Description
Computer made 4.0 inch-100mm
68th FIGHTER SQUADRON
Lineage. Constituted 68th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Redesignated: 68th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942; 68th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 20 Aug 1943; 68th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 24 May 1944; 68th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 8 Jan 1946; 68th Fighter Squadron (All Weather) on 20 Feb 1947; 68th Fighter Squadron, All Weather, on 10 Aug 1948; 68th Fighter-All Weather Squadron on 20 Jan 1950; 68th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 25 Apr 1951; 68th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 25 Jul 1964. Inactivated on 30 Jun 1971. Activated on 30 Sep 1973. Redesignated 68th Fighter Squadron on 1 Nov 1991. Inactivated on 30 Apr 2001.
Assignments. 58th Pursuit (later, 58th Fighter) Group, 15 Jan 1941; 347th Fighter Group, 3 Oct 1942; 18th Fighter Group, 1 Nov 1945; 8th Fighter Group, 15 Dec 1945; 347th Fighter Group, 20 Feb 1947 (attached to 315th Composite Wing, 10 Apr-24 Nov 1947; 8th Fighter-Bomber Group, 1 Mar 1950-); Fifth Air Force, 24 Jun 1950 (remained attached to 8th Fighter-Bomber Group to 11 Aug 1950; attached to 49th Fighter-Bomber Group, 11 Aug-30 Sep 1950; 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 1 Oct-1 Dec 1950); 314th Air Division, 1 Dec 1950 (attached to 6160th Air Base Wing, 1 Dec 1950-); Japan Air Defense Force, 1 Mar 1952 (remained attached to 6160th Air Base Wing); Fifth Air Force, 1 Sep 1954 (remained attached to 6160th Air Base Wing to 20 Oct 1954; attached to 8th Fighter-Bomber Wing, 20 Oct 1954-1 Mar 1955); 43d Air Division, 1 Mar 1955; 41st Air Division, 1 Oct 1957 (attached to 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Dec 1961-); Fifth Air Force, 1 Jun 1962 (remained attached to 8th Tactical Fighter Wing to 15 Jun 1964); 32d Tactical Fighter Wing, 16 Jun 1964; 8th Tactical Fighter Wing, 25 Jul 1964 (attached to 6234th Tactical Fighter Wing, c. 27 Aug-6 Dec 1965); 831st Air Division, 6 Dec 1965 (attached to 479th Tactical Fighter Wing, 6 Dec 1965-15 May 1968); 479th Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 May 1968; 4531st Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 Oct 1968 (attached to 354th Tactical Fighter Wing, 20 Jun-9 Dec 1969); 31st Tactical Fighter Wing, 15 Oct 1970; 4403d Tactical Fighter Wing, 30 Oct 1970-30 Jun 1971. 405th Fighter Wing, 30 Sep 1973; 3d Tactical Fighter Wing, 16 Sep 1974; 347th Tactical Fighter Wing, 30 Sep 1975 (attached to86th Tactical Fighter Wing, 30 May-5 Jul 1990); 347th Operations Group, 1 May 1991-30 Apr 2001.
Stations. Selfridge Field, MI, 15 Jan 1941; Baton Rouge, LA, 6 Oct 1941; Oakland, CA, 22 Jan-17 Feb 1942; Camp Ascot, Brisbane, Australia, 8 Mar 1942; Amberly Field, Australia, 16 Mar 1942; Tongatabu, Tonga Islands, 16 May-28 Oct 1942; Noumea, New Caledonia, 2 Nov 1942; Guadalcanal, c. 12 Nov 1942; Fiji Islands, 12 Apr 1943 (operated from Guadalcanal, 12 Apr-Dec 1943); Bougainville, Solomon Islands, 4 Feb 1944 (operated from Ondonga, New Georgia, 27 Jan-10 Feb 1944); Middleburg Island, Dutch New Guinea, 17 Aug 1944; San Jose, Mindoro, 23 Feb 1945 (operated from Morotai, 12 Feb-25 Mar 1945); Puerto Princesa, Palawan, 6 Mar 1945; Fukuoka, Japan, 15 Dec 1945; Ashiya, Japan, 20 May 1946; Itazuke, Japan, Sep 1946 (deployed at Miyazaki, Japan, 10-24 Aug 1947, and Tsuiki, Japan, 29 May-9 Jun 1948); Bofu AFB, Japan, 19 Oct 1948; Ashiya AFB, (later, AB), Japan, 3 May 1949; Itazuke AB, Japan, 1 Apr 1950-15 Jun 1964 (detachments operated at Kimpo, South Korea, 30 Nov 1950-c. Mar 1951 and 27 Jun-24 Aug 1951; at Suwon, South Korea, c. Mar-19 Apr 1951, 23-27 Jun 1951 and 24 Aug 1951-23 Mar 1952; at Taegu, South Korea, 19 Apr-23 Jun 1951; and at Misawa AB, Japan, 9 Apr 1951-12 Feb 1952; entire squadron deployed at Osan AB, South Korea, 18 Jul-c. Aug 1960, 6-16 Mar 1961, 12-22 Jun 1961, 10-21 Sep 1961, and c. 8-18 Dec 1961); George AFB, CA, 16 Jun 1964 (deployed at Korat RTAFB, Thailand, 27 Aug-24 Nov 1965, and at Ubon RTAFB, Thailand, c. 24 Nov-6 Dec 1965); Homestead AFB, FL, 1 Oct 1968 (deployed at Kunsan AB, South Korea, 20 Jun-9 Dec 1969); England AFB, LA, 30 Oct 1970-30 Jun 1971. Clark AB, Philippines, 30 Sep 1973-30 Sep 1975; Moody AFB, GA, 30 Sep 1975-30 Apr 2001 (deployed at Ramstein AB, Germany, 30 May-5 Jul 1990).
Aircraft. P-35, P-36, and P-43, 1941; P-40, 1941-1942, 1942-1943; P-39, 1942-1944; O-47, 1942; P-400, 1942-1943; P-38, 1942-1945; P-51, 1946-1947; P-61, 1947-1950; F-82, 1949-1952; F-94, 1951-1954; F-80, 1953-1954; F-86, 1954-1960; F-102, 1959-1964; F-4, 1964-1968, 1968-1969, 1970; F-100, 1970-1971. F-4, 1975-1987; F-16, 1987-2001.
Operations. Air defense of Tongatabu, Jun-Oct 1942. Combat in South and Southwest Pacific, 12 Nov 1942-13 Aug 1945. Combat in Korea, 27 Jun 1950-23 Mar 1952. Air defense of southern Japan, Mar 1952-1 Jun 1964. Combat in Southeast Asia, Aug-Dec 1965. Unmanned, 30 Sep 1973-30 Sep 1975. Deployed aircraft and personnel to Saudi Arabia, 26 Jun-22 Dec 1991.
Service Streamers. None.
Campaign Streamers. World War II: China Defensive; Guadalcanal; New Guinea; Northern Solomons; Bismark Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; China Offensive; Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater. Korea: UN Defensive; UN Offensive; CCF Intervention; First UN Counteroffensive; CCF Spring Offensive; UN Summer-Fall Offensive; Second Korean Winter. Vietnam: Vietnam Defensive.
Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers. None.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Netherlands East Indies, 7, 20 and 22 Nov 1944. Presidential Unit Citations: Pacific Theater, 7 Aug-9 Dec 1942; Southeast Asia, [25 Aug-22 Oct 1965]. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with V: 1 Jul 1999-30 Sep 1999. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 12 May 1963-21 Mar 1964; 1 Dec 1965-31 Mar 1967; [1 Oct] 1968-30 Jun 1970; 1 Jan 1977-30 Apr 1978; 1 May 1978-31 May 1979; 23 Feb 1991-22 Feb 1993; 1 Jun 1994-31 May 1996; 1 Jun 1997-31 May 1999. Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII).
Emblem. Approved on 29 Nov 1944.