54th Fighter Group

Constituted as 54th Pursuit Group (Interceptor) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Trained with P-40's. Served as a part of the defense force for the northwest Pacific coast during the first few months of the war. Redesignated 54th Fighter Group in May 1942. The air echelon, equipped with P-39's, served in Alaska against the Japanese forces that invaded the Aleutian Islands during the summer of 1942, and for these operations the group received a DUC. The air echelon returned to the US in Dec 1942 and rejoined the group, which had been assigned to Third AF, and which became a replacement training unit for P-51 pilots. Disbanded on 1 May 1944.

Reconstituted and redesignated 54th Fighter Group (Air Defense), on 20 Jun 1955. Activated on 18 Aug 1955. Assigned to Air Defense Command and equipped with F-86's.

Squadrons. 42d: 1941-1944; 1955-. 56th: 1941-1944. 57th: 1941-1944.

Stations. Hamilton Field, Calif, 15 Jan 1941; Everett, Wash, 26 Jun 1941; Harding Field, La, 31 Jan 1942; Bartow AAFld, Fla, 11 May 1943-1 May 1944. Greater Pittsburgh Aprt, Pa, 18 Aug 1955-.

Commanders. Capt Harry A Hammond, 15 Jan 1941; Col Phineas K Morrill, Feb 1941; Col Charles M McCorkle, 12 Sep 1942; Lt Col George B Greene Jr, 11 Aug 1943; Lt Col Ward W Harker, 17 Sep 1943; Col Joseph S Holtoner, 6 Mar-1 May 1944. Col Edward F Roddy, 1955-.

Campaigns. American Theater.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: Aleutian Islands, [Jun]-4 Nov 1942.

Insigne. Shield: Per bend of the light blue sky and azure, over a bomb, bend sinisterwise, a lightning flash, palewise, gules, fimbriated argent; a bend of the last superimposed over all and charged with a jet aircraft, in chief, sable, with vapor trail of the third; all between an increscent moon and a radiant sun in fess all of the fourth. (Approved 8 Mar 1957.)

Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986