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114th Fighter Squadron

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114th Fighter Squadron

The 114th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Oregon Air National Guard 173d Fighter Wing located at Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Klamath Falls, Oregon. The 114th is equipped with the McDonnell Douglas F-15C Eagle.

The first predecessor of the squadron was activated in June 1942 as the 439th Bombardment Squadron and equipped with the Martin B-26 Marauder. After training in the United States, it deployed to the Mediterranean Theater of Operations, where its actions in combat earned it two Distinguished Unit Citation and a French Croix de Guerre with Palm. In late 1944, it was withdrawn from combat operations and returned to the United States, where it converted to the Douglas A-26 Invader. It moved to Okinawa, where it engaged in combat against Japan. Following V-J Day, the squadron returned to the United States and was inactivated.

In 1946, the squadron was allotted to the National Guard and redesignated the 114th Bombardment Squadron. It activated in New York and was again equipped with the Invader, which was called the B-26 after 1948. In 1951, the squadron was called to active duty for the Korean War. It did not depart the United States, however, leaving its B-26s behind to become a training unit for Boeing B-29 Superfortress aircrews. In December 1952, it was relieved from active duty. It turned its B-29s over to a regular unit and returned to its B-26 Invaders in New York. In 1957, it assumed an air defense mission as the 114th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, but its interceptor aircraft were soon withdrawn and it remained a paper unit until inactivating in September 1958 and being withdrawn from the New York National Guard.

The squadron's second predecessor was formed in the Oregon Air National Guard in February 1984 as the 114th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron, taking over the resources of the 8123rd Fighter-Interceptor Training Squadron, which had been organized the previous year to train Air National Guard McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II crews in the air defense mission. In August 1987, the two squadrons were consolidated into a single unit. It has continued the interceptor mission since, twice trading in its fighters for newer models.

The 114th Fighter Squadron trains Air National Guard aircrews in the air defense mission with McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagle aircraft. It also trains medical personnel on the special medical issues associated with highly maneuverable fighter aircraft.

The squadron was first activated on 26 June 1942 at Barksdale Field, Louisiana, as the 439th Bombardment Squadron, one of the four original squadrons of the 319th Bombardment Group. a Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombardment group. The squadron trained for combat at Barksdale and Harding Field, in Louisiana. The air echelon began ferrying its aircraft to England via the North Atlantic route on 27 August 1942, with the squadron officially moving to RAF Shipdham on 12 September 1942. By late October to early November, squadron aircraft were in place at RAF Horsham St Faith. The ground echelon sailed on the RMS Queen Mary on 5 September.

The air echelon of the squadron departed England on 12 November 1942 for Saint-Leu Airfield, Algeria. Although this was supposed to be a simple repositioning flight, it became the squadron's introduction to combat when the 319th Group formation strayed from its planned route and flew over occupied France, where they were attacked by German aircraft. Some of the ground echelon had made the amphibious landing at Arzeu beach on 8 November. However, it was not until the following March that all aircraft had made the move to North Africa.

The squadron began combat quickly, flying its first sorties during November. Until March 1943, it made strikes at enemy targets in Tunisia, including railroads, airfields, and harbor installations. It struck enemy shipping in the Mediterranean Sea to block reinforcements and supplies from reaching opposing Axis forces.

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