VF-21

Fighter Squadron 21 (VF-21)
Fighter Squadron 21 (VF-21)
	VF-21 squadron patch
Active	2 March 1944 – 31 January 1996
Country	United States
Branch	Navy
Nickname(s)	Freelancers
Aircraft	F6F Hellcat; F8F Bearcat; F9F Panther; F3H Demon; F-4 Phantom II; F-14 Tomcat
Engagements	World War II; Korean War; Vietnam War; Operation Desert Shield; Operation Southern Watch; 1994 North Korean nuclear crisis

Fighter Squadron 21 (VF-21)Freelancerswas an aviation unit of theUnited States Navy.Originally established in 1944 asVF-81it was redesignatedVF-13Ain 1946, redesignatedVF-131in 1948, redesignatedVF-64in 1950 and redesignatedVF-21on 1 July 1959, it was disestablished on 31 January 1996. It was the third US Navy squadron to have the VF-21 designation.

History[edit]

Korean War and 1950s[edit]

VF-64 operatingF4U-4swas assigned to Carrier Air Group 2 (CVG-2) aboardUSSPhilippine Sea,off the Korean coast from 28 March to 9 June 1951.

VF-21 embarked on its major deployment with theF3H-2 DemononUSSMidwayin mid-1958. In June 1961 VF-21 was reassigned toMiramar.It was here VF-21 transitioned to theF-4B Phantomin 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[edit]

VF-21 returned to sea in March 1965 and were bound for theVietnam Warand VF-21's first aerial victories would be the first confirmed kills achieved by a U.S. Navy fighter squadron during that conflict. On 17 June 1965CommanderLouis Page andLieutenantJohn Smith destroyed aMiG-17with anAIM-7 Sparrowand moments later Lieutenant Jack Batson, jr andLieutenant CommanderRobert Doremus destroyed another MiG-17 with an AIM-7.

VF-21 made six further deployments to the war zone aboardUSSCoral SeaandUSSRangerbetween 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 USSCoral Seawhich VF-21 would deploy on for its next cruise, and instead VF-21 deployed with the less effective F-4N.

1980s[edit]

CVW-14 assigned control over VF-21 and the squadron returned to sea in 1981, spending seven months in thePacificand theIndian Ocean.A new deployment followed in 1983, where VF-21 was one of several squadrons that took part inCoral 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 squadronVF-154in a final "fly-in" to Miramar in mid-September.^{[citation needed]}Although this was not the end of the F-4, some aircraft lingered on until 4 November, 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 theF-14A Tomcat,the process was managed byVF-124and it was not until later half of 1984 that VF-21 was declared fully operational, the first cruise was with CVW-14 aboardUSSConstellationin early 1985.

In 1987, VF-21 launchedAIM-7 Sparrowmissiles against an Iranian F-4 that had engaged aP-3 Orionin thePersian Gulf.

1990s[edit]

In 1990 the squadron, with the rest of its air wing, moved toUSSIndependence.VF-21 arrived on station in the Persian Gulf on 5 August 1990 and was part of the Carrier Group that was America's first response to Iraq's 2 August 1990Invasion of Kuwait.VF-21 maintained Combat Air Patrol "CAP" missions duringOperation Desert Shield,the buildup of coalition forces to liberate Kuwait. However, the USS Independence battle group) was relieved on station by theRangerandMidwayCarrier battle groups at the onset of Operation Desert Storm. GeneralNorman Schwarzkopfflew aboard the USSIndependenceto command the battle group; CBS AnchorDan Ratherreported from the USSIndependenceflight deck. VF-21 returned aboard the USSIndependenceto establishOperation Southern Watchimmediately after Desert Storm.

In August 1991 USSIndependencetook over the role of USSMidwayas the only carrier home ported outside the USA, atYokosuka,Japan. During this change the squadron stayed with the same carrier but moved air wings, from CVW-14 toCVW-5as well as being repositioned toNAF Atsugi.This was, because theMidwayair 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 15 October, and 24 November 1991 and the last Carrier visit to Subic Bay in March 1992,Independenceand VF-21 deployed to the Persian Gulf on 15 April 1992. In May, they visited Sydney, Australia to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of theBattle of the Coral Seain 1942. In June, a one plane detachment visitedDoha Air Basewhich included training in DACT with theQatar Air Force.On 23 August, theIndependenceCVBG entered the Persian Gulf, beginning what would becomeOperation Southern Watch.After 18 days, the Carrier left the Persian Gulf, relieved by the USSRanger.They VF-21 returned to Atsugi on 11 October 1992, two days before theIndependencepulled into Yokosuka.

In February 1993, VF-21 took part inExercise Team Spirit '93with South Korea. BuNo 161606 asNF-201,an F-14A assigned to VF-21, crashed during ACM training on 29 April 1993 off Oshima, 174 km SE of Atusgi, the crew being rescued by an SH-60B fromHSL-51and an SH-3H Sea King fromHS-12aboard theIndependence.On 11 May, VF-21 departed with CVW-5 and theIndependence,taking part in Spring Training '93 with theRoyal Australian Navyfrom 28 May – 2 June 1993. In September, they took part inANNUALEX '93with theJMSDFin the Sea of Japan before returning to Yokosuka. On 17 November, they deployed on their second Southern Watch deployment as well as Somalia.

After returning from this deployment on 17 March 1994, they took part inRIMPAC '94against the USSConstellationnear Hawaii, before taking part in contingency operations in response to the death of North Korea's first leader,Kim Il-Sungon 8 July and theNuclear 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 19 August 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 theIndependenceto Atusgi on 6 November 1995, before theIndependencearrived on the 8th at Yokosuka. Soon VF-21 was disestablished on 31 January 1996, the official ceremony being held on the 12 January. Four of VF-21's F-14As were given to VF-154 while remaining 5 rest were transferred back to United States on 12 December (two to NAS Miramar and three toNAS Oceana).

References[edit]