456th > 437th > 460th
The History of the 456th Fighter Interceptor Squadron can be described in very few words "RAPID CHANGE".
Originally constituted as "the 456th Fighter Squadron" on October 15, 1944 at Seymour Johnson Air Field, NC; then moved to Selfridge Air Field, MI on November 21, 1944; and then to Bluethenthal Air Field, NC on March 19 until June 5, 1945 before being reassigned to North Field, Iwo Jima as part of the 414th Fighter Group, 7th Fighter Command, 301st Fighter Wing, of the 20th Air Force, on July 7, 1945; and then again on December 23, 1945 to Clark Field and Florida Blance Field, Luzon in the Philippines; where it was finally deactivated on August 25, 1946
The squadron emblem or insignia that most of us know as Luther was originally described in the application for approval to the Department of the Army Air Corps, as follows:
"Over and through ultra-marine blue disc, a caricatured, ferocious, red octopus, affront, winged in gold, having yellow eyes with green pupils, three tentacles on either side focused and emanating a golden fluid toward the center base: area enclosed within the tentacles and fluid of the field." It was approved by the the Department of Army Air Corps, on 21, March 1945."
The original story of who designed, how it was chosen, or the significants of the insigina, and squadron motto of, "EXERTUS, MOSTUS, FIGHTUS, BESTUS" is totally unknown.
The squadron was resurrected and re-designated as the 456th Fighter Interceptor Squadron on March 23, 1953 at George AFB, Victorville, California. It was reactivated August 8, 1954 and assigned to TRUX Air Field, Madison Wisconsin, under the command of Major James Macefield, as part of the 28th Air Division, and equipped with North American F-86-D Saber Jets. Exactly one year later on August, 18 1955, the squadron was deactivated.
The 456 FIS deactivation was short lived, for two months later on October, 18 1955, it was reactivated again at Castle Air Force Base in Merced / Atwater California, with a detachment at the Fresno Municipal Airport, Fresno, California. Once again with North American F-86D Saber Jets. A year later June 1958 the squadron was transitioned to the Convair F-102"Delta Dagger" the first production delta wing aircraft in the world. In September 1959 the 456th received F-106 Delta Darts while still at Castle AFB, CA where it remained until 18 July 1968 when the 456th moved to Oxnard AFB, CA where the 456th designation was changed on the same day to the 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron.
This 437th designation was extremely short lived. Just 2 months later on 30 September 1968 the 437th designation was deactivated, thus making the 437th Fighter Interceptor Squadron the “shortest - lived” F-106 UNIT IN HISTORY.
On 30 September 1968, the same day the 437th FIS deactivated, the same unit was activated as the 460th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, and remained at Oxnard AFB. until November 1969 when it was then moved to Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Eighteen months later the 460th was once again moved, this time to Grand Forks Air Force Base, in Grand Forks, North Dakota in April 1971.
On July 15th 1974 the 460th FIS, which was the 437th FIS before that, which was the 456th FIS before that was deactivated and all the aircraft were either dispersed or removed from active duty.
After 30 Years,
8 Aircraft Types
Numerious Base Assignments
And 2 Squadron Designation Changes
The 456 F. S. and 456 F. I. S. and their remnants ceased to exist
456 FIS Aircraft 1954-1968
456 FS Aircraft 1944-1946
In September 1959 the 456th received F-106 Delta Darts while still at Castle AFB, CA where it remained until 18 July 1968 when the 456th moved to Oxnard AFB, CA where it was inactivated the same day and transferred its mission, personnel and equipment to the 437th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. The original color scheme (yellow and black instead of yellow and blue) and tail markings of the 456 FIS F-106. The Red, White and Blue stripes and the shield indicate the 28th Air Division. These stripes were removed when the unit changed to the 26 Air Division.
456 FIS Tail Flash with 28AD
'Luther' emblem application
'Luther' emblem application
437 F.I.S., Oxnard AFB, CA.
This designation was extremely short lived. Just 2 months after it was activated from the inactivated 456th FIS on 18 July 1968, on 30 September 1968 the 437th designation was deactivated, thus making the 437th Fighter Interceptor Squadron the “shortest - lived” F-106 UNIT IN HISTORY.
460 F.I.S. Oxnard AFB / CA, Kingsley Field, Or / Grand Forks, ND.
On 30 September 1968, the same day the 437th FIS deactivated, the same unit was activated as the 460th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, and remained at Oxnard AFB. until November 1969 when it was then moved to Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Eighteen months later the 460th was once again moved, this time to Grand Forks Air Force Base, in Grand Forks, North Dakota in April 1971. On July 15th 1974 the 460th FIS was deactivated and all the aircraft were either dispersed or removed from active duty.
"Bob, Interesting web site and very happy to have found you through Mark. I was a Lt. pilot with the 456th in 45 and 46. I flew P-38s, Jugs, and 51s with the 456th as well as the first Lockheed P-80s when we were supplied with 30 of them while stationed at Florida Blanca in the Philippines. - Cheers, Stan Wood"
"Major Kenneth Taylor was my C.O. and he is now a retired General living in Alaska. Lt. Ken Taylor and Lt. George Welsh were the first two who shot down Japs on Dec. 11 flying P-40s. Ken is the only one that I have talked to and have no idea where anyone else is and sure wish I knew - Cheers, Stan"
"General Ken Taylor is living in Anchorage, AK. I talked to him a year ago... Ken had a piece and picture in the People magazine, issue of May 28, 2001". "George S. Welch was born in 1918 and was killed while ejecting from an F-100A on Columbus Day in 1954. He was very active as a military test pilot. "Together in 1941 Ken and George shot down between 6 and 10 Jap planes. Ken was officially credited with two and George with 4 after flying 3 sorties. They were both given the DSO for the days work. They were, as I understand, with the 47th F/S stationed at Wheeler Field. I wish I could be of more help. - Cheers, Stan"
"Bob, The primary plane was the P-47. When the Squadron was transferred to Clark Field. in Manila we flew P-51s and some P-38s. We also had 38s later when we were moved to a new fighter base north of Manila, Florida Blanca, where our primary planes were P47N models. I can remember we still had some 38s there as I later helped ferry some of them down to either Nichols or Clark Field where they pushed them all into a huge hole and destroyed them. Remember well, one brand new 38L with only 10 hours on the form one. I salvaged the control wheel from it and managed to take it home with me. These planes could have been purchased from the Government for $100 with full tanks of gas and all the instrumentation intact. It was enough to make you sick watching them burn these planes up. (Yes, that was one hundred dollars)".
"In Florida Blanca the primary plane was the P-47. Somewhere in the early part of 1946 we got 30 Lockheed P-80As for testing in field conditions, which were the first jets in the South Pacific. I remember flying over the Aircraft Carrier in Manila bay many times with the jets just sitting on the deck. They had come over without the batteries and Aux. tanks so we didn't get them delivered for over a month. I remember being on TDY in Manila, with not much to do, so I took the Jet engine course that they had at Clark. When we finally did get the 80s trucked up to our base it was mandatory that to fly them you had to have completed the engine course. Since I happened to be the only one of the line pilots to have completed it I was able to check out after our Group commander and my Squadron Commander. We lost a few. I remember being on the road behind an 80 starting his take off run and hearing the buckets start to let go in the turbine. The pilot couldn't hear it from the cockpit and having no radio to contact the tower and no way to get the pilots attention I was only able to watch him get off the ground and blow up at the other end of the field. The most frustrating experience I have ever had." - Cheers, Stan
456th FIS COMMANDERS
Maj Kenneth Taylor 1944-1946
Maj James Macefield 1954-1955
LtCol Lee Lambert 1955-1957
LtCol Wm. 'Red' Miller 1957-1959
LtCol Roy Tweedie 1959-1960
LtCol James L. Price 1960-1963
LtCol John (Buck) Rogers 1963-1964
LtCol Wm. C. Jackson 1964-1966
LtCol John C. Marcotte 1966-1968
LtCol Jake Kratt 1st Commander Det 1 Fresno
LtCol Ted Feasel Commander Det 1 Fresno
ADC Meritorious Achievement Award
Stan Wood And The P-38
