45th Fighter Squadron
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The 45th Fighter Squadron is a
United States Air Force Reserve The Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) is a major command (MAJCOM) of the United States Air Force, with its headquarters at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is the federal Air Reserve Component (ARC) of the U.S. Air Force, consisting of commis ...
unit. It is assigned to the Air Force Reserve Command's (AFRC) 924th Fighter Group and stationed at
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (DM AFB) is a United States Air Force base southeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1925 as Davis–Monthan Landing Field. The host unit for Davis–Monthan AFB is the 355th Wing (355 WG) assi ...
, Arizona. The squadron currently flies the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II.


Mission

The
squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...
trains A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots, operating and maintaining the aircraft of the
355th Fighter Wing 355th may refer to: Aviation *355th Fighter Squadron, an inactive United States Air Force unit *355th Fighter Wing, a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force *355th Tactical Airlift Squadron, a U.S. Air F ...
, the regular A-10 unit at Davis Monthan. The A-10 formal training includes initial qualification in the airplane, transition training, instructor pilot upgrade training and a senior officer course.


History


World War II

The history of the 45th Fighter Squadron goes back to 22 November 1940, when the War Department constituted the 45th Pursuit Squadron (Fighter). The unit was activated at
Wheeler Field Wheeler Army Airfield , also known as Wheeler Field and formerly as Wheeler Air Force Base, is a United States Army post located in the City & County of Honolulu and in the Wahiawa District of the Island of O'ahu, Hawaii. It is a National His ...
, Hawaii on 1 December 1940, where it served as part of the
15th Pursuit Group 15 (fifteen) is the natural number following 14 and preceding 16. Mathematics 15 is: * A composite number, and the sixth semiprime; its proper divisors being , and . * A deficient number, a smooth number, a lucky number, a pernicious num ...
in defense of Hawaii. When the Japanese launched their surprise
attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...
on 7 December 1941, the 45th suffered heavy losses, as did the other squadrons in the 15th Group. Two-thirds of the Curtiss P-36 Hawk and
Curtiss P-40 Warhawk The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground-attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time an ...
aircraft at Wheeler Field were destroyed on the ground. Earlier, the planes had been stripped of ammunition and fuel, and taken out of their protective earthen revetments because of potential for sabotage in these protected but difficult-to-see areas. Parked in the open, the planes were easy targets for the Japanese pilots as they strafed and bombed the field. Everyone on the ground scrambled for cover as the field was being hit, while at the same time pilots were trying to get their planes off the ground without too much success. However, Lieutenants George Welch and Kenneth Taylor, two pilots from the 47th Pursuit Squadron whose planes were at Haleiwa Field at the time, were able to get their Curtis P-40B Tomahawks into the air soon after the attack began. Although outnumbered, they still managed to shoot down six Japanese planes. Meanwhile, Captain Aaron Tyler, commander of the 45th at Wheeler, ordered his crews to pull out all the undamaged planes they could find and have them fueled and armed. Less than a dozen aircraft were available, but the pilots who were selected to fly wasted no time boarding their planes. They quickly took off, hoping to tangle with the Japanese fighters. After searching the area for almost an hour, all they saw as they flew over Pearl Harbor were the burning ships and immense damage. By this time, the Japanese planes were long gone, having already headed back to their carrier at sea. In the days following the attack on Pearl Harbor, the pilots and ground personnel of the 45th had the job of cleaning up the mess at Wheeler Field. Among the first things they did was put the remaining aircraft back into their revetments. After moving their flight operations to different fields in Hawaii, the 45th was back in the air conducting daily air defense patrols over the islands. These long flights put a heavy toll on the P-36s and P-40Bs that the pilots flew, so they requested new aircraft. The pilots soon received new Curtiss P-40E Warhawk and the tricycle-gear
Bell P-39 Airacobra The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by t ...
. On 12 February 1942, the squadron was redesignated the 45th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor). Although the 45th still had as its primary mission the conducting of aerial patrols, it was also given the duties of conducting combat training for pilots. Three months later, on 15 May 1942, the term "pursuit" was dropped and the squadron was redesignated the 45th Fighter Squadron. Over the next two years, the squadron would be involved primarily with combat training, and the job of air defense would take on a secondary role. The 45th was sent to the Central Pacific in 1943 for combat operations against Japanese forces. Then, on 6 April 1944, the squadron returned to Mokuleia Field, Hawaii, and began training for very-long-range (VLR) bomber escort missions. By this time, the pilots in the squadron were flying Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. Later in the year they would acquire the longer range
North American P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...
s. In January 1945, the 45th was ordered into combat, along with the other assigned squadrons in the 15th group. It left Hawaii for Saipan in the Marianas Islands, staying there until the Marines on Iwo Jima could secure a landing strip. The first squadron to arrive at Iwo Jima was the 47th Fighter Squadron on the morning of 6 March, with the 45th landing the next day. They supported Marine ground units by bombing and strafing cave entrances, trenches, troop concentrations, and storage areas. Before the month was over, the 45th began strikes against enemy airfields, shipping and military installations in the Bonin Islands. Flying its first VLR mission to Japan on 7 April 1945, the 45th provided fighter escort for the Boeing B-29 Superfortresses that attacked the Nakajima aircraft plant near Tokyo. In late April and early May that year, the 45th struck airfields on the Japanese home island of Kyushu to hold back the enemy's Kamikaze attacks against the American invasion force on Okinawa. The squadron also attacked enemy troop trains, small factories, gun positions, and hangars in the Bonin Islands and Japan. During the summer of 1945, the 45th was assigned to the
Twentieth Air Force The Twentieth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) (20th AF) is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Francis E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming. 20 AF's primary mission is Interco ...
and continued its fighter sweeps against Japanese airfields and other tactical targets. It continued to fly long-range B-29 escort missions to Japanese cities until the end of the war. After the
Japanese surrender The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ( ...
, the squadron remained on Iwo Jima until 25 November 1945, when it transferred to Bellows Field, Hawaii. On 8 February 1946, the squadron moved to Wheeler Field, where it stayed until inactivated on 15 October 1946.


Air Defense Command

The squadron was redesignated the 45th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron and was activated on 1 November 1952 at
Suffolk County Air Force Base Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base is an air defense military installation located at civilian public-use Francis S. Gabreski Airport, located just north of Westhampton Beach, New York. It is currently the home base of the New York Ai ...
, New York and assigned to the
4709th Defense Wing The 4709th Air Defense Wing is a discontinued United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 26th Air Division of Air Defense Command (ADC) at McGuire Air Force Base, New Jersey, where it was discontinued in 1956. It was ...
of the Air Defense Command (ADC). It assumed the mission, personnel and
North American F-86 Sabre The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as the United States' first swept-wing fighter that could counter the swept-wing ...
s of the
118th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron The 118th Airlift Squadron (118 AS) is a unit of the Connecticut Air National Guard 103d Airlift Wing stationed at Bradley Air National Guard Base, Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The 118th is equipped with the C-21A Learjet and C-130H. The squa ...
, which had been called to active duty for the
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
. The 118th was returned to the control of the
Connecticut Air National Guard The Connecticut Air National Guard (CT ANG) is the aerial militia of the State of Connecticut, United States of America. It is, along with the Connecticut Army National Guard, an element of the Connecticut National Guard. As state militia units, ...
. In February 1953 Air Defense Command reorganized its dispersed fighter bases and the 45th was assigned to the
519th Air Defense Group The 519th Air Defense Group is a disbanded United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the 4709th Air Defense Wing, stationed at Suffolk County Air Force Base, New York, where it was inactivated in 1955. The group was ori ...
, which was activated to control operational and support elements at Suffolk County. Its primary mission was in defending the American east coast from any Soviet threats.


North Africa

The squadron had a short ADC commitment, however, as they were transferred to
United States Air Forces Europe United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
(USAFE) in French Morocco, North Africa. On 25 May 1953, the squadron left Suffolk County and flew all their aircraft over to
Sidi Slimane Air Base Sidi Slimane Air Base was a military air base in Sidi Slimane, a city in the Rabat-Salé-Kénitra region in Morocco. It is also known as the Fifth Royal Air Force Base, operated by the Royal Moroccan Air Force. History Built in 1951 by Atlas C ...
, which was a Strategic Air Command (SAC) base. Making stops along the way, the squadron arrived at Sidi Slimane on 28 May. The base was shared with rotating bomber groups that flew
Boeing B-47 Stratojet The Boeing B-47 Stratojet (Boeing company designation Model 450) is a retired American long- range, six-engined, turbojet-powered strategic bomber designed to fly at high subsonic speed and at high altitude to avoid enemy interceptor aircraft ...
medium-range bombers. Now part of the Seventeenth Air Force, the squadron was attached to the Air Defense Division, Provisional on 8 June 1953. A short time later, on 18 September 1953, they were assigned to the
316th Air Division The 316th Airlift Division (316th AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the United States Air Forces in Europe, assigned to Seventeenth Air Force, being stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. It ...
. The primary mission of the 45th at Sidi Slimane was flying air defense patrols off the coast of Morocco and around the Atlas mountains to the east. Pilots also took turns on alert duty in case an unidentified aircraft was spotted on radar coming towards French Morocco. The squadron was redesignated 45th Fighter-Day Squadron on 8 October 1954. The pilots in the 45th continued to fly the F-86F Sabre until March 1956, when they received new
North American F-100C Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force (USAF) from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard (ANG) until 1979. The first of the Century Series of ...
s. Defense patrols were still carried out by the 45th until the end of December 1957. On 8 January 1958, the squadron was inactivated again.


Tactical Air Command

On 17 April 1962, the squadron was redesignated 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron. It organized on 8 May at
MacDill Air Force Base MacDill Air Force Base (MacDill AFB) is an active United States Air Force installation located 4 miles (6.4 km) south-southwest of downtown Tampa, Florida. The "host wing" for MacDill AFB is the 6th Air Refueling Wing (6 ARW), assig ...
, Florida, a former Strategic Air Command base now under Tactical Air Command (TAC), and was assigned to the 12th Tactical Fighter Wing. It was transferred to the 15th Tactical Fighter Wing at MacDill on 1 July 1962. The 45th flew
Republic F-84F Thunderstreak The Republic F-84F Thunderstreak was an American swept-wing turbojet fighter-bomber. While an evolutionary development of the straight-wing F-84 Thunderjet, the F-84F was a new design. The RF-84F Thunderflash was a photo reconnaissance version. ...
s for two years while at MacDill, then in 1964 received
McDonnell F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bow ...
s. The mission of the squadron was conducting combat crew training, and they took part in many exercises, flight operations, and readiness tests. During the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, the squadron temporarily reorganized as a combat-capable unit ready to strike Cuba if necessary. After the crisis was over, the squadron returned to its training mission. In 1965, the 45th was sent from their home base at MacDill to Southeast Asia. Under the command of Colonel William A. Alden, they arrived at
Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) facility located near the city of Ubon Ratchathani, in Ubon Ratchathani Province. It is approximately 488 km (303 miles) northeast of Bangkok. The Laos border is about dire ...
in Thailand on 4 April. The 45th was the first F-4 Phantom II unit to arrive in Southeast Asia. It achieved another first a little over three months later, when on 10 July 1965, two F-4C Phantoms from the 45th shot down two North Vietnamese
MiG-17 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-17; NATO reporting name: Fresco) is a high-subsonic fighter aircraft produced in the Soviet Union from 1952 and was operated by air forces internationally. The MiG-17 w ...
s. This was the first
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Aerial warfare, air military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part ...
aerial victory of the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vietnam a ...
. Captain Thomas Roberts was the pilot of one of the F-4s, and Captain Ronald Anderson was his backseat pilot systems officer (PSO). Captain Kenneth Holcombe with Captain Arthur Clark as PSO piloted the other F-4. The 45th left Ubon on 10 August 1965, and returned to MacDill. For the next five years they would serve as a replacement training unit for F-4 pilots headed to SEA. On 1 October 1970, the 15th Tactical Fighter Wing was inactivated and the 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, which was formerly at
Hamilton Air Force Base Hamilton may refer to: People * Hamilton (name), a common British surname and occasional given name, usually of Scottish origin, including a list of persons with the surname ** The Duke of Hamilton, the premier peer of Scotland ** Lord Hamilt ...
in California, took its place at MacDill. The 45th was assigned to the 1st Wing and continued its role as a training unit until it was inactivated on 1 July 1971.


Air Force Reserve

On 1 October 1973, the 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron was reactivated and assigned to the Air Force Reserve's (AFRES) 434th Tactical Fighter Wing at
Grissom Air Force Base Grissom Air Reserve Base is a United States Air Force base, located about north of Kokomo in Cass and Miami counties in Indiana. The facility was established as a U.S. Navy installation, Naval Air Station Bunker Hill, in 1942 and was an active ...
, Indiana. For the next eight years they would fly the
Cessna A-37 Dragonfly The Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, or Super Tweet, is an American light attack aircraft developed from the T-37 Tweet basic trainer in the 1960s and 1970s by Cessna of Wichita, Kansas. The A-37 was introduced during the Vietnam War and remained in pe ...
, an upgraded version of the
Cessna T-37 Tweet The Cessna T-37 Tweet (designated Model 318 by Cessna) is a small, economical twin-engined jet trainer type which flew for decades as a primary trainer for the United States Air Force (USAF) and in the air forces of several other nations. The T ...
jet trainer with more performance and armament capabilities. In 1981 the squadron transitioned to the Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II, affectionately called the "Warthog" by those who flew it. On 1 July 1987, the squadron was reassigned to the 930th Tactical Fighter Group at Grissom, which became the 930th Operations Group. As an Air Force Reserve unit, the 940 TFG still flew the A-10. On 1 February 1992, the squadron was redesignated 45th Fighter Squadron. Known as the "Hoosier Hogs," the pilots of the 45th flew their missions up until September 1994. The squadron was inactivated on 1 October 1994. On 1 November 2009, the unit was reactivated as an Air Force Reserve Command A-10 unit at
Davis–Monthan Air Force Base Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (DM AFB) is a United States Air Force base southeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1925 as Davis–Monthan Landing Field. The host unit for Davis–Monthan AFB is the 355th Wing (355 WG) assi ...
, Arizona. The 45th is an associate of the regular
355th Fighter Wing 355th may refer to: Aviation *355th Fighter Squadron, an inactive United States Air Force unit *355th Fighter Wing, a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command's Twelfth Air Force *355th Tactical Airlift Squadron, a U.S. Air F ...
at Davis–Monthan, where it trains A-10 pilots.


Lineage

* Constituted as the 45th Pursuit Squadron (Fighter) on 22 November 1940 : Activated on 1 December 1940 : Redesignated 45th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor) on 12 February 1942 : Redesignated 45th Fighter Squadron (Single Engine) on 15 May 1942 : Inactivated on 15 October 1946 * Redesignated 45th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 11 September 1952 : Activated on 1 November 1952 : Redesignated 45th Fighter-Day Squadron on 8 October 1954 : Inactivated on 8 January 1958 * Redesignated 45th Tactical Fighter Squadron and activated on 17 April 1962 (not organized) : Organized on 8 May 1962 : Inactivated on 1 July 1971 * Activated 1 October 1973 : Redesignated 45th Fighter Squadron on 1 February 1992 : Inactivated on 1 October 1994 * Activated on 1 November 2009


Assignments

* 15th Pursuit Group (later Fighter Group), 1 December 1940 – 15 October 1946 * 4709th Air Defense Wing, 1 November 1952 * 519th Air Defense Group, 16 February 1953 * Seventeenth Air Force, 1 June 1953 (attached to Air Defense Division, Provisional after 8 June 1953) * 316th Air Division, 18 September 1953 – 8 January 1958 * Tactical Air Command, 1 April 1962 (not organized) * 12th Tactical Fighter Wing, 8 May – 1 July 1962 * 15th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 July 1962 – 1 October 1970 : Attached to 12th Tactical Fighter Wing, April 1965 – August 1965 * 1st Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 October 1970 – 1 July 1971 * 434th Tactical Fighter Wing, 1 October 1973 – 1 July 1987 * 930th Tactical Fighter Group (later 930th Operations Group), 1 July 1987 – 30 September 1994 *
917th Wing The 917th Wing is an inactive United States Air Force Reserve unit. It was last assigned to the Tenth Air Force, stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. It was inactivated on 8 January 2011. History Need for reserve troop carrier gro ...
, 1 November 2009 * 924th Fighter Group, 1 January 2011 – present


Stations

* Wheeler Field, Hawaii Territory, 1 December 1940 * Haleiwa Fighter Strip, Hawaii Territory, 21 December 1941 * Mokuleia Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, 27 December 1941 * Hilo Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, 20 October 1942 *
Stanley Army Airfield Stanley Army Airfield is a former World War II airfield located on Oahu, Hawaii. It was a temporary airfield, used for fighter planes as part of the island's defense. Today it is the golf course of Schofield Barracks. History United States Army ...
, Hawaii Territory, 20 December 1942 * Bellows Field, Hawaii Territory, 14 August 1943 *
Baker Island Baker Island, formerly known as New Nantucket, is an uninhabited atoll just north of the Equator in the central Pacific Ocean about southwest of Honolulu. The island lies almost halfway between Hawaii and Australia. Its nearest neighbor is H ...
, 1 September 1943 * Funafuti Airfield,
Nanumea Nanumea is the northwesternmost atoll in the Polynesian nation of Tuvalu, a group of nine coral atolls and islands spread over about of the Pacific Ocean just south of the equator and west of the International Date Line. Nanumea is with a pop ...
, Gilbert Islands, 28 November 1943 *
Abemama Airfield Abemama Airport is the airport serving Abemama, Kiribati. It is located on the north of the atoll, 200 meters northeast of the village of Tabiang. The airport is served by Air Kiribati from the international airport at South Tarawa. History ...
,
Abemama Abemama (Apamama) is an atoll, one of the Gilberts group in Kiribati, and is located southeast of Tarawa and just north of the Equator. Abemama has an area of and a population of 3,299 . The islets surround a deep lagoon. The eastern part o ...
, Gilbert Islands, 4 January 1944 : Operated from:
Makin Airfield Butaritari Airport is an airport on Butaritari in the Pacific Ocean island nation of Kiribati. History Butaritari Atoll Airport was built in Kiribati during World War II by the United States after seizing the island from the Japanese. Constructi ...
, Makin, Gilbert Islands, 15 January – 24 March 1944 * Mokuleia Army Airfield, Hawaii Territory, 6 April 1944 * Bellows Field, Hawaii Territory, 19 June 1944 – 5 February 1945 *
South Field (Iwo Jima) South Field was a World War II airfield on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, located in the Central Pacific. The Volcano Islands are part of Japan. The airfield was located on the southern corner of Iwo Jima located on the Motoyama plateau, ...
, Iwo Jima, 7 March 1945 * Bellows Field, Hawaii Territory, 25 November 1945 * Wheeler Field, Hawaii Territory, 9 February – 15 October 1946 * Suffolk County Air Force Base, New York, 1 November 1952 * Sidi Slimane Air Base, French Morocco, 28 May 1953 – 8 January 1958 * MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, 8 May 1962 – 1 July 1971 (deployed to
Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base Ubon Royal Thai Air Force Base is a Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) facility located near the city of Ubon Ratchathani, in Ubon Ratchathani Province. It is approximately 488 km (303 miles) northeast of Bangkok. The Laos border is about dire ...
, Thailand, 4 April – 10 August 1965) * Grissom Air Force Base, Indiana, 1 October 1973 – 30 September 1994 * Davis–Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, 1 November 2009 – present


Aircraft assigned

*
Boeing P-26 Peashooter The Boeing P-26 "Peashooter" was the first American production all-metal fighter aircraft and the first pursuit monoplane to enter squadron service with the United States Army Air Corps. Designed and built by Boeing, the prototype first flew in ...
, 1940–1941 *Curtis P-36 Hawk, 1941 * Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1942–1944 * Curtis P-40 Warhawk, 1942–1944 * North American P-51 Mustang, 1944–1946 * Republic P-47N Thunderbolt, 1944–1945 * North American F-86F Sabre, 1952–1956 * North American F-100 Super Sabre, 1956–1957 * Republic F-84F Thunderstreak, 1962–1964 * McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, 1964–1970 * Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, 1973–1981 * Fairchild A-10 Thunderbolt II, 1981–1994; 2009–present


In popular culture

In the 2017 film '' Kong: Skull Island'', Lt. Hank Marlow (played by
John C. Reilly John Christopher Reilly (born May 24, 1965) is an American actor, comedian, musician, producer, and writer. After his film debut in ''Casualties of War'' (1989), he gained exposure through his supporting roles in '' Days of Thunder'' (1990), '' ...
) was a member of the 45th Pursuit Squadron when he was shot down over
Skull Island Skull Island is the name most often used to describe a fictional island that first appeared in the 1933 film ''King Kong'' and later appearing in its sequels, the three remakes, and any other King Kong-based media. It is the home of the eponym ...
in 1944.


References


Notes


Bibliography

* * * * {{USAAF 7th Air Force World War II 045 Military units and formations in Arizona 045