The 75th Fighter Squadron (75 FS) is a United States Air Force unit. It is assigned to the 23d Fighter Group, Air Combat Command and stationed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. The squadron is equipped with the Fairchild Republic A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft.
During World War II, the 75th Fighter Squadron was one of the three original squadrons (74th, 75th, 76th) of the 23rd Fighter Group.
On 17 December 1941, the American Volunteer Group (AVG) 2nd Fighter Squadron was redesignated as the 23rd Pursuit Group 75th Pursuit Squadron and subsequently the 75th Fighter Squadron.
History
World War II
The 75th Fighter Squadron's first assignment as an active unit was in the China-Burma-India theatre. Some members of the famous American Volunteer Group known as the "Flying Tigers" joined the 75th Fighter Squadron after the AVG was disbanded. This group of men, under the leadership of General Claire Lee Chennault, engaged in aerial combat against the Japanese very soon after 7 December 1941.
On the same day as its activation, the 75th scored its first major victory during a night interception flight against Japanese bombers. This was the first night interception ever attempted over the China theatre and gave the Japanese quite a shock. The intercepting pilots were credited with the destruction of two enemy bombers and two probables.
During the early days of its history, the 75th's mission was to attack and destroy the enemy by strafing airfields, troops, and supply depots, while maintaining air superiority so that the Japanese could not locate and bomb targets in China. Operating from numerous airfields within China, the 75th Fighter Squadron compiled an impressive record during World War II and received the Presidential Unit Citation. After World War II, the squadron returned to the United States and was stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington. There the squadron was inactivated on 5 January 1946.
Air Defense Command
Following a period of activations and inactivations, during which the squadron was assigned to such bases as Northwest Field, Guam, and Howard Air Force Base, Panama Canal Zone, the squadron returned to active duty on 12 January 1951 as the 75th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron stationed at Presque Isle Air Force Base, Maine. During this period, the 75th served under the Air Defense Command and flew the F-86 Sabre day interceptors with a mission to maintain a high degree of operational proficiency so that it might repel any possible enemy air attack. In December 1951, Virgil Ivan "Gus" Grissom was assigned to the 75th Fighter-Intercept Squadron. The squadron upgraded to the F-86D Sabre interceptor in 1953 at Suffolk County Air Force Base, New York, where the squadron remained for three years before moving to Dow Air Force Base, Maine.
Upon return to Maine in 1959 the squadron converted to the McDonnell F-101B Voodoo supersonic interceptor and the F-101F operational and conversion trainer. The two-seat trainer version was equipped with dual controls, but carried the same armament as the F-101B and were fully combat-capable. On 22 October 1962, before President John F. Kennedy told Americans that missiles were in place in Cuba, the squadron dispersed one third of its force, equipped with nuclear tipped missiles to Niagara Falls International Airport at the start of the Cuban Missile Crisis. These planes returned to Dow after the crisis.
The squadron remained at Dow Air Force Base until 1968 when it was transferred to Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan. The squadron inactivated there on 30 November 1969 as part of the drawdown of ADC interceptor bases, the aircraft being passed along to the Air National Guard.
Tactical Air Command
On 18 May 1972, the squadron was redesignated the 75th Tactical Fighter Squadron, and on 1 July 1972 was activated at England Air Force Base, Louisiana. There the squadron began flying the A-7D Corsair II ground attack aircraft. It took part in a variety of operational exercises both in the United States and overseas, including tactical bombing competitions against the Royal Air Force at RAF Lossiemouth, Scotland, during October 1977 and July 1978.
It flew the A-7D until 1981 when conversion to the A-10 Thunderbolt II was completed. It became an A-10A training unit and remained at England AFB supporting the deployments of the 74th and 76th TFS including Operation DESERT SHIELD and DESERT STORM. On 2 December 1991, the 75th Fighter Squadron was inactivated as part of the conversion to the Objective Wing and drawdown of the Air Force after the end of the Cold War.