20th Fighter Wing History

77th FIGHTER SQUADRON

Lineage Assignments Stations Assigned Aircraft Commanders

Lineage

Organized as 77th Aero Squadron	20 Feb 1918
Redesignated Squadron A, Barron Field, Texas	21 Jul 1918
Demobilized	Mar 1919
Reconstituted and consolidated (1936) with 77th Observation Squadron	18 Oct 1927
Redesignated 77th Pursuit Squadron	8 May 1929
Activated	15 Nov 1930
Redesignated 77th Pursuit Squadron (Fighter)	6 Dec 1939
Redesignated 77th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor)	12 Mar 1941
Redesignated 77th Fighter Squadron	15 May 1942
Inactivated	18 Oct 1945
Activated	29 Jul 1946
Redesignated 77th Fighter Bomber Squadron	20 Jan 1950
Redesignated 77th Tactical Fighter Squadron	8 Jul 1958
Redesignated 77th Fighter Squadron	1 Oct 1991
Inactivated	30 Sep 1993
Reactivated	1 Jan 1994

Assignments

Unknown	1918	1919
20th Pursuit (later Fighter) Group	15 Nov 1930	18 Oct 1945
20th Fighter (later Fighter Bomber) Group	29 Jul 1946	7 Feb 1955
20th Fighter Bomber (later Tactical Fighter) Wing	8 Feb 1955	1 Oct 1991
20th Fighter Wing	1 Oct 1991	30 Mar 1992
20th Operations Group	31 Mar 1992	30 Sep 1993
20th Operations Group	1 Jan 1994	Present

Stations

Waco, Texas	20 Feb 1918	28 Feb 1918
Taliaferro Field, No. 1 (Later Hicks, Field), Texas	28 Feb 1918	1 Mar 1918
Taliaferro Field, No. 2 (Later Barron, Field), Texas	1 Mar 1918	Mar 1919
Mather Field, California	15 Nov 1930	14 Oct 1932
Barksdale Field, Louisiana,	31 Oct 1932	19 Nov 1939
Moffett Field, California	19 Nov 1939	9 Sep 1940
Hamilton Field, California	9 Sep 1940	21 Feb 1942
Wilmington, North Carolina	21 Feb 1942	24 Apr 1942
Spartanburg Field, South Carolina	24 Apr 1942	20 Aug 1942
Sarasota Field, Florida	20 Aug 1942	24 Sep 1942
Paine Field, Washington	30 Sep 1942	1 Jan 1943
March Field, California	1 Jan 1943	Aug 1943
King's Cliffe, England	27 Aug 1943	16 Oct 1945
Camp Kilmer, New Jersey	16 Oct 1945	18 Oct 1945
Biggs Field, Texas	29 Jul 1946	25 Oct 1946
Shaw Field, South Carolina	25 Oct 1946	19 Nov 1951
Langley Air Force Base, Virginia	19 Nov 1951	22 May 1952
Wethersfield, England	1 Jun 1952	9 Aug 1955
Shepherds Grove, England	9 August 1955	27 Apr 1956
Wethersfield, England,	27 Apr 1956	1 Jun 1970
Upper Heyford, England	1 Jun 1970	30 Sep 1993
Shaw AFB, South Carolina	1 Jan 1994	Present

Assigned Aircraft

BOEING P-12		Nov 1930	Oct 1932
BOEING P-26	PEASHOOTER	Oct 1932	Sep 1935
CURTIS P-36	MOHAWK	Sep 1935	Sep 1940
CURTIS P-40	WARHAWK	Sep 1940	Feb 1942
REPUBLIC P-43	LANCER	~Feb 1942	~Sep 1942
BELL P-39	AIRACOBRA	Feb 1942	May 1942
LOCKHEED P-38	LIGHTNING	May 1942	Jul 1942
NORTH AMERICAN P-51D	MUSTANG	Jul 1944	Feb 1948
REPUBLIC F-84D/F/G	THUNDERJET/THUNDERSTREAK	Feb 1948	Dec 1957
NORTH AMERICAN F-100D/F	SUPER SABRE	Jun 1957	Jan 1971
GENERAL DYNAMICS F-111E	AARDVARK	Sep 1970	Jul 1993
LOCKHEED MARTIN F-16E/F	FIGHTING FALCON	Jan 1994	Present

Commanders

2nd Lt George P Southworth	20 Feb 1918	~May 1918
2nd Lt John Mason Tilney	~May 1918	~Jul 1918
2nd Lt Edward S Winfree	?1918	?1919
2nd Lt Hugh C Downey	?1919	?1919
1st Lt Glen R Blackburn	?1919	~Feb 1919
2nd Lt Robert C McClenahan	~Feb 1919	1 Apr 1919
1st Lt Walter E Richards	15 Nov 1930	12 Jun 1931
Lt Hopkins	12 Jun 1931	19 Aug 1931
Lt Wittkop	19 Aug 1931	c. Dec 1932
Captain John M Clark	c. Dec 1932	c. Sep 1935
Major Oliver P Gothlin	c. Sep 35	c. Aug 1936
Major Carlton F Bond	c. Aug 1936	c. Mar 1937
1st Lt Orrin L Grover	c. Mar 1937	c. Jun 1937
Lt Phineas K Morrill, Jr	c. Jun 1937	c. Jul 1937
Major Carlton F Bond	c. Jul 1937	10 Aug 1937
Captain Milo N Clark	10 Aug 1937	18 Jul 1938
Captain Orrin L Grover	18 Jul 1938	5 Sep 1939
Captain James W McCauley	5 Sep 1939	Unknown
Captain Barton M Russell	5 Dec 1941	1 Aug 1942
Major Robert P Montgomery	1 Aug 1942	11 Nov 1943
Major Herbert E Johnson Jr	12 Nov 1943	9 Mar 1944
Lieut Colonel Russell F Gustke	9 Mar 1944	18 Dec 1944
Captain Merle B Nichols	18 Dec 1944	30 Sep 1945
Major George S Wemyss	30 Sep 45	c. Oct 1945
Lieut Colonel John J Hussey, Jr	29 Jul 1946	11 Sep 1946
Major Harry G Peterson	11 Sep 1946	5 Dec 1946
Lieut Colonel Niven K Cranfill	5 Dec 1946	28 April 1948
Major Delynn E Anderson	28 Apr 1948	13 Nov 1948
Lieut Colonel Robert A Barnum	13 Nov 1948	30 Apr 1949
Lieut Colonel Edward S E Newbury	30 Apr 1949	24 May 1950
Lieut Colonel Dean Davenport	24 May 1950	1 Feb 1951
Major William L Jacobsen	1 Feb 51	30 Jun 51
Lieut Colonel William J Payne	30 Jun 1951	Unknown
Major Harry H Moreland	Unknown	4 Sep 51
Lieut Colonel John W Meador	4 Sep 1951	3 Dec 1951
Major John J Kropenick	3 Dec 1951	9 Feb 1952
Lieut Colonel Bruce L Morrison	9 Feb 1952	c. Jul 1953
Major George W Askew, Jr	c. Jul 1953	c. Oct 1953
Lieut Colonel Paul E Adams	c. Oct 1953	1 Jul 1955
Major George W Askew, Jr	1 Jul 1955	c. Nov 1955
Lieut Colonel William F Harris	c. Nov 1955	c. Dec 1956
Lieut Colonel Robert A Ackerly	c. Dec 56	21 Apr 1958
Major Ray S White	21 Apr 1958	29 Jun 1960
Major Felix A Blanchard	29 Jun 1960	16 Jul 1961
Major Dwight N Hillis	16 Jul 1961	30 Jun 1963
Major Robert F Ronca	30 Jun 1963	c. Jul 63
Lt Col Virgil K. Meroney	c. Jul 63	24 Aug 64
Lieut Colonel Robert C Laliberte	24 Aug 1964	25 Jul 1966
Lieut Colonel Stanley L Evers	25 Jul 1966	19 Apr 1968
Lieut Colonel Donald H Hooten	19 Apr 1968	20 Jun 1969
Lieut Colonel Robert L Burns	20 Jun 1969	6 Nov 1970
Lieut Colonel Jude R McNamara	6 Nov 1970	16 Dec 1971
Lieut Colonel Frank L Yow, Jr	16 Dec 1971	11 Jan 1972
Lieut Colonel William J Broomall, Jr	11 Jan 1972	10 Jun 1974
Lieut Colonel Charles A Herning	10 Jun 1974	1 Aug 1975
Lieut Colonel Ronald D McDonald, Jr	1 Aug 1975	16 Jul 1977
Lieut Colonel William W Hopkins, Jr	16 Jul 1977	18 Aug 1978
Lieut Colonel Frank B Pyne	18 Aug 1978	28 Jan 1980
Major Leo J Lemoine	28 Jan 1980	1 Apr 1980
Lieut Colonel Richard R Riddick	1 Apr 1980	12 Mar 1982
Lieut Colonel Raymond J Bartholomew	12 Mar 1982	6 Feb 1984
Lieut Colonel Wilson D Briley, Jr	6 Feb 1984	11 Feb 1985
Lieut Colonel John H Cain	11 Feb 1985	20 Nov 1986
Lieut Colonel Jon G Safley	20 Nov 1986	6 Jun 1988
Lieut Colonel David F Macghee	6 Jun 1988	11 Jun 1990
Lieut Colonel Harold H Barton, Jr	11 Jun 1990	20 Mar 1992
Lieut Colonel Wesley E Trevett	20 Mar 1992	9 Jul 1993
Lieut Colonel James D Matheny	9 Jul 1993	30 Sep 1994
Lieut Colonel Joseph Shirley	30 Sep 1994	May 1996
Lieut Colonel Michael R Cook	May 1996	31 Dec 1997
Lieut Colonel David G Minto	31 Dec 1997	3 Dec 1999
Lieut Colonel Michael H Geczy	3 Dec 1999	9 Nov 2001
Lieut Colonel Jon A Norman	9 Nov 2001	30 May 2003
Lieut Colonel David R Stillwell	30 May 2003	15 Jul 2005
Lieut Colonel Donavan E Godier	15 Jul 2005	28 Jun 2007
Lieut Colonel Craig S Leavitt	28 Jun 2007

Clockwise (all 77th): 77th Aero Squadron WW I (20th FWA), Squadrons first aircraft (USAFM), P-36A Moffett Fld. CA (C. Tucker), Lt. Hoey P-40 Hamilton Fld. CA (A. Hoey), Pilots just before first D-Day missions (USAF), Capt Fiebelkorn 20th FG's top ace scores 4 in one mission 9/28/44 (USAF), F-84 tagged by Marines during PORTEX Maneuvers 1950 (H. Martin), F-84Gs RAF Wethersfield 1954 (20th FWA), Group photo F-100D c.1961 (C. Segrest), Lt Col Bartholomew (CC) final flight Mar 1984 (A. Sevigny), Group photo F-111E Distant Drum 83, Turkey (USAF). Center top to bottom: Commander\u2019s aircraft (USAF), Deployed to Middle East (20th FWA).