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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
{{Use American English|date=December 2019}}
{{Infobox military unit
{{Infobox military unit
|unit_name= 556th Strategic Missile Squadron
|unit_name=556th Strategic Missile Squadron
|image= [[File:Convair SM-65F Atlas 100 556 SMS Site 6 Au Sable Forks NY.jpg|250px]]
|image=Convair SM-65F Atlas 100 556 SMS Site 6 Au Sable Forks NY.jpg
|image_size=300
|caption= 556th SMS Convair SM-65F Atlas #100 at Site 6 Au Sable Forks NY
|caption=Squadron Convair [[SM-65F Atlas]] No. 100 at Site 6 [[Au Sable Forks]] NY
|dates= 1942-1965
|dates=1942–1945; 1957–1959; 1961–1965
|country= [[United States]]
|country={{USA}}
|allegiance=
|branch= [[United States Air Force]]
|branch={{air force|USA}}
|type=
|type= Strategic Missile Launch Squadron
|role=[[Intercontinental ballistic missile]]
|role=
|size=
|size=
|command_structure=
|command_structure=
|current_commander=
|current_commander=
|garrison= [[Plattsburgh AFB]], New York
|garrison=
|ceremonial_chief=
|colonel_of_the_regiment=
|nickname=
|nickname=
|motto={{langnf|la|In Utumque Paratus|Ready for Anything|break=yes}} (1962-1965)<ref name=Maurer556BS>Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 657-658</ref>{{efn|The literal translation is "ready in either event." Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', p. 658.}}
|patron=
|motto=
|colors=
|colors=
|march=
|march=
|mascot=
|mascot=
|battles= [[File:European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Streamer.jpg|150px]]<br>[[World War II]] (EAME Theater)
|battles=[[European Theater of Operations]]
|notable_commanders=
|notable_commanders=
|anniversaries=
|anniversaries=
|decorations= [[File:Streamer PUC Army.PNG|150px]]<BR>[[Distinguished Unit Citation]]
|decorations=[[Distinguished Unit Citation]]
|battle_honours=
|battle_honours=
<!-- Insignia -->
<!-- Insignia -->
|identification_symbol=[[File:556th Strategic Missile Squadron - SAC - Emblem.png|125px]]
|identification_symbol=[[File:556th Strategic Missile Squadron.PNG|165px]]
|identification_symbol_label=556th Strategic Missile Squadron emblem{{efn|Approved 25 April 1962. Description: On an Air Force blue disc within a wide white border, [[fimbriated]] Air Force blue, an Air Force golden yellow missile in upward flight leaving a red trail arched to [[dexter and sinister|sinister]] [[shield (heraldry)|base]], fimbriated white; all between three groups of white lozenge-shaped stars, five in dexter, five in sinister chief, and six in sinister base (one of these last appearing in the misssile's trail).}}<ref name=Maurer556BS/>
|identification_symbol_label=556th Strategic Missile Squadron emblem
|identification_symbol_2=[[File:556 Bombardment Sq emblem.png|165px]]
|identification_symbol_2_label=556th Bombardment Squadron emblem<ref name=Watkins>Watkins, pp. 74-75</ref>
|identification_symbol_3=<big>'''FW'''</big>
|identification_symbol_3_label=World War II fuselage code<ref name=Watkins/>
}}
}}


The '''556th Strategic Missile Squadron (551 SMS)''' is an inactive [[United States Air Force]] unit. It was last assigned to the [[820th Strategic Aerospace Division]], stationed at [[Plattsburgh AFB]], New York.
The '''556th Strategic Missile Squadron''' is an inactive [[United States Air Force]] unit. It was last assigned to the [[820th Strategic Aerospace Division]] at [[Plattsburgh Air Force Base]], New York, where it was inactivated in 1965 with the withdrawal of the Atlas missile from operations.


The [[squadron (aviation)|squadron]] was first activated during [[World War II]] as the '''556th Bombardment Squadron''', a [[Martin B-26 Marauder]] unit. After training in the southeastern United States, it deployed to the [[European Theater of Operations]], where it conducted operations until April 1945, earning a [[Distinguished Unit Citation]] during the [[Battle of the Bulge]]. Following [[V-E Day]] the squadron remained in Europe until the fall of 1945, returning to the United States for inactivation in November.
The 556 SMS was equipped with the [[SM-65F Atlas]] [[Intercontinental ballistic missile]] (ICBM), with a mission of nuclear deterrence. It was the only ICBM squadron east of the Mississippi River. The squadron was inactivated as part of the phaseout of the Atlas ICBM on 25 June 1965.


The squadron became a missile unit in 1957, when it conducted tests with the [[SM-62 Snark]] in Florida. Later moving to Maine as an operational unit, it was inactivated in 1959 when [[Strategic Air Command]] reorganized its Snark missile wing. The squadron was activated again and equipped with the [[SM-65F Atlas]] [[Intercontinental ballistic missile]], with a mission of nuclear deterrence. It was the only ICBM squadron east of the Mississippi River. The squadron was inactivated as part of the phaseout of the Atlas ICBM on 25 June 1965.
==History==


==History==
===World War II===
===World War II===
[[File:387th Bombardment Group - B-26 Short Snorter.jpg|thumb|left|Squadron B-26 "Short Snorter", showing mission markings{{efn|Aircraft is Martin B-26B-30-MA Marauder, serial 41-31900, ''Short Snorter'', fuselage code FW-T. This plane was lost on a mission on 17 November 1944.{{cite web |url= http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1941_5.html |last1=Baugher|first1=Joe |title=1941 USAF Serial Numbers|date=April 1, 2023|publisher=Joe Baugher|access-date=April 25, 2023}}}}]]
Activated as a [[B-26 Marauder]] medium bombardment squadron in late 1942, it trained under the [[Third Air Force]] and deployed to the [[European Theater of Operations]] (ETO) in July 1943. It was initially stationed in [[England]] and assigned to [[IX Bomber Command]].
The '''556th Bombardment Squadron''' was activated at [[MacDill Field]], Florida on 1 December 1942 as one of the four squadrons of the [[387th Bombardment Group]] and trained at bases in the southeastern United States with [[Martin B-26 Marauder]] [[medium bomber]]s until June 1943, when it deployed to the [[European Theater of Operations]]. The squadron's ground echelon departed for the port of embarkation on 10 June and sailed on the {{RMS|Queen Mary}} on 23 June, while the air echelon ferried its Marauders to England via the northern ferrying route.<ref name=Maurer556BS/><ref name=Maurer387BG>Maurer, ''Combat Units'', pp. 274-275</ref><ref name=Freeman254>Freeman, p. 254</ref>


The squadron established itself at its first base in Europe, [[RAF Chipping Ongar]] at the beginning of July 1943. Although the squadron initially trained for low level attacks, [[VIII Air Support Command]], in consultation with the [[Royal Air Force]], decided to employ its B-26 units in attacks at medium altitude, mirroring a decision made earlier in the [[Mediterranean Theater of Operations]]. The squadron flew its first combat mission on 15 August,<ref name=Freeman254/> with initial operations focusing on German airfields near the coast of France, in an effort to force the [[Luftwaffe]] to withdraw its [[interceptor aircraft|interceptors]] from the coastal belt, reducing their effectiveness against [[heavy bomber]]s passing through on their way to strike targets deeper in occupied Europe.<ref>Freeman, pp. 59-60</ref> By early September, the squadron adopted a tactic first employed by the [[386th Bombardment Group]], where all bombers in a formation dropped their bombs based on the lead aircraft, rather than individually, to achieve a greater concentration of bombs on the intended target. September 1943 would prove the busiest while the squadron was part of [[United States Air Forces Europe|Eighth Air Force]] as B-26s made heavy attacks on airfields and communications sites near [[Boulogne]] as part of [[Operation Starkey]], an attempt to make the Germans believe an invasion of France was imminent.<ref>Freeman, p. 60</ref> On 9 October 1943, the squadron flew what would prove to be the last B-26 mission flown by Eighth Air Force.<ref>Freeman, p. 62</ref>
The squadron engaged in the tactical bombardment of enemy targets in [[Occupied Europe]], initially from stations in England. After [[D-Day]], it moved to [[Advanced Landing Ground]]s in [[France]] and [[Belgium]], moving eastward as Allied ground forces advanced. It supported [[Eighth Air Force]] strategic bombardment missions over [[Nazi Germany]] and Occupied Europe; striking enemy airfields to obtain maximum interference in Luftwaffe day interceptor attacks on heavy bomber formations returning to England. It also participated in the Western Allied Invasion of Germany, March–April 1945, combat ending with the German capitation in May.


In October, [[United States Air Forces Central Command|Ninth Air Force]] moved to England to take over tactical operations operating from England, building on the core of B-26 units already there. During the winter of 1943-1944, the squadron made numerous attacks on [[V-1 flying bomb]] and [[V-2 rocket]] sites. During [[Big Week]], the squadron attacked [[Leeuwarden Air Base|Leeuwarden]] and [[Venlo Airfield]]s. In the spring of 1944, the squadron attacked [[coastal defence and fortification|coastal defenses]] and bridges prior to [[Operation Overlord]], the invasion of Normandy. On [[D-Day]], it attacked targets along the coast, and supported ground forces during June 1944 by attacking line of communication targets and fuel dumps. In late July, the squadron supported [[Operation Cobra]], the breakout at [[Saint Lo]]. During August, it attacked German forces at [[Brest, France]].<ref name=Maurer387BG/>
The squadron became part of the [[United States Air Forces in Europe]] while demobilizing personnel in 1945. It was reassigned to the United States as a paper unit, where it was inactivated in November 1945.


The squadron moved to France in September, when it began operations from [[Maupertuis Airfield]]. For the rest of the war, it operated from [[Advanced Landing Ground]]s in Europe, advancing eastward with Allied ground forces. Its operations from advanced fields permitted its first attacks directly on targets in Germany by the fall of 1944. During the [[Battle of the Bulge]], it attacked strongly defended communications and transportation targets at [[Mayen]] and [[Pruem]], for which it was awarded a [[Distinguished Unit Citation]]. It continued to support the [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] advance into Germany, flying its last combat mission in April 1945.<ref name=Maurer387BG/>
===Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Squadron===
[[File:Convair SM-65F Atlas 84 556 SMS Site 2 Alburg VT.jpg|thumb|A Convair SM-65F Atlas #84 at Site 2 Au Alburg VT during a fueling test]]
Reactivated in 1957 as a [[Strategic Air Command]] (SAC) Strategic Missile Squadron, it initially performed testing on the [[SM-62 Snark]] intercontinental cruise missile. It also carried out testing at the [[Atlantic Missile Range]] in [[Florida]]; moving to [[Presque Isle AFB]], [[Maine]] for operational deployment in 1959. It was reactivated after the missile was brought into service.


After [[V-E Day]] the squadron moved to [[Rosieres-en-Santerre Airfield]], France, where it remained until returning to the United States for inactivation in November 1945.<ref name=Maurer556BS/>
Reactivated in 1961 as a SAC [[SM-65F Atlas]] ICBM launch squadron, the unit was stationed at [[Plattsburgh AFB]], [[New York]] and assigned to the [[820th Strategic Aerospace Division|820th Air (later Strategic Aerospace) Division]] on 1 July 1961. The activation of the 556th SMA at Platsburgh AFB was the only Atlas ICBM squadron east of the Mississippi River.


===Missile operations===
The squadron was assigned twelve missiles, based in a 1 x 12 configuration: twelve independent widely dispersed launch sites comprised the missile squadron. The first missile arrived in April 1962, the silos were declared operational in December. During the Cuban missile crisis, the 556th received orders to maintain all 12 missiles on alert status.
====Snark missiles====
The squadron was redesignated the '''556th Strategic Missile Squadron''' and activated at [[Patrick Air Force Base]], Florida in December 1957 and was assigned directly to [[Strategic Air Command]] (SAC).<ref name=Maurer556BS/> [[Air Research and Development Command]] (ARDC) had been test launching the Snark at Patrick since November 1952, although the first full range test of an operationally configured Snark did not occur until October 1957.<ref>SAC Missile Chronology, pp. 8, 14</ref> The squadron was not only SAC's first Snark squadron, it was SAC's first missile squadron. The squadron was responsible for training Snark crews and cooperating with ARDC in conducting test launches of the Snark.<ref>SAC Missile Chronology, p. 15</ref>


In 1959, SAC activated the [[702d Strategic Missile Wing]] at [[Presque Isle Air Force Base]], Maine to be the operational [[headquarters]] for its Snark missiles.<ref name=Ravenstein702SMW>Ravenstein, p. 292</ref> The squadron was assigned to the 702d Wing in April and began moving to Presque Isle on 9 July. However, SAC decided to assign Snark missile and maintenance functions directly to the wing, and the squadron was inactivated a week later before it could complete its move to Maine.<ref name=Maurer556BS/><ref name=Ravenstein702SMW/><ref>SAC Missile Chronology, p. 21</ref>
The Atlas F was the final and most advanced version of the Atlas ICBM and was stored in a vertical position inside underground concrete and steel silos. When stored, the Atlas F sat atop an elevator. If a missile was placed on alert, it was fueled with RP-1 (kerosene) liquid fuel, which could be stored inside the missile for extended periods. If a decision was made to launch the missile, ít was raised to the surface and the liquid oxygen tank was filled. The launch would occur shortly after completion of this process. (see below for site details).


====Atlas missiles====
The exposure on the surface that this procedure entailed was the great weakness of the Atlas F. It was exposed and vulnerable during this time. Titan II and Minuteman missiles could be launched from within their silos, thereby eliminating this vulnerability. Also, since the Titan did not use a cryogenic fuel or oxydizer, and the Minuteman was a solid fuel rocket, they could be stored fully fueled and ready to launch within a few minutes.
The squadron was organized at [[Plattsburgh Air Force Base]], New York in October 1961.<ref name=Maurer556BS/> The squadron was the last [[SM-65F Atlas]] squadron to be activated and with its activation all Atlas squadrons were organized. The squadron was assigned twelve missiles, based in twelve independent launch sites.<ref>SAC Missile Chronology, p. 32</ref> The 556th was the only Atlas ICBM squadron east of the Mississippi River.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}} The Atlas F was the final and most advanced version of the Atlas ICBM and was stored in a vertical position inside underground concrete and steel silos. When stored, the Atlas F sat atop an elevator. If a missile was placed on alert, it was fueled with RP-1 (kerosene) liquid fuel, which could be stored inside the missile for extended periods. If a decision was made to launch the missile, the liquid oxygen tank was filled and ít was raised to the surface. The launch would occur shortly after completion of this process. The exposure on the surface that this procedure entailed was the great weakness of the Atlas F. It was exposed and vulnerable during this time. [[Titan II]] and [[Minuteman missile]]s could be launched from within their silos, thereby eliminating this vulnerability. Also, since the Titan did not use a cryogenic fuel or oxidizer, and the Minuteman was a solid fuel rocket, they could be stored fully fueled and ready to launch within a few minutes.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}}


[[File:556th Strategic Missile Squadron - SM-65F Atlas Missile Sites.png|thumb|SM-65F Atlas Missile Sites]]
The first Atlas F missile was removed from alert status in favor of the more advanced [[LGM-25C Titan II]] on December 1, 1964; the squadron was inactivated on 25 June 1965. Missile sites were subsequently sold off to private ownership after demilitarization.
The squadron operated twelve missile sites with one missile at each site.
: 556–1 5.2 mi W of Rouses Point, NY {{Coord|45|00|04|N|073|28|18|W|display=inline|name=556-1}}
: 556–2 1.0 mi E of Alburg, VT {{Coord|44|59|14|N|073|17|18|W|display=inline|name=556-2}}
: 556–3 1.3 mi SSW of Swanton, VT {{Coord|44|54|08|N|073|08|17|W|display=inline|name=556-3}}
: 556–4 6.4 mi S of Willsboro Point, NY {{Coord|44|20|33|N|073|22|11|W|display=inline|name=556-4}}
: 556–5 8.2 mi NNE of Elizabethtown, NY {{Coord|44|19|55|N|073|33|13|W|display=inline|name=556-5}}
: 556–6 2.1 mi NE of Au Sable Forks, NY {{Coord|44|27|36|N|073|38|33|W|display=inline|name=556-6}}
: 556–7 4.1 mi E of Loon Lake, NY {{Coord|44|32|48|N|073|58|33|W|display=inline|name=556-7}}
: 556–8 6.6 mi WSW of Saranac, NY {{Coord|44|36|04|N|073|51|24|W|display=inline|name=556-8}}
: 556–9 5.9 mi NW of Dannemora, NY {{Coord|44|46|15|N|073|49|20|W|display=inline|name=556-9}}
: 556–10 7.3 mi SE of Chateaugay, NY {{Coord|44|50|36|N|073|59|17|W|display=inline|name=556-10}}
: 556–11 14.0 mi WNW of Ellenburg, NY {{Coord|44|54|44|N|073|49|04|W|display=inline|name=556-11}}
: 556–12 10.7 mi WNW of Mooers, NY {{Coord|44|58|05|N|073|38|01|W|display=inline|name=556-12}}{{citation needed|date=December 2019}}

The first missile arrived in April 1962.{{citation needed|date=March 2020}} During the [[Cuban Missile Crisis]], on 20 October 1962, SAC directed that the squadron's missiles that had been received but were not yet on alert be placed on alert status "as covertly as possible." Training was suspended and missiles being used for operational training were to be placed on alert as soon as liquid oxygen became available.{{efn|For safety reasons, training missiles used liquid nitrogen, rather than liquid oxygen in their propellant tanks. Kipp, ''et al''., pp. 62-63}} The squadron's training for the increased alert was greatly accelerated, but it became clear that the alert status of the unit would be degraded without additional crews. Only two squadron missiles were on alert at the beginning of the crisis, which soon increased to seven, with more missiles being brought on line and turned over to SAC. Four crews from the [[577th Strategic Missile Squadron]] at [[Altus Air Force Base]], Oklahoma and four from the [[551st Strategic Missile Squadron]] at [[Lincoln Air Force Base]], Nebraska were deployed to augment the squadron, along with an instructor crew from the [[576th Strategic Missile Squadron]] at Vandenberg to fully train the 556th's crews and assist with maintaining its missiles.<ref>Kipp, ''et al''., p. 75</ref>

From 3 November the number of alert missiles was reduced until on 29 November the number was the same as before the crisis. As tensions eased, on 15 November normal training resumed.<ref>Kipp, ''et al''., pp. 62-63, 66, 70-71</ref><ref>SAC Missile Chronology, p. 37</ref> On 20 December, the squadron was declared operational, completing SAC's deployment of the Atlas F missile.<ref>SAC Missile Chronology, p. 38</ref>

Secretary of Defense [[Robert MacNamara]] had earlier directed that early model Atlas missiles be removed from the nuclear deterrent force. In November 1964, he announced that the Atlas F would also be phased out by the end of June 1965 in Project Added Effort. As the phase out progressed, the squadron became nonoperational on 1 May and was inactivated on 25 June 1965.<ref name=Maurer556BS/><ref name=Ravenstein380BW>Ravenstein, pp. 205-206</ref>


==Lineage==
==Lineage==
* Constituted as the '''556 Bombardment Squadron''' (Medium) on 25 November 1942
[[File:556th Bombardment Squadron - Emblem.png|thumb|150px|World War II 556th Bombardment Squadron emblem]]
: Activated on 1 December 1942
* Constituted as the '''556 Bombardment Squadron, (Medium)''' on 25 Nov 1942
: Redesignated '''556 Bombardment Squadron''', Medium on 9 October 1944
: Activated on 1 Dec 1942
: Inactivated on 12 November 1945
: Redesignated '''556 Bombardment Squadron, (Medium)''' on 9 Oct 1944
* Redesignated '''556th Strategic Missile Squadron''' on 22 November 1957
: Inactivated on 12 Nov 1945
: Activated on 15 December 1957
* Redesignated '''556th Strategic Missile Squadron''' on 22 Nov 1957
* Redesignated '''556th Strategic Missile Squadron''' (ICM-Snark) on 1 April 1958<ref name=Mueller>''See'' Mueller, p. 478 (Parenthetical designation)</ref>
: Activated on 15 Dec 1957
: Inactivated on 16 Jul 1959
: Inactivated on 16 July 1959
* Redesignated '''556th Strategic Missile Squadron''' (ICBM-Atlas)<ref name=Mueller/> and activated on 26 April 1961 (not organized)
* Activated on 26 Apr 1961
: Organized on 1 October 1961<ref name=Maurer556BS2>Lineage information, including assignments and stations, through March 1963 in Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 657-658, except as noted.</ref>
: Organized on 1 Oct 1961
: Inactivated on 25 June 1965<ref>''See'' Ravenstein, pp. 205-206 (end of assignment to 380th Wing), Mueller, p. 478 (end of time stationed at Plattsburgh)</ref>
: Inactivated on 25 June 1965


===Assignments===
===Assignments===
* [[387th Bombardment Group]], 1 Dec 1942-12 Nov 1945
* 387th Bombardment Group, 1 December 1942 – 12 November 1945
* [[Strategic Air Command]], 15 Dec 1957
* Strategic Air Command, 15 December 1957
* [[702d Strategic Missile Wing]], 1 Apr-16 Jul 1959
* 702d Strategic Missile Wing, 1 April–16 July 1959
* [[Strategic Air Command]], 26 Apr 1961
* Strategic Air Command, 26 April 1961 (not organized)
* [[820th Air Division]] (later [[820th Strategic Aerospace Division]]), 1 Oct 1961 - 25 June 1965<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10159 |title=Factsheet 820 Strategic Aerospace Division |publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20121030120240/http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10159 |date=Oct 11, 2007|archivedate=October 30, 2012|accessdate=March 5, 2014}}</ref>
* [[820th Air Division]] (later 820th Strategic Aerospace Division), 1 October 1961<ref name=Maurer556BS2/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10159 |title=Factsheet 820 Strategic Aerospace Division |publisher=Air Force Historical Research Agency |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121030120240/http://www.afhra.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=10159 |date=11 October 2007|archive-date=30 October 2012|access-date=5 March 2014}}</ref>
* [[380th Strategic Aerospace Wing]], 15 September 1964 – 25 June 1965<ref name=Ravenstein380BW/>


===Stations===
===Stations===
{{col-begin}}{{col-break|width=50%}}
{{col-begin}}{{col-break|width=50%}}
* [[MacDill Field]], Florida, 1 Dec 1942
* MacDill Field, Florida, 1 December 1942
* [[Drane Field]], Florida, 12 Apr 1943
* [[Drane Field]], Florida, 12 April 1943
* [[Godman Field]], Kentucky, 12 May-10 Jun 1943
* [[Godman Field]], Kentucky, 12 May-10 Jun 1943
* [[RAF Chipping Ongar]] (AAF-162), England, 1 Jul 1943
* RAF Chipping Ongar (AAF-162),<ref name=Anderson>Station number in Anderson.</ref> England, 1 July 1943
* [[RAF Stoney Cross]] (AAF-452), England, c. 21 Jul 1944
* [[RAF Stoney Cross]] (AAF-452),<ref name=Anderson/> England, c. 21 July 1944
* [[Cherbourg – Maupertus Airport|Maupertus Airfield]] (A-15), France, c. 1 Sep 1944
* Maupertuis Airfield (A-15),<ref name=Johnson>Station number in Johnson.</ref> France, c. 1 September 1944
* [[Châteaudun Air Base|Chateaudun Airfield]] (A-39), France, c. 18 Sep 1944
* [[Chateaudun Airfield]] (A-39),<ref name=Johnson/> France, c. 18 September 1944
{{col-break|width=50%}}
{{col-break|width=50%}}
* [[Saint-Simon – Clastres Air Base|Clastres Airfield]] (A-71), France, c. 4 Nov 1944
* [[Clastres Airfield]] (A-71),<ref name=Johnson/> France, c. 4 November 1944
* [[Maastricht Aachen Airport|Maastricht Airfield]] (Y-44), Netherlands, c. 4 May 1945
* [[Maastricht Airfield]] (Y-44),<ref name=Johnson/> Netherlands, c. 4 May 1945
* Rosieres-en-Santerre Airfield (B-87), France, 30 May-c. Nov 1945
* Rosieres-en-Santerre Airfield (B-87),<ref name=Johnson/> France, 30 May-c. Nov 1945
* [[Camp Kilmer]], New Jersey, 11-12 Nov 1945
* [[Camp Kilmer]], New Jersey, 11–12 Nov 1945
* [[Patrick Air Force Base]], Florida, 15 Dec 1957
* Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, 15 December 1957
* [[Presque Isle Air Force Base]], Maine, 9-16 Jul 1959
* Presque Isle Air Force Base, Maine, 9–16 Jul 1959
* [[Plattsburgh Air Force Base]], New York, 1 Oct 1961 - 25 June 1965
* Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York, 1 October 1961 – 25 June 1965<ref name=Maurer556BS2/><ref>Mueller, p. 478</ref>
{{col-end}}
{{col-end}}


===Aircraft and missiles===
===Aircraft and missiles===
* Martin B-26 Marauder, 1942–1945
[[File:556th Strategic Missile Squadron - SM-65F Atlas Missile Sites.png|thumb|SM-65F Atlas Missile Sites]]
* Northrop SM-62 Snark, 1958–1959
* [[B-26 Marauder]], 1942-1945
* General Dynamics SM-65F (later HGM-16F) Atlas, 1962–1964<ref name=Maurer556BS2/>
* SM-62 Snark, 1958–1959
* SM-65F Atlas, 1962–1964


===Awards and campaigns===
* Operated twelve missile sites of one missile at each site (12 total):
{{unit awards table
: 556-1 5.2 mi W of Rouses Point, NY {{Coord|45|00|04|N|073|28|18|W|display=inline|name=556-1}}
|award_image1=AF PUC
: 556-2 1.0 mi E of Alburg, VT {{Coord|44|59|14|N|073|17|18|W|display=inline|name=556-2}}
|award_name1=[[Presidential Unit Citation (United States)|Presidential Unit Citation]]
: 556-3 1.3 mi SSW of Swanton, VT {{Coord|44|54|08|N|073|08|17|W|display=inline|name=556-3}}
|award_date1=Germany 23 December 1944
: 556-4 6.4 mi S of Willsboro Point, NY {{Coord|44|20|33|N|073|22|11|W|display=inline|name=556-4}}
|award_notes1=556th Bombardment Squadron<ref name=Maurer556BS/>
: 556-5 8.2 mi NNE of Elizabethtown, NY {{Coord|44|19|55|N|073|33|13|W|display=inline|name=556-5}}
}}
: 556-6 2.1 mi NE of Au Sable Forks, NY {{Coord|44|27|36|N|073|38|33|W|display=inline|name=556-6}}

: 556-7 4.1 mi E of Loon Lake, NY {{Coord|44|32|30|N|073|58|31|W|display=inline|name=556-7}}
{| class="wikitable"
: 556-8 6.6 mi WSW of Saranac, NY {{Coord|44|36|04|N|073|51|24|W|display=inline|name=556-8}}
|- style="background:#efefef;"
: 556-9 5.9 mi NW of Dannemora, NY {{Coord|44|46|15|N|073|49|20|W|display=inline|name=556-9}}
! Campaign Streamer
: 556-10 7.3 mi SE of Chateaugay, NY {{Coord|44|50|36|N|073|59|17|W|display=inline|name=556-10}}
! Campaign
: 556-11 14.0 mi WNW of Ellenburg, NY {{Coord|44|54|44|N|073|49|04|W|display=inline|name=556-11}}
! Dates
: 556-12 10.7 mi WNW of Mooers, NY {{Coord|44|58|03|N|073|37|29|W|display=inline|name=556-12}}
! Notes
|-
|[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG|200px]]||Air Offensive, Europe||1 July 1943 – 5 June 1944||556th Bombardment Squadron<ref name=Maurer556BS/>
|-
|[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG|200px]]||Normandy||6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944||556th Bombardment Squadron<ref name=Maurer556BS/>
|-
|[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG|200px]]||Northern France||25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944||556th Bombardment Squadron<ref name=Maurer556BS/>
|-
|[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG|200px]]||Rhineland||15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945||556th Bombardment Squadron<ref name=Maurer556BS/>
|-
|[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG|200px]]||Ardennes-Alsace||16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945||556th Bombardment Squadron<ref name=Maurer556BS/>
|-
|[[Image:Streamer EAMEC.PNG|200px]]||Central Europe||22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945||556th Bombardment Squadron<ref name=Maurer556BS/>
|}


==See also==
==See also==

{{Portal|United States Air Force|Military of the United States|World War II}}
{{kml}}
{{geoGroup}}
* [[List of United States Air Force missile squadrons]]
* [[List of United States Air Force missile squadrons]]
* [[List of Martin B-26 Marauder operators]]
{{-}}


==References==
==References==

===Notes===
===Notes===
; Explanatory notes
{{Notelist}}

; Citations
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


===Bibliography===
===Bibliography===
{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}
{{Air Force Historical Research Agency}}
* {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II|origyear=1969|url= http://www.afhso.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-101202-002.pdf|edition= reprint|year=1982|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-405-12194-6|oclc=72556|lccn=70605402|pages= }}
* {{cite book|last=Anderson|first=Capt. Barry|title= Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II|url=http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-081010-027.pdf |year=1985|publisher=Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center|location=Maxwell AFB, AL|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160123155923/http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-081010-027.pdf |archive-date=January 23, 2016|access-date=June 28, 2017}}
* {{cite book|last=Freeman|first = Roger A. |author-link1=Roger A. Freeman|title=The Mighty Eighth: Units, Men and Machines (A History of the US 8th Army Air Force)|year=1970 |publisher=Macdonald and Company|location=London, England, UK |isbn= 978-0-87938-638-2}}

* {{cite book|last=Johnson|first=1st Lt. David C.|title=U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day|url= http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-081010-026.pdf |year=1988| publisher=Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center| location=Maxwell AFB, AL|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150929064443/http://www.afhra.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-081010-026.pdf |archive-date=September 29, 2015|access-date=June 26, 2017}}
==External links==
* {{cite web |url= http://www.airforcehistoryindex.org/data/000/896/983.xml | last1=Kipp|first1=Robert|last2=Peake|first2=Lynn|last3=Wolk|first3=Herman|title=Strategic Air Command Operations in the Cuban Crisis of 1962, SAC Historical Study No. 90 (Top Secret NOFORN, FRD, redacted and declassified)|publisher=Strategic Air Command|access-date=November 21, 2014}}
* {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Air Force Combat Units of World War II|orig-year= 1961|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044.pdf |edition=reprint|year=1983|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-912799-02-1|lccn=61060979}}
* {{cite book|editor=Maurer, Maurer|title=Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II|orig-year=1969|url= http://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf|edition= reprint|year=1982|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-405-12194-6|oclc=72556|lccn=70605402}}
* {{cite book|last=Ravenstein|first=Charles A.|title=Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977|url=https://archive.org/details/airforcecombatwi0000rave|access-date=December 17, 2016|year=1984|publisher=Office of Air Force History|location=Washington, DC|isbn=0-912799-12-9|url-access=registration}}
* {{cite book|last=Watkins|first=Robert|title=Battle Colors: Insignia and Markings of the Eighth Air Force In World War II |volume=I (VIII) Bomber Command|year=2008|publisher=Shiffer Publishing Ltd.|location=Atglen, PA|isbn=978-0-7643-1987-7}}
* {{cite book|title=SAC Missile Chronology 1939-1988|url= http://www.atlasmissilesilo.com/Documents/SAC/MI-D-T-999-99-ZZ-00001_SACMissileChronology_1939-1988.pdf|access-date=January 29, 2018|year=1990|publisher=Office of the Historian, Strategic Air Command|location= Offutt AFB, NE|isbn= 978-1521159439}}
* [http://www.atlasbases.homestead.com/ 556th Missile Sites]
* [http://www.atlasbases.homestead.com/ 556th Missile Sites]


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{{United States Air Force}}
{{United States Air Force}}
{{Strategic Air Command}}
{{Strategic Air Command}}
{{USAAF 9th Air Force UK}}
{{USAAF 8th Air Force UK}}
{{USAAF 3d Air Force World War II}}


[[Category:Military units and formations of the United States in World War II]]
[[Category:Strategic missile squadrons of the United States Air Force|556]]
[[Category:Missile squadrons of the United States Air Force|Missile]]
[[Category:Plattsburgh, New York]]
[[Category:Military units and formations in New York]]
[[Category:Military units and formations in Maine]]

Latest revision as of 15:09, 9 February 2024

556th Strategic Missile Squadron
Squadron Convair SM-65F Atlas No. 100 at Site 6 Au Sable Forks NY
Active1942–1945; 1957–1959; 1961–1965
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleIntercontinental ballistic missile
Motto(s)In Utumque Paratus
(Latin for 'Ready for Anything') (1962-1965)[1][a]
EngagementsEuropean Theater of Operations
DecorationsDistinguished Unit Citation
Insignia
556th Strategic Missile Squadron emblem[b][1]
556th Bombardment Squadron emblem[2]
World War II fuselage code[2]FW

The 556th Strategic Missile Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 820th Strategic Aerospace Division at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York, where it was inactivated in 1965 with the withdrawal of the Atlas missile from operations.

The squadron was first activated during World War II as the 556th Bombardment Squadron, a Martin B-26 Marauder unit. After training in the southeastern United States, it deployed to the European Theater of Operations, where it conducted operations until April 1945, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation during the Battle of the Bulge. Following V-E Day the squadron remained in Europe until the fall of 1945, returning to the United States for inactivation in November.

The squadron became a missile unit in 1957, when it conducted tests with the SM-62 Snark in Florida. Later moving to Maine as an operational unit, it was inactivated in 1959 when Strategic Air Command reorganized its Snark missile wing. The squadron was activated again and equipped with the SM-65F Atlas Intercontinental ballistic missile, with a mission of nuclear deterrence. It was the only ICBM squadron east of the Mississippi River. The squadron was inactivated as part of the phaseout of the Atlas ICBM on 25 June 1965.

History

[edit]

World War II

[edit]
Squadron B-26 "Short Snorter", showing mission markings[c]

The 556th Bombardment Squadron was activated at MacDill Field, Florida on 1 December 1942 as one of the four squadrons of the 387th Bombardment Group and trained at bases in the southeastern United States with Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombers until June 1943, when it deployed to the European Theater of Operations. The squadron's ground echelon departed for the port of embarkation on 10 June and sailed on the RMS Queen Mary on 23 June, while the air echelon ferried its Marauders to England via the northern ferrying route.[1][3][4]

The squadron established itself at its first base in Europe, RAF Chipping Ongar at the beginning of July 1943. Although the squadron initially trained for low level attacks, VIII Air Support Command, in consultation with the Royal Air Force, decided to employ its B-26 units in attacks at medium altitude, mirroring a decision made earlier in the Mediterranean Theater of Operations. The squadron flew its first combat mission on 15 August,[4] with initial operations focusing on German airfields near the coast of France, in an effort to force the Luftwaffe to withdraw its interceptors from the coastal belt, reducing their effectiveness against heavy bombers passing through on their way to strike targets deeper in occupied Europe.[5] By early September, the squadron adopted a tactic first employed by the 386th Bombardment Group, where all bombers in a formation dropped their bombs based on the lead aircraft, rather than individually, to achieve a greater concentration of bombs on the intended target. September 1943 would prove the busiest while the squadron was part of Eighth Air Force as B-26s made heavy attacks on airfields and communications sites near Boulogne as part of Operation Starkey, an attempt to make the Germans believe an invasion of France was imminent.[6] On 9 October 1943, the squadron flew what would prove to be the last B-26 mission flown by Eighth Air Force.[7]

In October, Ninth Air Force moved to England to take over tactical operations operating from England, building on the core of B-26 units already there. During the winter of 1943-1944, the squadron made numerous attacks on V-1 flying bomb and V-2 rocket sites. During Big Week, the squadron attacked Leeuwarden and Venlo Airfields. In the spring of 1944, the squadron attacked coastal defenses and bridges prior to Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy. On D-Day, it attacked targets along the coast, and supported ground forces during June 1944 by attacking line of communication targets and fuel dumps. In late July, the squadron supported Operation Cobra, the breakout at Saint Lo. During August, it attacked German forces at Brest, France.[3]

The squadron moved to France in September, when it began operations from Maupertuis Airfield. For the rest of the war, it operated from Advanced Landing Grounds in Europe, advancing eastward with Allied ground forces. Its operations from advanced fields permitted its first attacks directly on targets in Germany by the fall of 1944. During the Battle of the Bulge, it attacked strongly defended communications and transportation targets at Mayen and Pruem, for which it was awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation. It continued to support the Allied advance into Germany, flying its last combat mission in April 1945.[3]

After V-E Day the squadron moved to Rosieres-en-Santerre Airfield, France, where it remained until returning to the United States for inactivation in November 1945.[1]

Missile operations

[edit]

Snark missiles

[edit]

The squadron was redesignated the 556th Strategic Missile Squadron and activated at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida in December 1957 and was assigned directly to Strategic Air Command (SAC).[1] Air Research and Development Command (ARDC) had been test launching the Snark at Patrick since November 1952, although the first full range test of an operationally configured Snark did not occur until October 1957.[8] The squadron was not only SAC's first Snark squadron, it was SAC's first missile squadron. The squadron was responsible for training Snark crews and cooperating with ARDC in conducting test launches of the Snark.[9]

In 1959, SAC activated the 702d Strategic Missile Wing at Presque Isle Air Force Base, Maine to be the operational headquarters for its Snark missiles.[10] The squadron was assigned to the 702d Wing in April and began moving to Presque Isle on 9 July. However, SAC decided to assign Snark missile and maintenance functions directly to the wing, and the squadron was inactivated a week later before it could complete its move to Maine.[1][10][11]

Atlas missiles

[edit]

The squadron was organized at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, New York in October 1961.[1] The squadron was the last SM-65F Atlas squadron to be activated and with its activation all Atlas squadrons were organized. The squadron was assigned twelve missiles, based in twelve independent launch sites.[12] The 556th was the only Atlas ICBM squadron east of the Mississippi River.[citation needed] The Atlas F was the final and most advanced version of the Atlas ICBM and was stored in a vertical position inside underground concrete and steel silos. When stored, the Atlas F sat atop an elevator. If a missile was placed on alert, it was fueled with RP-1 (kerosene) liquid fuel, which could be stored inside the missile for extended periods. If a decision was made to launch the missile, the liquid oxygen tank was filled and ít was raised to the surface. The launch would occur shortly after completion of this process. The exposure on the surface that this procedure entailed was the great weakness of the Atlas F. It was exposed and vulnerable during this time. Titan II and Minuteman missiles could be launched from within their silos, thereby eliminating this vulnerability. Also, since the Titan did not use a cryogenic fuel or oxidizer, and the Minuteman was a solid fuel rocket, they could be stored fully fueled and ready to launch within a few minutes.[citation needed]

SM-65F Atlas Missile Sites

The squadron operated twelve missile sites with one missile at each site.

556–1 5.2 mi W of Rouses Point, NY 45°00′04″N 073°28′18″W / 45.00111°N 73.47167°W / 45.00111; -73.47167 (556-1)
556–2 1.0 mi E of Alburg, VT 44°59′14″N 073°17′18″W / 44.98722°N 73.28833°W / 44.98722; -73.28833 (556-2)
556–3 1.3 mi SSW of Swanton, VT 44°54′08″N 073°08′17″W / 44.90222°N 73.13806°W / 44.90222; -73.13806 (556-3)
556–4 6.4 mi S of Willsboro Point, NY 44°20′33″N 073°22′11″W / 44.34250°N 73.36972°W / 44.34250; -73.36972 (556-4)
556–5 8.2 mi NNE of Elizabethtown, NY 44°19′55″N 073°33′13″W / 44.33194°N 73.55361°W / 44.33194; -73.55361 (556-5)
556–6 2.1 mi NE of Au Sable Forks, NY 44°27′36″N 073°38′33″W / 44.46000°N 73.64250°W / 44.46000; -73.64250 (556-6)
556–7 4.1 mi E of Loon Lake, NY 44°32′48″N 073°58′33″W / 44.54667°N 73.97583°W / 44.54667; -73.97583 (556-7)
556–8 6.6 mi WSW of Saranac, NY 44°36′04″N 073°51′24″W / 44.60111°N 73.85667°W / 44.60111; -73.85667 (556-8)
556–9 5.9 mi NW of Dannemora, NY 44°46′15″N 073°49′20″W / 44.77083°N 73.82222°W / 44.77083; -73.82222 (556-9)
556–10 7.3 mi SE of Chateaugay, NY 44°50′36″N 073°59′17″W / 44.84333°N 73.98806°W / 44.84333; -73.98806 (556-10)
556–11 14.0 mi WNW of Ellenburg, NY 44°54′44″N 073°49′04″W / 44.91222°N 73.81778°W / 44.91222; -73.81778 (556-11)
556–12 10.7 mi WNW of Mooers, NY 44°58′05″N 073°38′01″W / 44.96806°N 73.63361°W / 44.96806; -73.63361 (556-12)[citation needed]

The first missile arrived in April 1962.[citation needed] During the Cuban Missile Crisis, on 20 October 1962, SAC directed that the squadron's missiles that had been received but were not yet on alert be placed on alert status "as covertly as possible." Training was suspended and missiles being used for operational training were to be placed on alert as soon as liquid oxygen became available.[d] The squadron's training for the increased alert was greatly accelerated, but it became clear that the alert status of the unit would be degraded without additional crews. Only two squadron missiles were on alert at the beginning of the crisis, which soon increased to seven, with more missiles being brought on line and turned over to SAC. Four crews from the 577th Strategic Missile Squadron at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma and four from the 551st Strategic Missile Squadron at Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska were deployed to augment the squadron, along with an instructor crew from the 576th Strategic Missile Squadron at Vandenberg to fully train the 556th's crews and assist with maintaining its missiles.[13]

From 3 November the number of alert missiles was reduced until on 29 November the number was the same as before the crisis. As tensions eased, on 15 November normal training resumed.[14][15] On 20 December, the squadron was declared operational, completing SAC's deployment of the Atlas F missile.[16]

Secretary of Defense Robert MacNamara had earlier directed that early model Atlas missiles be removed from the nuclear deterrent force. In November 1964, he announced that the Atlas F would also be phased out by the end of June 1965 in Project Added Effort. As the phase out progressed, the squadron became nonoperational on 1 May and was inactivated on 25 June 1965.[1][17]

Lineage

[edit]
  • Constituted as the 556 Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 25 November 1942
Activated on 1 December 1942
Redesignated 556 Bombardment Squadron, Medium on 9 October 1944
Inactivated on 12 November 1945
  • Redesignated 556th Strategic Missile Squadron on 22 November 1957
Activated on 15 December 1957
  • Redesignated 556th Strategic Missile Squadron (ICM-Snark) on 1 April 1958[18]
Inactivated on 16 July 1959
  • Redesignated 556th Strategic Missile Squadron (ICBM-Atlas)[18] and activated on 26 April 1961 (not organized)
Organized on 1 October 1961[19]
Inactivated on 25 June 1965[20]

Assignments

[edit]
  • 387th Bombardment Group, 1 December 1942 – 12 November 1945
  • Strategic Air Command, 15 December 1957
  • 702d Strategic Missile Wing, 1 April–16 July 1959
  • Strategic Air Command, 26 April 1961 (not organized)
  • 820th Air Division (later 820th Strategic Aerospace Division), 1 October 1961[19][21]
  • 380th Strategic Aerospace Wing, 15 September 1964 – 25 June 1965[17]

Stations

[edit]

Aircraft and missiles

[edit]
  • Martin B-26 Marauder, 1942–1945
  • Northrop SM-62 Snark, 1958–1959
  • General Dynamics SM-65F (later HGM-16F) Atlas, 1962–1964[19]

Awards and campaigns

[edit]
Award streamer Award Dates Notes
Presidential Unit Citation Germany 23 December 1944 556th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
Air Offensive, Europe 1 July 1943 – 5 June 1944 556th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Normandy 6 June 1944 – 24 July 1944 556th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Northern France 25 July 1944 – 14 September 1944 556th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Rhineland 15 September 1944 – 21 March 1945 556th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Ardennes-Alsace 16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945 556th Bombardment Squadron[1]
Central Europe 22 March 1944 – 21 May 1945 556th Bombardment Squadron[1]

See also

[edit]
Map all coordinates using OpenStreetMap

Download coordinates as:

References

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
Explanatory notes
  1. ^ The literal translation is "ready in either event." Maurer, Combat Squadrons, p. 658.
  2. ^ Approved 25 April 1962. Description: On an Air Force blue disc within a wide white border, fimbriated Air Force blue, an Air Force golden yellow missile in upward flight leaving a red trail arched to sinister base, fimbriated white; all between three groups of white lozenge-shaped stars, five in dexter, five in sinister chief, and six in sinister base (one of these last appearing in the misssile's trail).
  3. ^ Aircraft is Martin B-26B-30-MA Marauder, serial 41-31900, Short Snorter, fuselage code FW-T. This plane was lost on a mission on 17 November 1944.Baugher, Joe (1 April 2023). "1941 USAF Serial Numbers". Joe Baugher. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  4. ^ For safety reasons, training missiles used liquid nitrogen, rather than liquid oxygen in their propellant tanks. Kipp, et al., pp. 62-63
Citations
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 657-658
  2. ^ a b Watkins, pp. 74-75
  3. ^ a b c Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 274-275
  4. ^ a b Freeman, p. 254
  5. ^ Freeman, pp. 59-60
  6. ^ Freeman, p. 60
  7. ^ Freeman, p. 62
  8. ^ SAC Missile Chronology, pp. 8, 14
  9. ^ SAC Missile Chronology, p. 15
  10. ^ a b Ravenstein, p. 292
  11. ^ SAC Missile Chronology, p. 21
  12. ^ SAC Missile Chronology, p. 32
  13. ^ Kipp, et al., p. 75
  14. ^ Kipp, et al., pp. 62-63, 66, 70-71
  15. ^ SAC Missile Chronology, p. 37
  16. ^ SAC Missile Chronology, p. 38
  17. ^ a b Ravenstein, pp. 205-206
  18. ^ a b See Mueller, p. 478 (Parenthetical designation)
  19. ^ a b c d Lineage information, including assignments and stations, through March 1963 in Maurer, Combat Squadrons, pp. 657-658, except as noted.
  20. ^ See Ravenstein, pp. 205-206 (end of assignment to 380th Wing), Mueller, p. 478 (end of time stationed at Plattsburgh)
  21. ^ "Factsheet 820 Strategic Aerospace Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 11 October 2007. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2014.
  22. ^ a b Station number in Anderson.
  23. ^ a b c d e Station number in Johnson.
  24. ^ Mueller, p. 478

Bibliography

[edit]

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

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