Fighter Squadron 21 (VF-21) ''Freelancers'' was an aviation unit of the
United States 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 ...
. Originally established in 1944 as VF-81 it was redesignated VF-13A in 1946, redesignated VF-131 in 1948, redesignated VF-64 in 1950 and redesignated VF-21 on 1 July 1959, it was disestablished on 31 January 1996. It was the third US Navy squadron to have the VF-21 designation.
History
Korean War and 1950s
VF-64 operating
F4U-4s was assigned to Carrier Air Group 2 (CVG-2) aboard , off the Korean coast from 28 March to 9 June 1951.
VF-21 embarked on its major deployment with the
F3H-2 Demon on in mid-1958. In June 1961 VF-21 was reassigned to
Miramar. It was here VF-21 transitioned to the
F-4B Phantom in 1963 and between November of that year to March 1964 it would be the last peace-time cruise for the next 10 years.
Vietnam War and 1970s
VF-21 returned to sea in March 1965 and were bound for 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 ...
and VF-21's first aerial victories would be the first confirmed kills achieved by a U.S. Navy fighter squadron during that conflict. On June 17, 1965
Commander Louis Page and
Lieutenant
A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations.
The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...
John Smith destroyed a
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 ...
with an
AIM-7 Sparrow and moments later Lieutenant Jack Batson, jr and
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding ran ...
Robert Doremus destroyed another MiG-17 with an AIM-7.
![F3H VF-64 CVA-41](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c6/F3H_VF-64_CVA-41.jpg)
VF-21 made six further deployments to the war zone aboard and between 1966 and 1973. In 1968 VF-21 upgraded to the F-4J and continued to operate this model until 1979. In December 1979 VF-21 was re-equipped with the F-4S, but it was decided that the F-4S was not ideally suited to be used from USS ''Coral Sea'' which VF-21 would deploy on for its next cruise, and instead VF-21 deployed with the less effective F-4N.
![F-4 Phantom II VF-21](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/F-4_Phantom_II_VF-21.jpg)
1980s
CVW-14 assigned control over VF-21 and the squadron returned to sea in 1981, spending seven months in the
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...
and the
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by t ...
. A new deployment followed in 1983, where VF-21 was one of several squadrons that took part in ''Coral Sea''s world cruise of that year which culminated in a change of fleet assignment to conduct operations in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. The 1983 tour was also noteworthy in that it marked the last occasion on which US Navy Phantoms were to deploy from a US base, VF-21 joining with sister squadron
VF-154 in a final "fly-in" to Miramar in mid-September. Although this was not the end of the F-4, some aircraft lingered on until November 4, VF-21 hosted a ceremony which honored "the end of an era" for the F-4 in fleet operations, VF-21 and VF-154 were the last US-based squadrons to fly F-4s (although there were two forward deployed squadrons continued to operate the F-4). VF-21 now transitioned to the
F-14A Tomcat
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American carrier-capable supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program after t ...
, the process was managed by
VF-124
Fighter Squadron 124 or VF-124 ''Gunfighters'' was a fleet replacement squadron (FRS) of the United States Navy. Originally established on 16 August 1948 as VF-53, it was redesignated VF-124 at NAS Moffett Field on 11 April 1958 due to a need for ...
and it was not until later half of 1984 that VF-21 was declared fully operational, the first cruise was with CVW-14 aboard in early 1985.
In 1987, VF-21 launched
AIM-7 Sparrow missiles against an Iranian F-4 that had engaged a
P-3 Orion in the
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The bod ...
.
1990s
In 1990 the squadron, with the rest of its air wing, moved to . VF-21 arrived on station in the Persian Gulf on August 5, 1990 and was part of the Carrier Group that was America's first response to Iraq's August 2, 1990
Invasion of Kuwait
The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait was an operation conducted by Iraq on 2 August 1990, whereby it invaded the neighboring State of Kuwait, consequently resulting in a seven-month-long Iraqi military occupation of the country. The invasion and Ira ...
. VF-21 maintained Combat Air Patrol "CAP" missions during
Operation Desert Shield
The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...
, the buildup of coalition forces to liberate Kuwait. However, the USS Independence battle group) was relieved on station by the ''Ranger'' and ''Midway'' Carrier battle groups at the onset of Operation Desert Storm. General
Norman Schwarzkopf
Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. (; August 22, 1934 – December 27, 2012) was a United States Army general. While serving as the commander of United States Central Command, he led all coalition forces in the Gulf War.
Born in Trenton, N ...
flew aboard the USS ''Independence'' to command the battle group; CBS Anchor
Dan Rather
Daniel Irvin Rather Jr. (; born October 31, 1931) is an American journalist, commentator, and former national evening news anchor. Rather began his career in Texas, becoming a national name after his reporting saved thousands of lives during Hur ...
reported from the USS ''Independence'' flight deck. VF-21 returned aboard the USS ''Independence'' to establish
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from Summer 1992 to Spring 2003.
United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of mon ...
immediately after Desert Storm.
In August 1991 USS ''Independence'' took over the role of USS ''Midway'' as the only carrier home ported outside the USA, at
Yokosuka
is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
, the city has a population of 409,478, and a population density of . The total area is . Yokosuka is the 11th most populous city in the Greater Tokyo Area, and the 12th in the Kantō region.
The city ...
, Japan. During this change the squadron stayed with the same carrier but moved air wings, from CVW-14 to
CVW-5
Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni. The air wing is attached to the aircraft carrier . It was initially formed in 1943. It has participated in the Second Wor ...
as well as being repositioned to
NAF Atsugi
is a joint Japan-US naval air base located in the cities of Yamato and Ayase in Kanagawa, Japan. It is the largest United States Navy (USN) air base in the Pacific Ocean and once housed the squadrons of Carrier Air Wing Five (CVW-5), which d ...
. This was, because the ''Midway'' air wing had been without F-14s, as the older ship could not accommodate the F-14's size and weight.
After a deployment in the West Pacific and the Sea of Japan between October 15, and November 24, 1991 and the last Carrier visit to Subic Bay in March 1992, ''Independence'' and VF-21 deployed to the Persian Gulf on April 15, 1992. In May, they visited Sydney, Australia to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the
Battle of the Coral Sea in 1942. In June, a one plane detachment visited
Doha Air Base which included training in DACT with the
Qatar Air Force
The Qatar Emiri Air Force ( ar, القوات الجوية الأميرية القطرية , Al-Quwwat Al-Jawiyah Al-Amiriyah Al-Qatariyah) (QEAF) is the air arm of the armed forces of the state of Qatar. It was established in 1974 as a small ae ...
. On the 23rd of August, the ''Independence'' CVBG entered the Persian Gulf, beginning what would become
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from Summer 1992 to Spring 2003.
United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of mon ...
. After 18 days, the Carrier left the Persian Gulf, relieved by the USS ''Ranger.'' They VF-21 returned to Atsugi on October 11, 1992, two days before the ''Independence'' pulled into Yokosuka.
In February 1993, VF-21 took part in
Exercise Team Spirit '93 with South Korea. BuNo 161606 as ''NF-201'', an F-14A assigned to VF-21, crashed during ACM training on April 29, 1993 off Oshima, 174 km SE of Atusgi, the crew being rescued by an SH-60B from
HSL-51 and an SH-3H Sea King from
HS-12
Helicopter Anti-Submarine Warfare Squadron 12 (HS-12) the Wyverns was a former ASW helicopter Squadron of the U.S. Navy between 1977 and 1994.
History
Early Years (1977-1989)
HS-12 was established on July 15, 1977 as part of the U.S. Pacif ...
aboard the ''Independence''. On May 11, VF-21 departed with CVW-5 and the ''Independence,'' taking part in Spring Training '93 with the
Royal Australian Navy
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is the principal naval force of the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The professional head of the RAN is Chief of Navy (CN) Vice Admiral Mark Hammond AM, RAN. CN is also jointly responsible to the Minister of ...
from May 28 to June 2, 1993. In September, they took part in
ANNUALEX '93 with the
JMSDF
, abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...
in the Sea of Japan before returning to Yokosuka. On November 17, they deployed on their second Southern Watch deployment as well as Somalia.
![Vf-21 freelancers tomcat tail](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Vf-21_freelancers_tomcat_tail.jpg)
After returning from this deployment on March 17, 1994, they took part in
RIMPAC '94 against the USS ''Constellation'' near Hawaii, before taking part in contingency operations in response to the death of North Korea's first leader,
Kim Il-Sung
Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...
on July 8 and the
Nuclear crisis on the Korean Peninsula. In December, news came that VF-21 would be retired after 1995, with VF-154 taking on the role as the sole Tomcats squadron of CVW-5.
On August 19, 1995, the squadron departed on its last ever deployment, this time to the Persian Gulf as part of Southern Watch. VF-21 returned from deployment on board the ''Independence'' to Atusgi on November 6, 1995, before the ''Independence'' arrived on the 8th at Yokosuka. Soon VF-21 was disestablished on January 31, 1996, the official ceremony being held on the January 12. Four of VF-21's F-14As were given to VF-154 while remaining 5 rest were transferred back to United States on December 12 (two to NAS Miramar and three to
NAS Oceana
Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana or NAS Oceana is a United States Navy Naval Air Station located in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Nowadays, the station is located on 23.9 km2. It has total of 250 aircraft deployed and buildings valued at $800 mil ...
).
See also
*
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 ...
*
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 ...
*
List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons
This is a list of active United States Navy aircraft squadrons. ''Deactivated'' or ''disestablished'' squadrons are listed in the List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons.
Navy aircraft squadrons are composed of several aircraft (fr ...
References
{{US Navy navbox
VF-21