History of the 9th Attack Squadron Published Oct. 16, 2012 By Mr. James Burrett 49th Wing history office HOLLOMAN AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Current as of 15 October 2012 The 9th Fighter Squadron was activated as the 9th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on Jan. 15, 1941, at Selfridge Field, Mich. Redesignated as the 9th Fighter Squadron on May 15, 1942, in the Southwest Pacific the unit participated in combat from March 18, 1942, to Aug. 5, 1945. World War II campaigns that the 9th Fighter Squadron participated in were the East Indies; Air Offensive, Japan; China Defensive; Papua; New Guinea; Bismarck Archipelago; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; and China Offensive. Between March 1942 and December 1944 the unit earned four Distinguished Unit Citations for actions over Australia, Papua New Guinea, New Britain, (part of Papua New Guinea), and the Philippines. The 9th also earned the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. Fourteen aces served with the 9th during World War II, including Major Richard I. Bong, the top American ace of the war with 40 confirmed aerial victories. After the end of WWII the 9th Fighter Squadron, as part of the American occupation forces, operated from several bases in and around Japan from Aug. 16, 1945, through September 1950. On Feb. 1, 1950, the squadron was redesignated as the 9th Fighter-Bomber Squadron and by 30 Sept. 30, 1950, the 9th had shifted its operations to the Korean peninsula to support United Nations forces during the Korean War. The 9th Fighter-Bomber Squadron operated from bases in Korea and Japan throughout the conflict. The 9th earned two more Distinguished Unit Citations in 1950 and 1951 and two Korea Presidential Unit Citations in 1951 and 1953. The squadron returned to Misawa Air Base, Japan, in November 1953 and remained there until December 1957 when the 9th moved with its parent unit the 49th Fighter-Bomber Wing to Europe. Initially stationed at Etain/Rouvres Air Base, France, until 1959 when the unit moved to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, where the squadron remained until July 1968. While in Europe the squadron was redesignated as the 9th Tactical Fighter Wing and earned two Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards between 1964 and 1967. In July 1968, following conversion to the F-4D Phantom II, the 9th Tactical Fighter Squadron returned to the United States and its new assignment at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. In April 1972, the 9th Tactical Fighter Squadron received another Air Force Outstanding Unit Award just prior to its deployment to Southeast Asia. From May through September 1972 the 9th Tactical Fighter Squadron along with its parent unit the 49th Tactical Fighter Wing performed a combat deployment to Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, in support of combat operations over Southeast Asia. While there the squadron earned an Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat Valor device and the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm for the unit's actions in the skies over Vietnam. After completing its combat tour in Vietnam the squadron returned to Holloman AFB with brief deployments to Germany in 1973, 1975, 1976, and 1977. In 1978, the squadron returned to its original air superiority mission when it converted from F-4 Phantom IIs to the F-15 Eagle. From June 20 to Dec. 5, 1991, portions of the squadron deployed to Southwest Asia flying combat air patrols for Coalition operations. During this period, on Nov. 1, 1991, the 9th Tactical Fighter Squadron was redesignated as the 9th Fighter Squadron. On May 8, 1992, the 9th Fighter Squadron began its conversion from the F-15 to the F-117A Night Hawk stealth fighter. On June 5, 1992, the unit flew its last F-15 sortie officially ending 14 years of Eagle operations. Between June 1995 and May 1999 the squadron earned two more Air Force Outstanding Unit Citations. In 1999, the 9th Fighter Squadron deployed in support of Operation DELIBERATE FORCE over the former Yugoslavia and Operation ALLIED FORCE conducting air operations over Serbia. In May 2005, the 9th Fighter Squadron received one more Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for its continued excellence. The 9th Fighter Squadron continued operating the F-117A Night Hawk until its retirement in 2008. With the retirement of the F-117A, the 9th Fighter Squadron ceased active operations; however, the squadron was never officially inactivated. It became a "paper unit" with no personnel or equipment assigned to it. This continued until Oct. 4, 2012, when the 9th Fighter Squadron was redesignated and activated as the 9th Attack Squadron which will train new pilots and sensor operators for the MQ-9 Reaper. Squadron Commanders 1941 to 2012 Maj. James C. Selman, Jan. 5, 1941 Capt. Ben S. Irvin, Sept. 19, 1942 Maj. Jesse C. Peaslee, Nov. 3, 1942 Capt. Sidney S. Woods, May 22, 1943 Capt. Paul J. Slocum, c. Aug. 22, 1943 Maj. Wallace R. Jordan, c. Sept. 5, 1943 Maj. Gerald R. Johnson, c. Oct. 1, 1943 Maj. Wallace R. Jordan, c. January 1944 Maj. Robert M. McComsey, October 1944 Maj. Wallace R. Jordan, Nov. 1, 1944 Capt. William F. Williams (acting), Dec. 31, 1944 Capt. John R. Petrovich, Jan. 23, 1945 Capt. Herbert Blake, Oct. 17, 1945 1st Lt. John A. Willis, c. Dec. 31, 1945 Capt. Martin E. McCoy, January 1946 Maj. Verne Bivin, Oct. 6, 1947 Capt. Bedford R. Underwood, Feb. 3, 1948 Maj. Daniel F. Sharp, Dec. 21, 1948 Lt. Col. Charles H. Williams, March 1950 Maj. Frank T. Ellis, Sept. 5, 1950 Lt. Col. Charles H. Williams, Nov. 25, 1950 Maj. George G. Loving Jr., April 7, 1951 Lt. Col. James F. Sprinkle, July 29, 1951 Maj. Eugene S. Williams, Dec. 14, 1951 Maj. Kenneth L. Skeen, Jan. 29, 1952 Lt. Col. James R. Jarrell III, March 28, 1952 Lt. Col. William F. Georgi, August 1952 Unknown, January 1953-1954 Lt. Col. Deward E. Bower, December 1952 Lt. Col. Edmund G. Edwards, 1955 Lt. Col. Richard Cateledge, c. 1956 Lt. Col. Harford P. Jenks, c. April 1957 Maj. Roy L. Garr, Dec. 10, 1957 Maj. Ray O. Roberts, Dec. 18, 1957 Maj. Wilson G. Hall, Nov. 15, 1958 Maj. Alvin R. Moorman, Nov. 1, 1959 Maj. James A. Eaglen, July 20, 1961 Maj. Charles C. Botvidson, Aug. 12, 1961 Lt. Col. Harry K. Evans, Feb. 16, 1962 Lt. Col. James A. Eaglen, April 20, 1962 Lt. Col. Louis R. Vogt, July 30, 1964 Lt. Col. Richard H. Schoeneman, May 15, 1965 Lt. Col. Felix C. Fowler, April 1967 Lt. Col. Robert L. Larsh, by June 30, 1969 Lt. Col. Richard A. Housum, Jan. 19, 1970 Lt. Col. Joseph L. Hutto, Oct. 1, 1970 Lt. Col. James E. Tuck, Dec. 10, 1971 Lt. Col. Richard P. Pearson, Dec. 11, 1972 Lt. Col. Thomas L. Wallace, March 25, 1974 Lt. Col. Terry J. Guess, Oct. 27, 1975 Lt. Col. Anthony S. Cushenberry, June 24, 1976 Lt. Col. Ross L. Meyer, June 2, 1977 Lt. Col. Richard K. Koehnke, Dec. 1, 1977 Lt. Col. John M. Stover, July 2, 1979 Lt. Col. Thomas D. Allbee, Dec. 30, 1980 Lt. Col. Jeffrey G. Cliver, June 18, 1982 Lt. Col. Jerry D. Hokkanen, Dec. 9, 1983 Lt. Col. James E. Tims, Dec. 18, 1985 Lt. Col. Richard B. Barnett, May 22, 1987 Lt. Col. Michael L. Gentrup, March 17, 1989 Lt. Col. Neil G. Kacena, March 1, 1991 Lt. Col. William Aten III, Feb. 25, 1993 Lt. Col. David DellaVolpe, June 25, 1993 Lt. Col. Eric J. Rosborg, July 1, 1993 Lt. Col. Donald L. Hargarten, June 30, 1994 Lt. Col. William Crabbe III, July 8, 1994 Lt. Col. Gregory A. Feest, June 8, 1995 Lt. Col. Joseph A. Salata Jr., June 13, 1997 Lt. Col. Paul M. Carpenter, May 1999 Lt. Col. Philip W. McDaniel, April 28, 2000 Lt. Col. George D. Kramlinger, Feb. 23, 2001 Lt. Col. David E. Wooden, July 8, 2002 Lt. Col. Ward F. Juedeman, June 18, 2004 No active operations 2008-2012 Lt. Col. Jeffery S. Patton, Oct. 4, 2012 Aircraft Operated 1941 to 2012 P-35 Seversky P-40 Warhawk P-47 Thunderbolt P-38 Lightning P-51 (later F-51) Mustang F-80 Shooting Star F-84 Thunderjet F-100 Super Sabre F-105 Thunderchief F-4 Phantom II F-15 Eagle F-117 Night Hawk MQ-9 Reaper (Remotely Piloted Aircraft) Decorations Distinguished Unit Citations: Australia, March [18] - Aug. 25, 1942 Papua New Guinea, [c. Oct.15,] 1942 -Jan. 23, 1943 New Britain, Oct. 23 - Nov. 7, 1943 Philippine Islands, Oct. 27 - Dec. 7, 1944 Korea, June 27 - Nov. 25, 1950 Korea, July 9 - Nov. 27, 1951 Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: March 1, 1964 - Feb. 28, 1966 March 1, 1966 - June 30, 1967 Jan. 1, 1971 - April 15, 1972 June 1, 1995 - May 31, 1997 June 1, 1998 - May 31, 1999 May 2, 2004 - May 31, 2005 Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device: May 5, 1972 - Oct. 6, 1972 Philippine Presidential Unit Citation (WWII) Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations: June 27, 1950 - Feb. 7, 1951 Feb. 8, 1951 - March 31, 1953 Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm: May10 - Oct. 5, 1972 Aces of the 9th Fighter Squadron: Lt. Col. Gerald R. Johnson Lt. Col. John D. Landers Maj. Richard I. Bong Maj. Wallace R. Jordan Capt. James A. Watkins Capt. Ralph H. Wandrey Capt. Robert H. Vaught 1st Lt. Andrew J. Reynolds 1st Lt. Grover E. Fanning 1st Lt. John G. O'Neill 1st Lt. Warren D. Curton 1st Lt. Cheatham W. Gupton 2nd Lt. I. B. Jack Donaldson 2nd Lt. Ernest J. Ambort