70th Fighter Squadron

History

The 70th provided air defense for Fiji from, February–December 1942. It then went on to fly combat missions in South and Southwest Pacific from, 21 December 1942 – 21 July 1944 and 9 September 1944 – 9 August 1945. It deployed aircraft and personnel to Southwest Asia from, 10 January – 16 September 1992.

Lineage

Constituted 70th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 14 December 1940

Activated on 1 January 1941 Redesignated: 70th Fighter Squadron on 15 May 1942 Redesignated: 70th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, on 20 August 1943 Redesignated: 70th Fighter Squadron, Two Engine, on 24 May 1944 Inactivated on 26 December 1945

Redesignated 70th Tactical Fighter Squadron on 8 September 1975

Activated on 30 September 1975 Redesignated 70th Fighter Squadron on 1 November 1991. Inactivated on 30 June 2000

Assignments

35th Pursuit Group, 1 January 1941 – 15 January 1942

US Army Forces in Fiji, 28 January 1942

347th Fighter Group, 3 October 1942

18th Fighter Group, 30 March 1943

347th Fighter Group, 1 November – 26 December 1945

347th Tactical Fighter Wing, 30 September 1975

Attached to 86th Tactical Fighter Wing, 29 August – 28 September 1989

347th Operations Group, 1 May 1991 – 30 June 2000

Aircraft Operated

P-36 Hawk (1941)

P-39 Airacobra (1942–1944)

P-40 Warhawk (1943)

P-38 Lightning (1943–1945)

RA-24 Banshee (1944)

F-4 Phantom II (1975–1987)

F-16 Fighting Falcon (1987–1995)

OA-10 Thunderbolt (1995–2000)

Operations

World War II

Operation Southern Watch