combat sorties against targets near Pyongyang.

By February 1953, the 36th FBS had converted to F-86 aircraft. Flying new F-86F-30 Sabres, their first deep thrust into North Korea was against the Army General Headquarters and radio broadcasting stations at Pyongyang. During June and July, the 36th was tasked with heavy bombing and strafing missions against enemy airfields to prevent any possible reinforcements of air elements during cease-fire negotiations. On June 15, 1953, the 36th set a record for sorties flown by a squadron in a single day. They flew a total of 121 that day, a record that still stands.

After the truce was signed in July 1953, the 36th FBS remained at Suwon AB (designated K-13 by the Air Force) and conducted training operations. That training was primarily fighter-bomber oriented. On October 19, 1954, the 36th returned to Itazuke, Japan and participated in Fifth Air Force operations and exercises for the next ten years.

In January 1957, the 36th FBS began converting to F-100 aircraft. In March of that year, the 8th FBW flew F-100s to Bangkok, Thailand where it participated in a series of air exercises with other nations. The 36th received numerous excellent reports for their participation in those exercises. On July 1, 1958, the squadron was redesignated 36th Tactical Fighter Squadron.

The next jet fighter to join the 36th TFS arsenal was the F-105. That conversion took place during May 1963, when the squadron moved to Yokota AB, Japan. In June the following year, the 36th TFS and the 8th TFW were assigned to the 41st Air Division. For two years, the squadron participated in exercises over Korea.

On August 6, 1964, as a result of the Gulf of Tonkin Crisis, the 36th TFS deployed to Korat, Thailand by way of Clark AB, Philippines. On alert at Korat Royal Thailand AFB, the 36th  flew missions on August 14 and again on August 18, to escort rescue aircraft and suppress anti-aircraft fire during rescue operations. It was the squadron's first action in what would become the Vietnam War.

When the 36th TFS returned to Yokota in December 1964, it participated in a huge ceremony. On December 7, the Japanese Government presented retiring General Curtis E. LeMay, USAF Chief of Staff, Japan's First Order of the Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun. In a flyover that followed, the 36th formed the letters CEL in the General's honor.

The 36th TFS was deployed TDY to Takhli RTAFB, Thailand twice during 1965. During the first deployment, the 36th flew mostly interdiction and armed reconnaissance missions. Numerous aircraft received battle damage; however, none were lost. During the second deployment, flying the same types of missions, four pilots were lost and listed as missing-in-action. One of those missing was Major Dean A. Pogreba, who was later awarded the Air Force Cross. In May 1966, the F-105s and nearly all of the men of the 36th were reassigned to the 34th Tactical Fighter Squadron, with only one airman and the commander remaining. Supplies and equipment were assigned to other USAF units at Yokota AB. Thus, the 36th began accumulating technical orders and equipment for F-4C aircraft.

The F-4Cs arrived during December 1967, and personnel and equipment resources began increasing throughout 1968. The 36th continued to support tactical air operations and air sector defense in Japan and Korea for the next three years. In 1971, due to increased commitments, a reduction in the number of aircraft, and a move to a Forward Operating Location (FOL) at Kunsan AB, Korea (on a rotating basis) the squadron faced a period of extreme hardship. Individuals were confronted with turbulence in their work environment and made large individual sacrifices for the sake of the mission.

In February 1971, with the transfer of the 36th TFS to the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, the 36th became the only remaining fighter squadron in the 347th Tactical Fighter Wing. The squadron was divided into two sections - A and B. In March 1971, Section A moved to Kunsan AB, to assume alert duties. Section B moved to an FOL at Osan AB. As the year progressed, each month the squadron's two sections would switch assignments, with an occasional return to Yokota AB.

By mid May 1971, the 36th was officially reassigned from Yokota AB to Kunsan AB as a part of the 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing. In July, preparations began for moving the 36th to Osan AB. The greatest problems were the installment of runway barriers and briefing Osan AB personnel on coordination of high performance aircraft with normal air traffic in that sector. However, those problems were overcome and the 36th moved to Osan AB on November 13, 1971.

In late November 1971, the F-4Cs were housed in hardened arches/shelters, called "Wonder Arches" by maintenance personnel. The primary mission of the 36th was to maintain a combat ready posture, assume alert requirements and continue aircrew training.

On August 19, 1972, torrential rains caused all flying operations to cease, and aircraft and aircrews were briefed on plans to evacuate aircraft to Japan in case of flooding. Fortunately, rains subsided and evacuation plans were canceled at the last minute. The 36th, supporting the 314th Air Division Operations, was later awarded the ROK Presidential Unit Citation for the aid it rendered the Korean people during the storms.

The 36th TFS changed over from the F-4C to the F-4D aircraft in 1972. In June 1974, the squadron changed to the F-4E model. In late September, the 36th TFS was reassigned to the 51st Composite Wing and moved permanently to Osan AB, Korea. Some of the F-4Ds were previous bedded down in Taegu AB.

On August 18, 1976, the 36th TFS and their F-4Es were placed on alert following the murder of the United Nations Command Guards at Panmunjon, referred to as the "Tree Cutting Incident." The next time the 36th went on alert was in September 1988 to provide a quick response during the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul.

In late 1988, the first F-16C models (Block 30) began to arrive and ushered in a new era in combat capability for the Fiends. The conversion was completed in mid April 1989. Shortly there after Cope Thunder 89-7 took place with the new aircraft.

From mid-January 1990 to late June, the squadron's agenda was filled with numerous exercises and deployments. On July 21, 1990, an F-16 lost its brakes and the pilot was unable to steer the aircraft away from a C-130 in the MAC ramp. In November 1990, the first of the navigation pods arrived, and night training started to pick up.

Throughout late 1991 to December 1992, the redesignated 36th Fighter Squadron showed remarkable flexibility in mission training and combat capability with the addition of the targeting pod and increased emphasis on CAS. This is a testament of its ability and desire to carry the load and do it right.

The history of the 36th FS proves that the unit has been able to rise up and meet any challenge, no matter how great, because it has trained hard and was ready. Today, as a member of the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan AB in the Republic of Korea, the 36th FS continues to meet each and every challenge.

History Source - 51st FW Historian, Osan AB, South Korea  

 Squadron History Summary
(Source - USAF)

Lineage

Organized as 36th Aero Squadron on June 12, 1917 
Demobilized on April 7, 1919
Reconstituted and redesignated 36th Pursuit Squadron on March 24, 1923. Activated on October 2, 1930.
Redesignated 36th Pursuit Squadron (Fighter) on December 6, 1939
Redesignated 36th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on March 12, 1941
Redesignated 36th Fighter Squadron on May 15, 1942
Redesignated 36th Fighter Squadron, Two-Engine, on February 19, 1944
Redesignated 36th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on April 1, 1946
Redesignated 36th Fighter Squadron, Jet, on January 1, 1950
Redesignated 36th Fighter-Bomber Squadron on January 20, 1950
Redesignated 36th Tactical Fighter Squadron on July 1, 1958
Redesignated 36th Fighter Squadron on February 7, 1992

Assignments

Unknown, June 12 - September 1917
Third Aviation Instructor Center, September 1917
French Aerial Gunnery School, February 1918
American Aerial Gunnery School, November 1918 - February 1919
unknown, February 7 -  April 1919
2nd Bombardment Wing (attached to 1st Pursuit Group), October 2, 1930
8th Pursuit Group (attached to 1st Pursuit Group), April 1, 1931
18th Pursuit Group (attached to 1st Pursuit Group), June 30, 1931
8th Pursuit (later, 8th Fighter; 8th Fighter-Bomber) Group, June 15, 1932 (attached to 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing, February 1 - September 30, 1957)
8th Fighter-Bomber (later, 8th Tactical Fighter) Wing, October 1, 1957
6641st Tactical Fighter Wing, April 1, 1965
347th Tactical Fighter Wing, January 15, 1968
3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, May 15, 1971
8th Tactical Fighter Wing, September 16, 1974
51st Composite Wing (Tactical) (later, 51st Tactical Fighter Wing) September 30, 1974
51st Fighter (later, 51st Operations) Group, October 1, 1990 -

Stations

Camp Kelly, Texas, June 12 - August 11, 1917
Etampes, France, September 19, 1917
Issoudun, France, September 24, 1917
Cazaux, France, February 21, 1918
St Jean-de-Monts, France, November 5, 1918
St Nazaire, France, February 16 - March 14, 1919
Garden City, New Jersey, March 25 - April 7, 1919
Selfridge Field, Michigan, October 2, 1930
Langley Field, Virginia, June 13, 1932
Mitchell Field, New York, November 15, 1940 - January 26, 1942
Brisbane, Australia, March 6, 1942
Lowood, Australia, March 13, 1942
Townsville, Australia, April 4, 1942
Port Moresby, New Guinea, April 26, 1942
Townsville, Australia, June 30, 1942
Milne Bay, New Guinea, September 18, 1942
Mareeba, Australia, February 22, 1943
Port Moresby, New Guinea, May 22, 1943
Nadzab, New Guinea, December 22, 1943
Finschhafen, New Guinea, January 9, 1944
Nadzab, New Guinea, March 14, 1944
Owi, Schouten Islands, June 17, 1944
Morotai, September 19, 1944
Dulag, Leyte, November 5, 1944 (operated from Morotai, November 5-30, 1944)
San Jose, Mindoro, December 20, 1944
Ie Shima, August 6, 1945
Fukuoka, Japan, November 24, 1945
Ashiya AB, Japan, May 22, 1946
Itazuke AB, Japan, September 6, 1946
Ashiya AB, Japan, April 14, 1947
Itazuke AB, Japan, March 25, 1949
Tsuiki AB, Japan, August 11, 1950
Suwon AB, South Korea, October 5, 1950
Kimpo AB, South Korea, October 29, 1950
Pyongyang AB, North Korea, November 25, 1950
Seoul AB, South Korea, December 3, 1950
Itazuke AB, Japan, December 10, 1950
Kimpo AB, South Korea, June 25, 1951
Suwon AB, South Korea,  August 26, 1951
Itazuke AB, Japan, October 19, 1954
Yokota AB, Japan, May 13, 1964 (deployed at Korat RTAFB, Thailand, August 9 - October 5, 1964; Takhli RTAFB, Thailand, March 6 - May 4, 1965 and August 26 - October 28, 1965)
Osan AB, South Korea, October 1 - November 24, 1968, February 18 - March 24, 1969, May 27 - July 1, 1969, September 9 - October 18, 1969, December 27, 1969 - January 31, 1970, April 10 - May 9, 1970, June 20 - July 11, 1970, September 4 - October 2, 1970, November 27 - December 26, 1970
Kunsan AB, South Korea, May 15, 1971
Osan AB, South Korea, November 13, 1971–

Aircraft

Curtis P-1 Hawk, P-6 Hawk, P-12, and P-16, 1930-1939
Curtis P-36 Hawk, 1939-1940
Curtis P-40 Warhawk, 1940-1941
Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1941-1943
Curtis P-40 Warhawk, 1942-1943
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt, 1943-1944
Lockheed P-38 Lightning, 1944-1946
North American P-51 (later F-51) Mustang, 1946-1950
Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star, 1949-1953
North American F-86 Sabre, 1953-1957
North American F-100 Super Sabre, 1957-1963
Republic F-105 Thunderchief, 1963-1966
McDonnell-Douglas F-4 Phantom II, 1967-1989
General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, 1988-

Operations

Constructed facilities and assembled and maintained aircraft, 1917-1919. Combat in Southwest and Western Pacific, April 30, 1942 - August 16, 1945. Combat in Korea, June 27, 1950 - July 27, 1953. Combat in Southeast Asia, August - October 1964, March - May 1965, and August - October 1965. Not operational, May 1966 - December 1967. Air defense of Japan and South Korea, 1968 -

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.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.

Decorations

Distinguished Unit Citations: Papua, [September] 1942 - January 23, 1943; New Britain, December 26, 1943; Philippine Islands, December 26, 1944; Korea, September 16 - November 2, 1950
Presidential Unit Citation: Vietnam, August 26 - October 28, 1965
Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: May 12, 1963 - May 21, 1964; April 1 - June 30, 1965; April 15, 1969 - April 15, 1971; July 1, 1972 - December 31, 1973; September 30, 1974 - March 31, 1976; April 1, 1983 - April 20, 1984; May 1, 1984 - April 30, 1985; July 1, 1985 - June 30, 1987; July 1, 1987 - June 30, 1989; October 1, 1992 - September 30, 1994; November 1, 1995 - May 31, 1997; October 1, 2002 - September 30, 2004
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (World War II)
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations: June 27, 1950 - January 31, 1951; February 1, 1951 - March 31, 1953; August 19-20, 1972
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: April 1, 1966 - May 14, 1971

Emblem

On September 25, 2007, a revised emblem was approved and is shown below.

Flying Fiends

Squadron History Photos

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