55th FIGHTER SQUADRON

Lineage Assignments Stations Assigned Aircraft Commanders

Lineage

Organized as 55th Aero Squadron9 Aug 1917
Redesignated 55th Aero Construction Squadron 25 Aug 1917
Redesignated 467th Aero Construction Squadron1 Feb 1918
Demobilized16 Mar 1919
Reconstituted, and redesignated 55th Pursuit Squadron24 Mar 1923
Activated15 Nov 1930
Redesignated 55th Pursuit Squadron (Fighter) 6 Dec 1939
Redesignated 55th Pursuit Squadron (interceptor) 12 Mar 1941
55th Fighter Squadron15 May 1942
Inactivated 18 Oct 1945
Activated 29 Jul 1946
Redesignated 55th Fighter Bomber Squadron20 Jan 1950
Redesignated 55th Tactical Fighter Squadron 8 Jul 1958
Redesignated 55th Fighter Squadron 1 Oct 1991
Inactivated30 Dec 1993
Reactivated1 Jan 1994

Assignments

Unknown, 9 Aug 1917c. Nov 1917
Third Aviation Instruction Center c. Nov 1917 c. May 1918
Aerial Gunnery Schoolc. May 1918 c. Nov 1918
2nd Air Depot c. Nov 1918c. Feb 1919
Unknown c. Feb16 Mar 1919
2nd Bombardment Wing (attached to 20th Pursuit Group)15 Nov 193031 Mar 1931
8th Pursuit Group (attached to 20th Pursuit Group) 1 Apr 1931 14 Jun 1932
20th Pursuit (later Fighter) Group 15 Jun 193218 Oct 1945
20th Fighter (later Fighter Bomber) Group 29 Jul 1946 7 Feb 1955
20th Fighter Bomber (later Tactical Fighter) Wing8 Feb 1955 30 Sep 1991
20th Fighter Wing1 Oct 1991 30 Mar 1992
20th Operations Group31 Mar 199230 Dec 1993
20th Operations Group1 Jan 1994Present

Stations

Kelly Field, Texas 9 Aug 1917 21 Sep 1917
Hazelhurst Field, New York 21 Sep 1917 13 Oct 1917
Issoudun, France 4 Nov 1917 16 May 1918
St Jean deMonts, France16 May 19186 Nov 1918
Latrecey, France 6 Nov 1918c. 8 Feb 1919
Garden City, New York4 Mar 1919 16 Mar 1919
Mather Field, California 15 Nov 19304 Oct 1932
Barksdale Field, Louisiana31 Oct 1932 19 Nov 1939
Moffett Field, California19 Nov 19399 Sep 1940
Hamilton Field, California 9 Sep 1940 22 Feb 1942
Wilmington, North Carolina 22 Feb 1942 23 Apr 1942
Morris Field, North Carolina23 Apr 1942 7 Aug 1942
Drew Field, Florida7 Aug 1942 30 Sep 1942
Paine Field, Washington30 Sep 19421 Jan 1943
March Field, California1 Jan 1943 11 Aug 1943
Wittering, England 27 Aug 1943c. Apr 1944
King's Cliffe, England c. Apr 1944 11 Oct 1945
Camp Kilmer, New Jersey 16 Oct 194518 Oct 1945
Biggs Field, Texas29 Jul 194625 Oct 1946
Shaw Field, South Carolina25 Oct 1946 19 Nov 1951
Langley Air Force Base, Virginia 19 Nov 195122 May 1952
Wethersfield, England 1 Jun 1952 9 Aug 1955
Sculthorpe, England9 Aug 195527 Apr 1956
Wethersfield, England27 Apr 1956 1 Jun 1970
Upper Heyford, England 1 Jun 197030 Dec 1993
Shaw AFB, South Carolina 1 Jan 1994Present

Assigned Aircraft

BOEING P-12 Nov 1993Oct 1932
BOEING P-26PEASHOOTEROct 1932 Sep 1935
CURTIS P-36MOHAWKSept1935 Sep 1940
CURTIS P-40WARHAWK Sep 1940 Feb 1942
BELL P-39AIRACOBRA Feb 1942 May 1942
REPUBLIC P-43LANCERFeb 1942 Sep 1942
LOCKHEED P-38LIGHTNINGMay 1942Jul 1944
NORTH AMERICAN P-51D MUSTANGJul 1944Feb 1948
REPUBLIC F-84D/F/G THUNDERJET, THUNDERSTREAK Feb 1948 Dec 1957
NORTH AMERICAN F-100D/FSUPER SABRE Jun 1957Jan 1971
GENERAL DYNAMICS F-111EAARDVARKSep 1970 15 Oct 1993
REPUBLIC A/OA-10 THUNDERBOLT Jan 19943 Jul 1996
LOCKHEED MARTIN F-16 FIGHTING FALCON7 Jul 1997 Present

Commanders

Captain Gev E Lovell9 Aug 1917 c.8 Sep 1917
1st Lt. Arthur W Betts c. 8 Sep 1917 24 Sep 1917
Capt Gustave G Baetcke24 Sep 1917 16 Mar 1919
1st Lt Clarence E Crumine 15 Nov 1930 24 Aug 1934
1st Lt Earl W Barnes24 Aug 1934 29 Mar 1935
Captain Armin F Herold29 Mar 1935 7 Oct 1936
Captain Morris R Nelson7 Oct 1936 1 Jun 1939
1st Lt Avelin P Tacon, Jr 1 Jun 1939 Unknown
Major Paul Lobingierc. Oct 1942 12 Jan 1943
Major David R McGovern 12 Jan 1943 29 Dec 1943
Major Frank C Clark 29 Dec 43 8 Mar 1944
Major Donald H McAuley8 Mar 1944 24 April 1944
Lieut Colonel Cy Wilson24 Apr 194425 Jun 1944
Major Martin L Low 25 Jun 1944 6 Dec 1944
Captain Richard Gatterdam 6 Dec 194423 Mar 1945
Major Jack C Price23 Mar 1945 4 Apr 1945
Major Maurice C Cristadoro, Jr4 Apr 95 22 Jul 1945
Major Robert H Riemensnider 22 Jul 1945 18 Oct 1945
Lieut Colonel Franklin A Nichols29 Jul 19465 Sep 1946
Major John M Winkler5 Sep 194630 Oct 1946
Lieut Colonel Alfred J Ball30 Oct 19468 Jan 1947
Lieut Colonel Richard Cline 8 Jan 194730 Apr 1947
Lieut Colonel Francis S Gabreski 30 Apr 19474 Aug 1947
Major James C Hare4 Aug 1947 2 Sep 1947
Lieut Colonel Melvin J Nelson 2 Sep 1947 5 May 1948
Major Harold A Lind 5 May 194821 Jun 1948
Lieut Colonel Elmer E McTaggart21 Jun 1948 c. Oct 1948
Major Charles W Lasko c. Oct 1948 c. Apr 1949
Lieut Colonel Gilbert O Waymond, Jr c. Apr 194912 May 1949
Major Charles W Lasko 12 May 1949c. Nov 1949
Lieut Colonel William A Mitchell, Jr c. Nov 1949 24 Jul 1951
Major Joseph A Hageman24 Jul 1951 6 Aug 1954
Major John S Bradley6 Aug 195410 Mar 1955
Major John J Kropenick10 Mar 19551 May 1956
Major Max T Beall 1 May 195615 Jun 1956
Lieut Colonel Michael C McCarthy 15 Jun 195615 Mar 1957
Lieut Colonel Charles L Miller15 Mar 19572 Nov 1957
Lieut Colonel Raymond L Flint 2 Nov 19571 Jan 1959
Lieut Colonel Raymond R Stewart 1 Jan 195922 Jun 1961
Major Tony M Greget22 Jun 196130 Jun 1963
Major Walter P Paluch, Jr30 Jun 1963 22 Jul 1964
Colonel Ivan H Dethman22 Jul 19648 Jul 1966
Lieut Colonel Robert L Jones8 Jul 196610 May 1967
Lieut Colonel Richard B Davis10 May 1967 13 Jun 1968
Major Lawrence W Whitford13 Jun 196812 Sep 1968
Major Donald G Duff12 Sep 19681 Nov 1968
Lieut Colonel George G Yeager1 Nov 1968 30 Dec 1969
Lieut Colonel Elwood L Sanders 30 Dec 1969c. Jan 1971
Lieut Colonel Kenneth T Blank c. Jan 1971 27 Aug 1971
Lieut Colonel Harris J Taylor27 Aug 197117 Sep 1972
Lieut Colonel Charles A Herning17 Sep 197229 Nov 1972
Lieut Colonel George W Kronsbein, Jr 29 Nov 1972 c. Jul 1973
Lieut Colonel James S Walbridge c. Jul 1973 1 Dec 1975
Lieut Colonel William K James1 Dec 197529 Jun 1977
Lieut Colonel William E Pickens, III 29 Jun 1977 12 Jun 1979
Lieut Colonel Albert S Dodd, III 12 Jun 197926 May 1981
Lieut Colonel John H Wambaugh, Jr26 May 1981c. Oct 1981
Lieut Colonel Donald D Henry c. Oct 198124 Feb 1983
Lieut Colonel Danny D Howard 24 Feb 198322 Feb 1985
Lieut Colonel Gary A Voellger22 Feb 198515 Nov 1986
Lieut Colonel James W Savage 15 Nov 198630 Sep 1988
Lieut Colonel Robert D Balph, II 30 Sep 198825 Sep 1989
Lieut Colonel John W Dorough, Jr 25 Sep 19892 Nov 1990
Lieut Colonel Terry Simpson2 Nov 1990 11 Sep 1992
Lieut Colonel Daniel C Clark 11 Sep 199215 Jul 1993
Lieut Colonel Kenneth D Holder15 Jul 199315 Oct 1993
Lieut Colonel John A Neubauer 15 Oct 1993c. Aug 1995
Lieut Colonel Timothy B Vigil c. Aug 19953 Jul 1996
Squadron not manned from3 Jul 1996 7 Jul 1997
Lieut Colonel Maurice H Forsyth 7 Jul 199710 Jul 1998
Lieut Colonel Robert D Harvey 10 Jul 1998 19 May 2000
Lieut Colonel James N Post III 19 May 2000 28 Jun 2002
Lieut Colonel John K Forsythe, Jr28 Jun 2002 27 Jun 2003
Lieut Colonel John P Montgomery27 Jun 20033 Jun 2005
Lieut Colonel David C Hathaway 3 Jun 200522 Jun 2007
Lieut Colonel Miles A DeMayo 22 Jun 2007
photo
Clockwise (all 55th): Group photo 1933 (USAF), Lt "Cactus" Jack Yelton with P-38 1943 (USAF), Mud RAF Wethersfield (P. Bonce), Lt Preble checks out in the P-84 (W. Preble), Pilots taking part in "Frantic" mission to USSR 9/11/44 (USAF), P-36A Moffett Field, CA (20th FWA), Pilots back from West Coast Maneuvers 1937 (USAF). Center 20th FW F-100D over Alps (H. Loitwood, Jr.)