334th Fighter Squadron

Supermarine Spitfire MK V of the 334th Fighter Squadron

334th Fighter Squadron in January 1945

P47D 334th Fighter squadron 1944

The 334th, along with the 335th and 336th Fighter Squadrons, was assigned to the VIII Fighter Command 4th Fighter Group, which was the first United States Army Air Forces unit activated in the European Theater during World War II, which was located in Essex, England.

The 334th flew British Supermarine Spitfire fighters until the arrival of Republic P-47 Thunderbolt aircraft in 1943. After about a year the squadron switched to North American P-51 Mustangs. During World War II, the 334th had a total of 395 kills against the Luftwaffe; 210 kills in the air and 185 on the ground.

334th F-86E Sabre at Kimpo[note 2]

Equipped with the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star, the 334th moved to Andrews Air Force Base in April 1947. In 1949 the 334th moved to Langley Air Force Base, where they were re-equipped with the North American F-86 Sabre.

In November 1950, the 334th were sent to the war in Korea. During the war they were credited with 142 kills, and they had six pilots who achieved ace status.

The 334th remained in Korea until 8 December 1957. They moved to Seymour Johnson Air Force Base as a unit of the 4th Fighter Wing. The 334th flew the North American F-100 Super Sabre until 1959, when the squadron transitioned to the Republic F-105 Thunderchief.

Major James Jabara, Captain Manuel J. "Pete" Fernandez, Major George A. Davis, Medal of Honor recipient, and Major Frederick "Boots" Blesse; the second, third, fourth and sixth (respectively) leading aces of the Korean War were assigned to the 334th. Future astronaut Captain Gus Grissom was assigned to the 334th during the Korean War.

334th F-4E Phantom II at Seymour Johnson[note 3]

In September 1965 the 334th relocated to Holmsted AFB because the runway at their home base Seymour Johnson AFB was being re-built. In August the 334th TFS moved to McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas and exchanged their F105Fs for F-105Ds, and flew non-stop to Hickam Air Force Base, then on to Anderson Air Force Base, Guam, and on to Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand. From Takhli combat missions were flown to North Vietnam and Laos. Being on temporary duty, the 334th left their Thuds to be part of the developing 355th Tactical Fighter Wing, and in February 1966 returned to Seymour-Johnson. In January 1968 the 334th went to Korea to support operations during the Pueblo incident. The 334th then returned to Seymour Johnson.

From February 1968 through June 1969, 4TFW Commander Colonel Chuck Yeager flew with the 334th as an 'attached' pilot.

In April 1972, in the midst of a Tactical Air Command ORI, the 334th TFS was deployed to Ubon AB, Thailand after which the squadron was attached to the 25th TFS. The unit began combat operations almost immediately. Soon after the deployment to SEA, the operations officer, Maj Tokanel, lobbied for missions specifically flagged for the 334th TFS. The unit was deployed through Linebacker I and Linebacker II, flying air-to-ground and air-to-air combat missions. The squadron was redeployed back to Seymour Johnson AFB in March 1973.

The 334th flew its first sorties with the McDonnell Douglas F-15E Strike Eagle on 1 January 1991. Throughout the month the 334th served as the host unit for multiple units deploying to Operation Desert Shield. Also, 334th aircrews and support personnel deployed to Operation Desert Storm as augmentees. On 18 June 1991, the squadron became operational on the F-15E, and deployed to Saudi Arabia the next day to relieve elements of the 335th Fighter Squadron, providing combat air patrol and ground alert forces supporting withdrawal of troops from Operation Desert Storm

• 4th Fighter Group, 12 September 1942 – 10 November 1945
• 4th Fighter Group (later 4th Fighter-Interceptor Group, 4th Fighter-Bomber Group, 4th Fighter-Day Group), 9 September 1946
• 4th Fighter-Day Wing (later 4th Tactical Fighter Wing, 4th Wing) 8 December 1957
  • (attached to 65th Air Division 1 April – 13 August 1963)
  • attached to the following PACAF organizations during the Viet Nam War:
    • (Seventeenth Air Force 15 February – 29 May 1965)
    • (355th Tactical Fighter Wing 2 September 1965 – 5 February 1966)
    • (354th Tactical Fighter Wing 16 December 1969-c. 31 May 1970)
    • (8th Tactical Fighter Wing 11 April – 5 August 1972 and 30 September 1972 – 18 March 1973)
  • attached to the following USAFE organization during the Cold War:
    • (86th Tactical Fighter Wing, 28 August– 29 September 1980, 26 August – 29 September 1981, and 22 May – 20 June 1984)
• 4th Operations Group, 22 April 1991 – present[1]

• Art Donahue - World War II
• Frederick "Boots" Blesse - Korean War
• George A. Davis - Korean War
• Manuel J. "Pete" Fernandez - Korean War
• Gus Grissom - Korean War
• James Jabara - Korean War
• William T. Whisner Jr. - Korean War
• Chuck Yeager - Cold War-era
• Ralph Jodice - Gulf War-era
• Norman Seip - Gulf War-era
• John N.T. "Jack" Shanahan - Gulf War-era[3]
• Jay B. Silveria - Gulf War-era

• 
  71 Eagle Squadron, RAF, 1940
• 
  USAAF World War II 334th Fighter Squadron