459th Airlift Squadron

459th Airlift Squadron

The first squadron C-12J arriving at Yokota Air Base, 29 June 2007
Active 1942–1944; 1944–1945; 1952–1952; 1966–1970; 1975–1993; 1993–present
Country United States
Branch  United States Air Force
Role Airlift
Part of Pacific Air Forces
Garrison/HQ Yokota Air Base
Decorations Distinguished Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross with Palm
Insignia
459th Airlift Squadron emblem (approved 9 April 1945, restored 30 October 2011)[1]
459th Airlift Squadron emblem (approved 1 June 1982)[2]

The 459th Airlift Squadron is part of the 374th Airlift Wing at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It operates the UH-1N Iroquois and the C-12J Huron aircraft, performing passenger transport (including VIPs), aeromedical evacuation and search and rescue missions.[3]

History

The 459th was originally established in mid-1942 as the 459th Bombardment Squadron under II Bomber Command as a B-17 Flying Fortress Replacement Training Unit (RTU). They operated until March 1944 with the end of Heavy Bomber training.

B-29 Superfortress operations against Japan

The 459th Bombardment Squadron was reorganized as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress Very Heavy bombardment squadron on 1 April 1944. After completion of training in January 1945, they moved to North Field, Guam, in the Mariana Islands of the Central Pacific Area, and were assigned to XXI Bomber Command, Twentieth Air Force. The squadron's mission was the strategic bombardment of the Japanese home islands and the destruction of its war-making capability.

The Squadron Flew "shakedown" missions against Japanese targets on Moen Island, Truk, and other points in the Carolines and Marianas. The squadron began missions over Japan on 25 February 1945 with a firebombing mission over northeast Tokyo. The squadron continued to participate in wide-area firebombing attacks, but when the Army Air Forces ran out of incendiary bombs after ten days, the squadron flew conventional strategic bombing missions using high explosive bombs.

The squadron continued attacking urban areas with incendiary raids until the end of the war in August 1945, attacking major Japanese cities and causing massive destruction of urbanized areas. They also conducted raids against strategic objectives such as aircraft factories, chemical plants, oil refineries, and other targets in Japan. The squadron flew its last combat missions on 14 August when hostilities ended. Afterwards, the squadron's B 29s carried relief supplies to Allied prisoner of war camps in Japan and Manchuria.

The squadron remained in the western Pacific, although largely demobilized in the fall of 1945. Some of the squadron's aircraft were scrapped on Tinian; others were flown to storage depots in the United States. The squadron was inactive from the end of 1945 until 1949.

United States Air Force

During the Vietnam War the squadron was reactivated at Cam Ranh Air Base, South Vietnam, in 1966. It provided intra-theatre airlift services in Vietnam, including air-land and airdrop assault missions from 1966 to 1970. The unit was inactivated as part of the drawdown of United States forces.

The squadron conducted airlifts of key Department of Defense personnel from April 1975 to March 1978, aeromedical airlifts from March 1978 to November 1991, and operational support airlifts since December 1991.

Operations and decorations

Lineage

459th Airlift Squadron

Activated on 6 July 1942
Inactivated on 1 April 1944
Inactivated on 21 December 1945
Activated in the reserve on 14 June 1952
Inactivated on 14 July 1952
Organized on 1 January 1967
Redesignated 459th Tactical Airlift Squadron on 1 August 1967
Inactivated on 1 June 1970
Inactivated on 1 October 1993
Activated on 1 October 1993[1]

1400th Military Airlift Squadron

Assignments

Stations

Detachment at Don Muang Airport, Thailand

Aircraft

[6][1]

See also

References

Notes
  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Robertson, Patsy (5 April 2012). "Factsheet 459 Airlift Squadron (PACAF)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
  2. Endicott, p. 823
  3. Thompson, Paul ‘Operation Friendship’ set for takeoff August 18, 2002 Japan Times Retrieved 1 October 2016
  4. C-12 Huron Yokota Air Force Base Retrieved 6 November 2016
  5. 459th Airlift Squadron US Air Force Helis.com Retrieved 8 March 2017
  6. Yokota deems UH-1N copters 'completely safe' December 3, 2004 Stars and Stripes Retrieved 6 November 2016

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

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