The
VA-36 Roadrunners
The Squadron Duty Officer
(SDO), is the unit's contact point. They maintain unit rosters, help
old friends link up, coordinate with unit reunions, and gather unit
information. The
SDO List.
The Association is particularly interested in your Skyhawk related
information and photos, but will gladly accept information about all
eras of the unit. e-Mail the Association Webmaster.
AND we welcome "anyone with an interest" in the Skyhawk to JOIN The Skyhawk Association.
Roadrunners - 1956
Provided by Puresome |
Hotrodus Supersonicus - 1961
Provided by Puresome |
Roadrunner
Provided by Puresome |
|
Roadrunner and Snake
Drawn by Bud Southworth |
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Patch
- VF-102's first patch, the Winged Wolf, was in use by
October 1952. The patch included: a blue circular design with a black
winged wolf leaping diagonally from left to right in front of a yellow
moon and over a red lightning bolt; and a blue sea depicted in the
lower part of the circle. The wolf, lightning bolt, blue sea and
circular insignia were outlined in yellow.
- VF-102 Junior Officers also had an unofficial
Roadrunner patch they wore on their flight jackets during the 1950s,
the patch corresponded with the squadrons nickname of Road Runners
which was adopted in 1949 and was probably linked to the popular movie
cartoon introduced during that time.
- After VF-102 was redesignated VA-36 in 1956 the
Roadrunner patch was the patch of choice; and VA-36 officially adopted
the Roadrunner patch after receiving its first A-4 Skyhawks in
September 1958. One of the nicknames for the A-4 was "Heinemann's Hot
Rod" and the "Supersonicus" logo on the patch is a play on the nickname
and the Roadrunner movie cartoon. This patch is shown above.
- After VA-36 was re-established a modified Roadrunner
patch was approved April 6, 1987. The modified patch depicted a bird
with a snake clutched in its talons.
- Back to Table of Contents
Handle
Heritage
- May 1, 1952, Fighter Squadron ONE HUNDRED TWO
(VF-102) established.
- July 1, 1955, VF-102 redesignated as Attack Squadron
THIRTY SIX (VA-36).
- August 1, 1970, Attack Squadron THIRTY SIX (VA-36)
disestablished.
- March 6, 1987, Attack Squadron THIRTY SIX (VA-36)
re-established.
- April 1, 1994, Attack Squadron THIRTY SIX (VA-36)
disestablished.
- Back to Table of Contents
Home Ports
Date - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Location:
- May 1, 1952 - - - - Naval Auxiliary Air
Station Cecil
Field
- July 1955 - - - - - Naval Air Station Jacksonville
- April 1956- - - - - Naval Air Station Cecil Field
- March 6, 1987 - - - Naval Air Station Oceana
- Back to Table of Contents
Air Wings
Date - - - - - - - - - - - - Tail code - - - - - - -
Air Wing
- May 1, 1952- - - - - - P- - - - - - CVG-10
- November 1953- - - - - K- - - - - - CVG-3
- September 1954 - - - - P- - - - - - CVG-10
- May 1955†- - - - - - - J/AP*- - - - ATG-201
- January 15, 1958 - - - AQ - - - - - ATG-202
- March 14, 1958 - - - - AL - - - - - CVG-17
- October 11, 1958 - - - AC - - - - - CVG-3/CVW-3‡
- September 22, 1965 - - NG - - - - - CVW-9
- July 15, 1966- - - - - AJ - - - - - CVW-8
- September 1, 1966- - - AE - - - - - CVW-6
- October 16, 1967 - - - AK - - - - - CVW-10
- August 1, 1969 - - - - AA - - - - - CVW-17
- September 1987 - - - - AJ - - - - - CVW-8
- * The tail code J was assigned to ATG-201 on July 24,
1956 and changed to AP in the latter part of 1957. The effective date
for the change was most likely the beginning of FY 58 (July 1, 1957).
- † The specific date the squadron was assigned to Air
Task Group 201 (ATG-201) has not been verified. However, it probably
was in May 1955, the date the squadron deployed aboard Bennington (CVA
20) for a shakedown cruise to Guantanamo Bay.
- ‡ Carrier Air Groups were redesignated Carrier Air
Wings on December 20, 1963, hence, CVG-3 became CVW-3.
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Deployments
Departure & Return - - - - - - - - Air Wing -
Carrier -
Aircraft - - Area of Operations:
- 11-53 to 09-54 - - - - CVG-3 - - CVA 40 - -
F9F-5-
- World Cruise
- 10-31-55 to 04-16-56 - ATG-201 - CVA 20 - - F9F-5-
- WestPac
- 08-15-59 to 02-26-60 - CVG-3 - - CVA 60 - - A4D-2-
- Mediterranean
- 08-22-60 to 02-26-61 - CVG-3 - - CVA 60 - - A4D-2-
- NorLant/Mediterranean
- 07-05-61 to 08-22-61 - CVG-3 - - CVA 60 - - A4D-2N
- Caribbean
- 11-28-61 to 05-11-62 - CVG-3 - - CVA 60 - - A4D-2N
- Mediterranean
- 12-03-62 to 12-21-62 - CVG-3 - - CVA 60 - - A4D-2N
- Caribbean
- 03-29-63 to 10-25-63 - CVG-3 - - CVA 60 - - A-4C -
- Mediterranean
- 11-28-64 to 07-12-65 - CVW-3 - - CVA 60 - - A-4C -
- Mediterranean
- 10-26-65 to 06-21-66 - CVW-9 - - CVAN 65- - A-4C -
- WestPac/Vietnam
- 01-10-67 to 09-20-67 - CVW-6 - - CVA 66 - - A-4C -
- Mediterranean
- 06-04-68 to 02-08-69 - CVW-10- - CVS 11 - - A-4C -
- Pacific/Vietnam
- 12-02-69 to 07-08-70 - CVW-17- - CVA 59 - - A-4C -
- Mediterranean
- 08-25-88 to 10-11-88 - CVW-8 - - CVN 71 - - A-6E -
- NorLant
- 12-30-88 to 06-30-89 - CVW-8 - - CVN 71 - - A-6E -
- Mediterranean
- 12-28-90 to 06-28-91 - CVW-8 - - CVN 71 - - A-6E -
- Mediterranean/IO
- 03-11-93 to 09-08-93 - CVW-8 - - CVN 71 - - A-6E -
- Mediterranean/IO
Back to Table of Contents
Aircraft
Commanding Officers
Date Assumed Command - - - - - - - CMDR Officer
- May 1, 1952- - - - - - - CMDR R. B.
Dalton
- 1953 - - - - - - - - - - CMDR R. A. Clarke
- September 10, 1954 - - - CMDR L. A. Menard, Jr.
- May 31, 1956 - - - - - - CMDR Thad T. Coleman,
Jr.
- July 26, 1957- - - - - - CMDR Hugh M. Garvey
- July 22, 1958- - - - - - CMDR A. L. Detweiler
- January 30, 1960 - - - - CMDR P. D.
Davidson
- April 28, 1961 - - - - - CMDR G. L. Ayers, Jr.
- May 29, 1962 - - - - - - CMDR E. J. Carroll
- May 18, 1963 - - - - - - CMDR H .K. Matthes
- May 1, 1964- - - - - - - CMDR R. W. Somers
- April 22, 1965 - - - - - CMDR J. E. Marshall
- April 2, 1966- - - - - - CMDR T. F. Rush
- May 19, 1967 - - - - - - CMDR A. R. Cunningham
- May 24, 1968 - - - - - - CMDR E. H. Brooks
- May 29, 1969 - - - - - - CMDR N. H. Rose
- March 30, 1970 - - - - - CMDR W. C. Nix
- March 6, 1987- - - - - - CMDR T. Lamar Willis
- December 1, 1988 - - - - CMDR Daniel J. Franken
- May 4, 1990- - - - - - - CMDR T. Ladson Webb,
Jr.
- August 27, 1991- - - - - CMDR Thomas M. Deyke
- September 3, 1992- - - - CMDR Mark T. McNally
- September 23, 1993 - - - CMDR Mark J. Himler
- Back to Table of Contents
Events
- May 1, 1952:
Established as Fighter Squadron ONE HUNDRED TWO (VF-102). The first
aircraft assigned to the Roadrunners was the Goodyear FG-1D Corsair I.
- October 1952:
Fighter Squadron 102 was assigned a new aircraft, the Grumman F9F-5
Panther. The Panther had straight wings. You may see the Panther
featured in the movie "The Bridges at Toko-Ri" starring William Holden,
Mickey Rooney, B. S. Bully, Fredric March and Grace Kelly. This movie
based on James Michener's book is the source of the famous quote: "---
where do we get such men?"
- November 1953 to September 1954:
During the squadron's world cruise aboard United States Ship Tarawa CVA
40, VF-102 visited fourteen different ports in ten foreign countries
and transited the Suez and Panama Canals.
- July 1, 1955:
Fighter Squadron 102 was redesignated Attack Squadron THIRTY SIX
(VA-36).
- November 2, 1956:
VA-36 was assigned a new aircraft, the Grumman F9F-8 & F9F-8T
Cougar. The Cougar was a Panther with swept wings that were forty
percent larger and a hundred mile an hour speed increase.
- September 11, 1958:
VA-36 was assigned a new aircraft, the Douglas A4D-2 (A-4B) Skyhawk.
- July and August 1961:
While deployed on a training cruise aboard United States Ship Saratoga
CVA 60, in the Caribbean, the Roadrunners were diverted to Cuba for the
Bay of Pigs invasion.
- October 26, 1965 through June 21, 1966:
VA-36 flying the A-4C Skyhawk from the from United States Ship
Enterprise CVAN 65, deployed for their first of two WestPac/Vietnam
combat cruises.
- December 2, 1965:
The squadron conducted its first combat operations, flying from United
States Ship Enterprise CVAN 65, on Dixie Station in the South China Sea
off the coast of Vietnam. This marked the first time a nuclear powered
ship had engaged in combat.
- December 1965 to June 1966:
During this period of combat operations squadron personnel were awarded
over 170 Air Medals.
- December 22, 1965:
Roadrunner A-4C Skyhawk BuNo. 148305 NG 705 was shot down by anti
aircraft fire over North Vietnam. The pilot, Lieutenant Junior Grade W.
R. Alcorn successfully ejected and was captured and made Prisoner of
War.
- January 14, 1966:
Roadrunner A-4C Skyhawk BuNo. 147753 NG 713 was shot down by his own
snake-eye bomb over Laos. The pilot
, Lieutenant Junior Grade S. B. Jordan successfully ejected and was
recovered.
- March 20, 1966:
Roadrunner A-4C Skyhawk BuNo. 148313 NG 703 was shot down by anti
aircraft fire over North Vietnam. The pilot, Commander J. A. Mulligan
successfully ejected and was captured and made Prisoner of War.
- May 23, 1966:
Roadrunner A-4C Skyhawk BuNo. 147762 NG 712 was shot down by anti
aircraft fire over North Vietnam. The pilot, Ensign K. W. Leuffen
successfully ejected and was recovered.
- May to June 1967:
VA-36, embarked on United States Ship America CVA 66, was on station in
the eastern Mediterranean during the Middle East War between Israel and
Egypt and Syria. Units of America's air wing were launched to provide
air cover for United States Ship Liberty AGTR 5, when it came under
attack by Israeli forces.
- June 4, 1968 through February 8, 1969:
VA-36 flying the A-4C Skyhawk from the from United States Ship Intrepid
CVS 11 deployed for their second of two WestPac/Vietnam combat cruises.
The Road Runners had no combat losses this cruise.
- August 20, 1968:
Lieutenant DeFillipo flying Roadrunner A-4C Skyhawk BuNo. 148470 while
returning from a strike on North Vietnam, collided with his Skipper
Commander E. H. Brooks. The two Skyhawks made it back to Intrepid where
Skipper Brooks managed to make it into the barrier. DeFillipo stooged
about and after losing hydraulics and electronics and with the engine
coming apart - eject ten miles in front of Intrepid. An alert crewman
saw the chute and minutes later the Angel plucked DeFillipo safely from
the drink, The Skipper's Skyhawk was cannibalized and later scrapped.
- 1969-70 MED Cruise aboard CVA-59:
I was attached to VA-36 while aboard the USS Forrestal in 1969 until
its decommissioning in 1970. During this cruise, my Division Officer
Lt. R.E. Kuehn was lost at sea during night ops. I am preparing a
memorial for him on the TWS (Together We Served) web site. I would
appreciate any and all information you can provide.
Ray L. Lucas
VA-36 Maintenance Control
rll3901@aol.com
- August 1, 1970:
VA-36 disestablished.
- March 6, 1987:
Re-established as Attack Squadron THIRTY SIX (VA-36). VA-36 was
assigned the Grumman A-6E Intruder.
- December 30, 1988:
VA-36 deployed aboard United States Ship Theodore Roosevelt CVN 71, for
the carrier's maiden cruise to the Mediterranean Sea.
- January 20 to February 28, 1991:
The squadron participated in Operation Desert Storm, combat operations
against Iraq.
- April to June 1991:
The squadron participated in Operation Provide Comfort, a
multi-national operation providing relief and aid for Kurdish refugees
in northern Iraq.
- March to September 1993:
The squadron, along with other units of CVW-8, deployed aboard United
States Ship Teddy Roosevelt CVN 71, in a new approach to joint
operations to test the Navy's ability to project a wide range of power
and mobility from the sea. The composition on the carrier during the
deployment included the regular air wing, minus an F-14 and S-3
squadron, and a special Marine Air-Ground Task Force consisting of a
Marine Corps fixed-wing and helo squadron and a company of Marines. The
mix of units provided the carrier with the ability to project air and
ground striking power ashore from a single deck.
- June 1993:
The squadron, along with other units embarked on United States Ship
Theodore Roosevelt CVN 71, operated in the Red Sea in support of a
strike on the Iraqi Intelligence Service headquarters building in
Baghdad in response to Iraq's attempt on the life of former President
Bush while on a visit to Kuwait in April. During this time, the
squadron also participated in Operation Southern Watch missions,
enforcing the United Nations no-fly zone within southern Iraq.
- April 1, 1994:
VA-36 Road Runners disestablished.
- Back to Table of Contents
Awards
Award - - - - - - - - - Inclusive Dates:
- NAVE:
- July 1958 to June 1959
- 01 January 1967 to 30 June 1968
- AFEM:
- 03 December 1962 to 20 December 1962
- NEM:
- 07 July 1961 to 19 August 1961
- RVNGC:
- 02 December 1965
- 11 December 1965
- 21 December 1965
- 24 December 1965
- 26 December 1965 to 30 December 1965
- 01 January 1966 to 02 January 1966
- 04 January 1966 to 14 January 1966
- 04 February 1966
- 09 February 1966
- 23 February 1966
- 27 March 1966 to 28 March 1966
- 30 March 1966 to 31 March 1966
- 02 April 1966
- 11 April 1966
- 29 April 1966
- 01 October 1968 to 01 November 1968
- VNSM:
- 02 December 1965 to 14 January 1966
- 04 February 1966 to 23 February 1966
- 16 March 1966 to 12 April 1966
- 22 April 1966 to 14 May 1966
- 23 May 1966 to 06 June 1966
- 11 July 1968 to 12 July 1968
- 14 July 1968 to 15 July 1968
- 23 July 1968 to 22 August 1968
- 14 October 1968 to 14 November 1968
- 03 December 1968 to 27 December 1968
- NUC:
- 06 July 1968 to 16 January 1969
- 17 January 1991 to 07 February 1991
- SASM:
- 14 January 1991 to 20 April 1991
- JMUA:
- 05 April 1991 to 16 July 1991
- MUC:
Sources:
- Wynn Foster
- Doyle Frost
- Harry S. Gann
- Bear Langworthy
- Jack Woodul
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