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VAL-4 was a Light Attack Squadron of the
In September 1968
U.S. Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
. Established on January 3, 1969, it was disestablished on April 10, 1972.
Operational history
In September 1968 VS-41
VS-41, Sea Control Squadron 41 was a training squadron of the United States Navy for crews of anti-submarine aircraft and was established on 30 June 1960 as an "anti-submarine squadron". The squadron was nicknamed ''Shamrocks'' and based at the N ...
began training personnel scheduled for assignment to VAL-4, receiving their first OV-10A Broncos the following month. On 3 January 1969 VAL-4 was established with the mission of conducting surveillance and offensive operations in support of river patrol craft, as well as providing air support for SEALS and combined U.S. Army, Navy and South Vietnamese operations, complementing the operations of HA(L)-3
HA(L)-3, (Helicopter Attack Squadron (Light) 3), nicknamed the "Seawolves", was an all-volunteer squadron in the US Navy formed in support of Naval Special Warfare operations and Mobile Riverine Forces during the Vietnam War.
Beginnings of the Na ...
.
In March 1969 VAL-4 was permanently based at the Naval Support Activity Detachment Airfield, Binh Thuy Air Base
Binh Thuy Air Base (also known as Can Tho Air Base and Trà Nóc Air Base) was a United States Air Force (USAF), United States Navy, Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) and Vietnam People's Air Force (VPAF) ''(Khong Quan Nhan Dan Viet Nam)'' ...
, South Vietnam, for combat operations. The squadron had two detachments, Detachment A assigned to Binh Thuy and Detachment B assigned to Vung Tau Air Base
Vung Tau Air Base (also known as Cap St Jacques Airfield and Vung Tau Army Airfield) (1955–1975) was a Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) facility. It was located near the city of Vũng Tàu in southern Vietnam. The United States used it ...
.
On 19 April 1969 the squadron began combat operations, flying air support for the Mobile Riverine Force
In the Vietnam War, the Mobile Riverine Force (MRF) (after May 1967), initially designated Mekong Delta Mobile Afloat Force, and later the Riverines, were a joint US Army and US Navy force that comprised a substantial part of the brown-water n ...
in the Mekong Delta of South Vietnam. The missions included normal patrol, overhead air cover, scramble alert and gunfire/artillery spotting. The OV-10s large payload and long endurance meant that it could provide air support to US and Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) forces throughout the delta.
From April–May 1970 VAL-4 participated in combined South Vietnamese and U.S. Riverine Force operations designed to neutralize sanctuary bases in the Mekong delta in support of the Cambodian Campaign.
On 1 July 1970 Detachment B was disestablished and all operations were concentrated at Binh Thuy.
In February 1971 VAL-4 with HA(L)-3 provided air support for Republic of Vietnam Navy
The Republic of Vietnam Navy (RVNN; ; ''HQVNCH'') was the naval branch of the South Vietnamese military, the official armed forces of the former Republic of Vietnam (or South Vietnam) from 1955 to 1975. The early fleet consisted of boats fro ...
supply convoys up the Mekong river to Phnom Penh.
On 31 March 1972 the squadron conducted its last combat mission prior to its disestablishment on 10 April 1972.
Home port assignments
The squadron was assigned to these home ports: *NAS North Island
Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado (N ...
* NAS Binh Thuy
Aircraft assignment
* OV-10A/D BroncoSee also
*List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons
There are hundreds of US Navy aircraft squadrons which are not currently active dating back to before World War II (the U.S. Navy operated aircraft prior to World War I, but it did not organize them in squadrons until after that war). To be mo ...
* History of the United States Navy
The history of the United States Navy divides into two major periods: the "Old Navy", a small but respected force of sailing ships that was notable for innovation in the use of ironclads during the American Civil War, and the "New Navy" the ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:VAL-4 Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons Attack squadrons of the United States Navy