79TH FIGHTER SQUADRON

Lineage Assignments Stations Assigned Aircraft Commanders

Lineage

Organized as 79th Aero Squadron22 Feb 1918
Redesignated Squadron B, Taliaferro Field, Texas23 Jul 1918
Demobilized15 Nov 1918
Reconstituted & consolidated (25 May 1933) with 79th Observation Squadron 18 Oct 1927
Redesignated 79th Pursuit Squadron8 May 1929
Activated1 Apr 1933
Redesignated 79th Pursuit Squadron (Fighter) 6 Dec 1939
79th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor)12 Mar 1941
79th Fighter Squadron15 May 1942
Inactivated 18 Oct 1945
Activated 29 Jul 1946
Redesignated 79th Fighter Bomber Squadron20 Jan 1950
Redesignated 79th Tactical Fighter Squadron 8 Jul 1958
Redesignated 79th Fighter Squadron 1 Oct 1991
Inactivated30 Jun 1993
Reactivated1 Jan 1994

Assignments

Unknown1918
20th Pursuit (later Fighter) Group 1 Apr 193318 Oct 1945
20th Fighter (later Fighter Bomber) Group 29 Jul 1946 8 Feb 1955
20th Fighter Bomber (later Tactical Fighter) Wing 8 Feb 19551 Oct 1991
20th Fighter Wing1 Oct 199130 Mar 1992
20th Operations Group31 Mar 1992 30 Jun 1993
20th Operations Group 1 Jan 1994 Present

Stations

Waco, Texas 22 Feb 191828 Feb 1918
Taliaferro Field, No. 1 (Later Hicks, Field), Texas 28 Feb 191815 Nov 1918
Barksdale Field, Louisiana1 Apr 1933 19 Nov 1939
Moffett Field, California 19 Nov 19399 Sep 1940
Hamilton Field, California 9 Sep 19408 Dec 1941
Oakland, California 8 Dec 1941 8 Feb 1942
Wilmington, North Carolina c. 21 Feb 1942 23 Apr 1942
Morris Field, North Carolina 23 Apr 1942 30 Sep 1942
Paine Field, Washington 30 Sep 19421 Jan 1943
March Field, California,1 Jan 1943 11 Aug 1943
King's Cliffe, England27 Aug 1943 11 Oct 1945
Camp Kilmer, New Jersey 16 Oct 1945 18 Oct 1945
Biggs Field, Texas 29 Jul 194625 Oct 1946
Shaw Field, South Carolina25 Oct 194619 Nov 1951
Langley Air Force Base, Virginia19 Nov 195122 May 1952
RAF Bentwaters, England31 May 1952 1 Oct 1954
RAF Woodbridge, England 1 Oct 1954 15 Jan 1970
RAF Upper Heyford, England15 Jan 197030 Jun 1993
Shaw AFB, South Carolina1 Jan 1994Present

Assigned Aircraft

BOEING P-12 Nov 1930Oct 1932
BOEING P-26 PEASHOOTEROct 1932Sep 1935
CURTIS P-36 MOHAWKSep 1935Sep 1940
CURTIS P-40 WARHAWK Sep 1940Feb 1942
REPUBLIC P-43 LANCER ~Feb 1942 ~Sep 1942
BELL P-39 AIRACOBRA Feb 1942May 1942
LOCKHEED P-38 LIGHTNING May 1942 Jul 1944
NORTH AMERICAN P-51DMUSTANGJul 1944 Feb 1948
REPUBLIC F-84B/D/F/GTHUNDERJET/THUNDERSTREAKFeb 1948 Dec 1957
F-100D/FSUPER SABRE Jun 1957 Jan 1971
F-111EAARDVARKSep 1970 Apr 1993
F-16E/F FIGHTING FALCON Jan 1993Present

Commanders

1st Lt Joel I McGregor 22 Feb 1918May 1918
2nd Lt Edward E Eyre May 1918 15 Nov 1918
Captain Roy W Camblin 1 Apr 193315 Mar 1936
Captain Charles G Pearcy 15 Mar 193617 Nov 1936
Major Frank O D Hunter 17 Nov 1936 c. Sep 1937
Major Armin F Heroldc. Sep 1937c. Jul 1938
Captain Thayer S Olds c. Jul 1938c. Feb 1941
Captain Jesse Auton c. Feb 1941c. May 1941
1st Lt James Ferguson c. May 1941c. Aug 1943
Major Nathaniel H Blanton c. Aug 1943 14 Nov 1943
Major Richard L Oft14 Nov 194330 Jan 1944
Captain Jesse O Yaryan 30 Jan 194431 Jan 1944
Captain Carl E Jackson 31 Jan 194420 Feb 1944
Captain Robert J Meyer 20 Feb 194422 Feb 1944
Major R C Franklin, Jr 22 Feb 194410 May 1944
Major Delynn E Anderson10 May 194427 Sep 1944
Captain Jack M Ilfrey27 Sep 19449 Dec 1944
Captain Robert J Meyer 9 Dec 19444 Apr 1945
Major Walter R Yarborough 4 Apr 1945 Unknown
Lieut Colonel Harry E McAfeec. Aug 1946c. Sep 1946
Major Walter J Overendc. Sep 1946 c. Jan 1947
Lieut Colonel William P McBridec. Jan 1947 c. Jul 1948
Major Walter J Overendc. Jul 1948 c. Oct 1948
Major Walter G Benzc. Oct 1948 Unknown
Lieut Colonel William P McBride Unknown1 May 1950
Captain Richard F Jones 1 May 1950 Unknown
Major Delynn E Anderson Unknown c. Jun 1951
Major George N Lunsfordc. Jun 19511 Nov 1951
Major Harry H Moreland 1 Nov 1951 18 Feb 1952
Lieut Colonel Cleo M Bishop18 Feb 19521 Mar 1955
Lieut Colonel James E Hill 1 Mar 195530 Apr 1956
Major Alan S Harte, Jr30 Apr 1956c. Jul 1958
Lieut Colonel William S Holtc. Jul 1958 30 Jun 1960
Lieut Colonel Edwin J Rackham30 Jun 1960 6 Jul 1961
Lieut Colonel William F Georgi6 Jul 1961 5 Jul 1963
Lieut Colonel John C Bartholf 5 Jul 19635 Jun 1965
Lieut Colonel John E Madison 5 Jun 1965 30 Jun 1966
Lieut Colonel John C Galgan, Jr30 Jun 1966 9 May 1967
Lieut Colonel Robert L Jones9 May 196729 Jul 1968
Lieut Colonel Robert H Darlington29 Jul 196824 Jan 1970
Lieut Colonel Fred W Grey24 Jan 197010 Dec 1971
Lieut Colonel David B Hubbard10 Dec 1971 c. Mar 1973
Lieut Colonel John S Rumphc. Mar 1973 1 Jun 1974
Lieut Colonel Harry Pawlik 1 June 197416 Jun 1975
Lieut Colonel George F Houck, Jr 16 Jun 197522 Jun 1976
Lieut Colonel John D Phillips22 Jun 197626 Sep 1977
Lieut Colonel Howard W Nixon 26 Sep 197728 Aug 1979
Lieut Colonel Grady H Reed III 28 Aug 197928 Jan 1980
Lieut Colonel Frank B Pyne 28 Jan 1980 9 May 1980
Lieut Colonel John C Lorber 9 May 198017 Jun 1982
Lieut Colonel Joseph N Narsavage, Jr 17 Jun 19821 Jun 1984
Lieut Colonel Peter A Granger1 Jun 1984 29 May 1987
Lieut Colonel Steven R Emory 29 May 198727 Feb 1988
Lieut Colonel Larry G Carter 27 Feb 198812 Jan 1990
Lieut Colonel Steven A Mires 12 Jan 199014 Sep 1991
Lieut Colonel Mark A Hyatt14 Sep 199123 Apr 1993
Lieut Colonel Thomas A Gilkey1 Jan 1994 3 Jun 1994
Lieut Colonel Jeffrey Eberhart8 Jul 1994Apr 1996
Lieut Colonel Timothy J CollinsApr 1996 16 May 1997
Lieut Colonel James W Hyatt 16 May 1997 14 Jun 1999
Lieut Colonel James Dodson14 Jun 1999 11 May 2001
Lieut Colonel James C Horton 11 May 200 17 Mar 2003
Lieut Colonel Jerry D Harris 7 Mar 2003 25 Feb 2005
Lieut Colonel Scott E Manning 25 Feb 2005 3 Nov 2006
Lieut Colonel Donald E Butler3 Nov 2006
photo
Clockwise (all 79th): P-36A Moffett Fld, CA (W. Larkins), P-40E during maneuvers 1941 (M. Pyles), Group photo Wilmington, NC, February 1942 (M. Pyles), Group photo P-38 Ontario Air Station, CA, 4/1/43, (E. Steiner), Cpt. Ilfrey after knocking an Me109 down with his wingtip 5/24/44 (J. Ilfrey), Squadron Bar (USAF), Group photo P-84B Shaw Fld, May 1949 (S. Bowlin), Ground crew working on F-84D c.1953 (USAF), F-100D on way to Wheelus AFB, Libya, c.1966 (W. May), F-111E air refueling 3/1/88 (USAF). Center top to bottom: F-16 (USAF), Past squadron commanders at 79th Anniversary celebration 5/11/97 (79th FS).