The VAQ-33 Firebirds Patch Handle Heritage Home Ports Air Wings Deployments Aircraft Unit C.O.s Events Awards Squadron Photograph Album Squadron Off-Duty Album (empty) 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. Knight Hawks OCT52-16SEPT70 Knight Hawks Drawn by Bud Southworth VAQ-33 Firebirds Drawn by Bud Southworth Patch 1949: insignia was a steel gauntlet crushing a submarine. 1952: insignia was a shield, chess knight and a hawk. 16 DEP 1970: insignia changed to a red bird riding a lightning bolt. Back to Table of Contents Handle 1952: Night Hawks SEP 1970: Firebirds Back to Table of Contents Heritage JAN 1943 - - - - -- - - - VC-33 established NOV 1945- - - - - - - - - VC-33 disestablished 31 MAY 1949 - - - - - - - VC-33 re-established 2 JUL 1956 VC-33- - - - - redesignated VA(AW)-33 30 JUN 1959 VA(AW)-33 - - redesignated VAW-33 1 FEB 1969 VAW-33 - - - - redesignated VAQ-33 01 OCT 1993 VAQ-33- - - - disestablished. Back to Table of Contents Home Ports Date - - - - - - - - - Location: 1943 - - - - - - - - - NAS Alameda, CA. 1949 - - - - - - - - - NAS Norfolk, VA. 1950 - - - - - - - - - NAS Atlantic City, NJ. 1956 - - - - - - - - - NAS Quonset Point, RI. 01 FEB 1968: - - - - - NAS Norfolk, VA. 01 OCT 1977: - - - - - NAS Norfolk and NAS Oceana VA. 1980 - - - - - - - - - NAS Key West, FL. Back to Table of Contents Air Wings No info yet Back to Table of Contents Deployments No info yet. Back to Table of Contents Aircraft Date Type First Received - - - - - - Type of Aircraft: 1943 - - - - - - - - - F4F Wildcats 1943 - - - - - - - - - TBF Avenger 1949 - - - - - - - - - AD-5NL Skyraider 1968 - - - - - - - - - EA-1F Skyraider 1968 - - - - - - - - - RA-3B Skywarrior 1968 - - - - - - - - - F-4 Phantom II 1968 - - - - - - - - - A-6 Intruder 1968 - - - - - - - - - EC-121 WV 6 March 1970 - - - - - Douglas EA-4F Skyhawk 24 June 1987 - - - - - Douglas TA-4J Skyhawk A-4 Skyhawk aircraft assigned to this unit Back to Table of Contents Commanding Officers Date Assumed Command - - - - - - - Commanding Officer No info yet. Back to Table of Contents Events JAN 1943: VC-33 established flying F4F Wildcats and TBF Avengers. 31 MAY 1949: VC-33 serves as an antisubmarine squadron. JUN 1950: Night Attack role. OCT 1952: VC-33 provided detachments to carriers in the Atlantic Fleet, aboard USS Leyte, USS Bon Homme Richard, and USS Lake Champlain, for combat in Korea. 01 FEB 1968: VAW-33 redesignated VAQ-33 VAQ-33 Website JUN 1969: VAQ-33 relinquished all its aircraft, is transfered to NAS Norfolk and becomes a pert of the newly formed "FEWSG" (Fleet Electronic Warfare Support Group." The group's mission is to provide a electronic warfare aggression environment for fleet exercises. 01 OCT 1977: VAQ-33 is split between NAS Norfolk and NAS Oceana to accommodate the diversity of their aircraft and to support their special mission. 1980: VAQ-33 is transfered to NAS Key West and continured their FEWSG mission until they were disestablished on 1 October 1993. Back to Table of Contents Awards Award - - - - - - - - - Inclusive Dates: No info yet Back to Table of Contents Sources: Bud Southworth Marsh Wise Return To The Navy Units Page