VA-146 Blue Diamonds

The VA-146 Blue Diamonds

Patch

Handle

Heritage

Squadron Photograph Album

Squadron Off-Duty Album (empty)

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Rendition pre-1960
John Oliverio

Attack Shock Wave & Diamonds - 1960
Drawn by Bud Southworth

Strike Fighter Mach Wave & Diamonds - 1989
Drawn by Bud Southworth

Patch

November 23, 1956. The Shock Wave and Globe patch (not displayed) was created for VA-146. This design consisted of two concentric circles with the outer circle, in dark blue, symbolized the all-encompassing mission of the attack community. The inner circle had a light blue background that was outlined in black and divided into four quadrants. Inside the inner circle was a yellow mach wave symbol and a yellow globe showing North and South America with a dark blue sea. Emanating from North America was a 300-degree arc in black. The mach wave and arc from North America symbolized the range and striking power of the squadron.
Pre-1960. This verison is taken from an image of a squadron pin. It may have been first used around 1956. My rendition of the globe is the only part that is not 100% accurate. John Oliverio.
August 29, 1968. The Mach Wave and Diamonds patch simplified the previous design to bring it in concert with the Blue Diamond nickname. The new patch kept the two concentric circles with an outer circle of dark blue and the inner circle of light blue. Superimposed on the two circles was the yellow mach wave and four dark blue diamonds. Attached to the lower part of the insignia was a scroll outlined in dark blue with a light blue background and lettering in yellow.
July 21, 1989. When VA-146 was redesignated VFA-146, the designation in the scroll changed from VA-146 to VFA-146.

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Handle

1956 to sometime before 1960, the first nickname used was Blacktails. This name referred to the black color assigned to the squadron's position in the air group.
Before 1960 to the present Blue Diamonds was adopted by the squadron sometime in the late 1950s.

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Heritage

February 1, 1956, Attack Squadron ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SIX (VA-146) was established.
July 21, 1989, VA-146 was redisignated Strike Fighter Squadron ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SIX (VFA-146).

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Home Ports

1956 - - - - - - - - - - Naval Air Station Miramar 1962 - - - - - - - - - - Naval Air Station Lemoore

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Air Wings

1970 - - - - - - - - ?? - - - - - - CVW-30 Reserves 1956- - - - - - - - A/NK* - - - - - CVG-14/CVW-14† 1968 - - - - - - - - NG - - - - - - CVW-9 1982 - - - - - - - - NE - - - - - - CVW-2 1984 - - - - - - - - NG - - - - - - CVW-9 * The tail code was changed from A to NK July 1, 1957. † CVG-14 was redesignated CVW-14 when Carrier Air Group (CVG) designations were redesignated Carrier Air Wings (CVW) on December 20, 1963.

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Deployments

01-21-57 to 07-25-57 - CVG-14 - CVA 12 - F9F-8/8B - WestPac 05-27-58 to 08-20-58 - CVG-14 - CVA 61 - FJ-4B - SoLant 01-03-59 to 07-27-59 - CVG-14 - CVA 61 - FJ-4B - WestPac 05-14-60 to 12-15-60 - CVG-14 - CVA 34 - FJ-4B - WestPac 11-09-61 to 05-12-62 - CVG-14 - CVA 16 - FJ-4B - WestPac 02-21-63 to 09-10-63 - CVG-14 - CVA 64 - A-4C - WestPac 05-05-64 to 02-01-65 - CVW-14 - CVA 64 - A-4C - WestPac/Vietnam 12-10-65 to 08-25-66 - CVW-14 - CVA 61 - A-4C - WestPac/Vietnam 04-29-67 to 12-04-67 - CVW-14 - CVA 64 - A-4C - WestPac/Vietnam 01-06-69 to 07-02-69 - CVW-9- - CVAN 65 - A-7B - WestPac/Vietnam 04-10-70 to 12-21-70 - CVW-9- - CVA 66 - A-7E - WestPac/Vietnam 10-01-71 to 06-30-72 - CVW-9- - CVA 64 - A-7E - WestPac/Vietnam 01-05-73 to 10-11-73 - CVW-9- - CVA 64 - A-7E - WestPac/Vietnam 06-21-74 to 12-22-74 - CVW-9- - CVA 64 - A-7E - WestPac/IO 04-12-77 to 11-21-77 - CVW-9- - CV 64 -- A-7E - WestPac 09-26-78 to 05-17-79 - CVW-9- - CV 64 -- A-7E - WestPac/IO 02-26-80 to 10-15-80 - CVW-9- - CV 64 -- A-7E - WestPac/IO 10-20-81 to 05-23-82 - CVW-9- - CV 64 -- A-7E - WestPac/IO 01-13-84 to 08-01-84 - CVW-2- - CV 63 -- A-7E - WestPac/IO 07-24-85 to 12-21-85 - CVW-9- - CV 63 -- A-7E - WestPac/IO 01-03-87 to 06-29-87 - CVW-9- - CV 63 -- A-7E - World Cruise 09-02-88 to 02-27-89 - CVW-9- - CVN 68 - A-7E - WestPac/IO 06-15-89 to 07-09-89 - CVW-9- - CVN 68 - A-7E - NorPac

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Aircraft

February 1956 - - - - - - - - - - Grumman F9F-8 Cougar. February 1956 - - - - - - - - - - Grumman F9F-6 Panther. February 1956 - - - - - - - - - - Grumman F9F-5 Panther. September 1957- - - - - - - - - - North American FJ-4B Fury 5 June 1962 - - - - - - - - - - - Douglas A4D-2N (A-4C) Skyhawk * 18 January 1968 - - - - - - - - - Douglas A4D-2 (A-4B) Skyhawk * June 1968 - - - - - - - - - - - - Chance Vought A-7B Corsair II September 1969- - - - - - - - - - Chance Vought A-7E Corsair II November 1989 - - - - - - - - - - Boeing F/A-18C Hornet * November 30, 1962 A4D-2 Skyhawk designation was changed to A-4B A4D-2N Skyhawk designation was changed to A-4C

A-4 Skyhawk aircraft assigned to this unit

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Commanding Officers

1956 - - - - - - - - - - CDR E. V. Davidson 1957 - - - - - - - - - - CDR J. R. Kincaid 1958 - - - - - - - - - - LCDR W. W. Alldredge 1959 - - - - - - - - - - CDR G. S. Hodgson 1960 - - - - - - - - - - LCDR J. R. Faulk 1961 - - - - - - - - - - CDR R. G. Hanecak 1963 - - - - - - - - - - CDR J. D. Ingram 1963 - - - - - - - - - - CDR E. V. Crangle 1964 - - - - - - - - - - CDR W. H. Harris 1965 - - - - - - - - - - CDR H. B. Loheed 1966 - - - - - - - - - - CDR A. A. Schaufelberger 1967 - - - - - - - - - - CDR R. F. Dunn 1967 - - - - - - - - - - CDR P. E. Johnson 1968 - - - - - - - - - - CDR Ford J. E. Schultz 1969 - - - - - - - - - - CDR Jesse R. Emerson III 1969 - - - - - - - - - - CDR Wayne L. Stephens 1971 - - - - - - - - - - CDR Manual B. Sousa 1971 - - - - - - - - - - CDR John A. Miller 1972 - - - - - - - - - - CDR O. F. Baldwin 1974 - - - - - - - - - - CDR D. K. Tyler 1975 - - - - - - - - - - CDR L. A. Sanders 1976 - - - - - - - - - - CDR R. I. Howson 1977 - - - - - - - - - - CDR Lawrence H. Price 1978 - - - - - - - - - - CDR J. A. Lair 1980 - - - - - - - - - - CDR L. J. Vernon 1981 - - - - - - - - - - CDR W. S. Orr 1982 - - - - - - - - - - CDR M. G. Shaw 1983 - - - - - - - - - - CDR P. C. Campbell 1985 - - - - - - - - - - CDR G. N. Crim, Jr. 1986 - - - - - - - - - - CDR R. E. Arnott 1988 - - - - - - - - - - CDR David C. Kendall 1989 - - - - - - - - - - CDR Phillip H. Mills 1990 - - - - - - - - - - CDR Steven E. Davis 1998 - - - - - - - - - - CDR Stephen Laukaitis 1999 - - - - - - - - - - CDR Cmdr Steve Brennan 2000 - - - - - - - - - - CDR Jeffrey Hansen 2000 - - - - - - - - - - CDR Raymond Hoffman, Executive Officer

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Events

February 1, 1956:
Attack Squadron ONE HUNDRED FORTY-SIX (VA-146) established at Naval Air Station Miramar, California. The squadron was assigned the straight winged F-9F6 Grumman Panther and the swept wing F-9F8 Grumman Cougar.

September 1957:
VA-146 was assigned the FJ-4B North American Fury.

January 17 to 21, 1960:
VA-146 squadron aircraft participated in a coast to coast non-stop cross country flight.

June 1962:
VA-146 was assigned the A-4C (A4D-2N) Douglas Skyhawk.

June 8 through July 13, 1964:
The Blue Diamonds participated in Yankee Team Operations. These operations involved photo reconnaissance missions over Laos. The squadron's A-4C Skyhawks were used to provide tanker and rocket-armed escort support for the photo reconnaissance sorties over Laos and South Vietnam. This type of support was also provided by the squadron during the period August 15 to September 20, 1964.

August 4 & 5, 1964:
Skyhawks from VA-146 flew night sorties in support of Desoto Patrol operations conducted by American destroyers operating in international waters off the coast of North Vietnam. These sorties were the result of attacks conducted against United States Ship Maddox DD 731, by North Vietnamese motor torpedo boats on August 2, 1964. The American destroyer had been collecting signal intelligence in Desoto Patrol operations when this incident occurred.

August 5, 1964:
VA-146 aircraft participated in Operation Pierce Arrow. This operation involved retaliatory air strikes against North Vietnamese torpedo boats and their bases and supporting facilities because of the attacks against the United States Ship Maddox DD 731, and United States Ship Turner Joy DD 951, on August 4 by North Vietnamese motor torpedo boats. VA-146's A-4Cs flew 8 sorties against two installations. They experienced heavy antiaircraft ground fire but none of their aircraft were damaged. The sorties by VA-146 and the other units of CVW-14 against Hon Gay and the torpedo boats operating near Hon Me Island resulted in the sinking or damaging of 8 torpedo boats.

August 5, 1964:
VA-146 was one of the first squadrons to employ the A-4C in combat.

June 25, 1966:
Lt. Francies Hugh Magee, shot down by AAA in BuNo. 149567 and went into the sea near Vinh. Lt. Magee was recovered.

June 29, 1966:
CDR Schaufelberger led a 28 plane strike of VA-146 and other CVW-14 aircraft against the Haiphong POL complex. This was the first American strike against this complex.

September 30, 1967:
CDR Robert F. Dunn was awarded a Silver Star for his actions on this date.

June 1968 VA-146 was assigned the A-7B Chance Vought Corsair II.

June 16, 1969:
While operating on Yankee Station aboard United States Ship Enterprise CVAN 65, the carrier was ordered north to the Sea of Japan in response to an international incident involving the shoot down of a Navy EC-121 by the North Korean Air Force.

April 1970:
The squadron flew across the country to board an east coast based carrier, United States Ship America CVA 66, for an extended combat deployment to Vietnam.

May 1970:
CDR Stephens, along with other pilots from VA-147, flew the newest update version of the A-7 Corsair II, the A-7E, into combat for the first time.

December 1971:
During their second line period on Yankee Station, VA-146 became the first Navy squadron to use the laser-guided bomb (LGB) during combat in Southeast Asia.

May 1972:
The squadron's A-7Es conducted the first night mining missions for the Corsair II E models when they flew combat mining sorties on North Vietnamese rivers.

Feberuary through April 1973:
VA-146 acted as a deterrent force during Operation Endsweep, the sweeping of mines from North Vietnamese waters.

November 1974:
VA-146, as part of the CVW-9 team aboard United States Ship Constellation, operated in the Persian Gulf. This was the first time in 26 years that an American carrier had entered and operated in the Persian Gulf.

March 7, 1979:
United States Ship Constellation and her air wing were ordered to make a high speed transit to the Indian Ocean from the Philippines in response to the conflict between North and South Yemen.

February through October 1980:
VA-146 made the first western Pacific deployment with the new Forward Looking Infrared Radar System (FLIR) installed on the A-7E Corsair II.

1983:
The Blue Diamonds were tasked with fleet introduction of the HARM system. This new missile succeeds Shrike and ARM as the primary antiradiation, defense-suppression air-to-surface missile.
September 1988:
United States Ship Nimitz CVN 68, with VA-146 embarked, operated in the Sea of Japan in support of the Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, Republic of Korea.

July 21, 1989:
Redesignated Strike Fighter Squadron ONE HUNDRED FORTY SIX (VFA-146).

November 18, 1989:
VFA-146 Received the F/A-18C Boeing Hornet

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Awards

AFEM
- 09 Oct 1960 to 12 Oct 1960
- 20 Dec 1961 to 21 Dec 1961
- 28 Feb 1962 to 06 Mar 1962
- 06 Jun 1964 to 13 Jul 1964
- 04 Aug 1964 to 21 Sep 1964
- 29 Oct 1964 to 23 Nov 1964
- 20 Apr 1969 to 11 May 1969
- 24 Sep 1970 to 26 Sep 1970
- 02 Nov 1988 to 05 Dec 1988
MUC
- 26 May 1970 to 08 Nov 1970
- 12 Mar 1979 to 19 Apr 1979
- 17 May 1979 to 31 May 1980
- 21 Jan 1987 to 17 May 1987
NEM
- 12 Mar 1979 to 19 Apr 1979
- 26 Apr 1980 to 04 Aug 1980
- 12 Aug 1980 to 19 Aug 1980
NUC
- 02 Aug 1964 to 05 Aug 1964
- 10 Jan 1966 to 06 Aug 1966
- 18 May 1967 to 26 Nov 1967
PUC
- 22 Oct 1971 to 13 Jun 1972
RVNGC
- 24 Jan 1966
- 26 Jan 1966 to 27 Jan 1966
- 30 Jan 1966
- 04 Feb 1966
- 06 Feb 1966
- 24 Feb 1966
- 26 Feb 1966 to 28 Feb 1966
- 04 Mar 1966
- 06 Mar 1966 to 12 Mar 1966
- 20 Mar 1966
- 27 Apr 1966 to 28 Apr 1966
- 01 May 1967 to 01 Nov 1967
- 31 Mar 1969 to 03 Apr 1969
- 05 Apr 1969
- 31 May 1969 to 16 Jun 1969
- 30 Mar 1972 to 01 Jun 1972
VNSM
- 15 Jan 1966 to 12 Feb 1966
- 23 Feb 1966 to 22 Mar 1966
- 12 Apr 1966 to 09 May 1966
- 30 May 1966 to 30 Jun 1966
- 13 Jul 1966 to 06 Aug 1966
- 08 Jun 1967 to 11 Jun 1967
- 18 Jun 1967 to 25 Jul 1967
- 01 Aug 1967 to 03 Sep 1967
- 25 Sep 1967 to 15 Oct 1967
- 24 Oct 1967 to 12 Nov 1967
- 30 Mar 1969 to 18 Apr 1969
- 22 May 1969 to 24 May 1969
- 29 May 1969 to 17 Jun 1969
- 17 May 1970
- 19 May 1970
- 24 May 1970 to 16 Jun 1970
- 28 Jun 1970 to 13 Jul 1970
- 20 Jul 1970 to 04 Aug 1970
- 24 Aug 1970 to 18 Sep 1970
- 13 Oct 1970 to 08 Nov 1970
- 02 Nov 1971 to 22 Nov 1971
- 29 Nov 1971 to 31 Dec 1971
- 09 Jan 1972 to 03 Feb 1972
- 09 Feb 1972 to 02 Mar 1972
- 13 Mar 1972 to 23 Mar 1972
- 07 Apr 1972 to 18 May 1972
- 24 May 1972 to 25 May 1972
- 31 May 1972 to 13 Jun 1972
- 25 Feb 1973 to 14 Mar 1973
- 19 Mar 1973 to 28 Mar 1973
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Sources:
- Harry S. Gann
- James C. Ritchie
- Al Kaplan
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