VSF-3 Chessmen Patch Handle Heritage Home Ports Air Wings Deployments Aircraft Unit C.O.s Events Awards Squadron Photograph Album Squadron Off-Duty Album (empty) This page is dedicated posthumously to LT Fredrick Morrison Kasch, USN. VSF-3 Naval Aviator. Please read about him below. The Squadron Duty Officer (SDO), is the unit's contact point. They maintain unit rosters, help old friends link up, coordinate with unit reunions, and gather unit information. The SDO List. The Association is particularly interested in your Skyhawk related information and photos, but will gladly accept information about all eras of the unit. e-Mail the Association Webmaster. AND we welcome "anyone with an interest" in the Skyhawk to JOIN The Skyhawk Association. "Boom" Powell. Made by "Boom" Powell. Patch No info to date Back to Table of Contents Handle Officially it was Chessmen, but not normally used within the unit. Back to Table of Contents Heritage 1 July 1966: VSF-3 established. 9 Feb. 1968: VSF-3 disestablished. Back to Table of Contents Home Ports 01 OCT 1944: Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. Back to Table of Contents Air Wings 1967: AK - USS Intrepid CVS-22 Back to Table of Contents Deployments 11 May 1967 to 30 Dec. 1967 Westpac on USS Intrepid CVS-22 Back to Table of Contents Aircraft 1 Jul 1966: Douglas A4D-2 (A-4B) Skyhawk * * November 30, 1962 The A4D-2 designation was changed to A-4B A-4 Skyhawk aircraft assigned to this unit Back to Table of Contents Commanding Officers CDR Lesli C. Hofto Back to Table of Contents Events The Anti-Submarine Fighter Squadron concept was to have a large squadron that provided a detachment to each CVS (anti-submarine warfare) aircraft carrier. The VSF detachment was to be responsible for CAP (Combat Air Patrol) over the CVS carrier. The VSF detachment was also responsible for the light attack mission and on occasion to pass gas, because war in vietnam expanded fighter concept was scrapped and VSF detachments took the regular attack mission. 1 July 1966: VSF-3 WAS COMMISSIONED. Anti-Submarine Fighter Squadron One -- VSF-1 was split in half: One half remained as VSF-1 and deployed on the United States Ship Shangri-La -- CVS-38 to the Mediterranean. The other half was called VSF-1 Det Alameda -- and VSF-1 Det Alameda was then renamed VSF-3 Chessmen. Cdr. Leslie C. Hofto, USN - - - - - - - Cdr. G. E. LeBlanc Jr. USN Commanding Officer - - - - - - - - - - - - Executive Officer VSF-3 deployed to WestPac on the USS Intrepid CVS-11, on 11 May 1967, and returned to the United States on 30 December 1967. The combat line periods were: 21 June 1967 to 13 July 1967. 30 July 1967 to 27 August 1967. 15 September 1967 to 12 October 1967. 1 November 1967 to 23 November 1967. 2 July 1967, Lieutenant Junior Grade F. M. Kasch flying an A-4B Skyhawk was killed in action. 3 October 1967, Lieutenant Junior Grade A. D. Perkins in an A-4B Skyhawk, AK-102, BuNo 142114, was lost to AAA in North Vietnam. Lieutenant Junior Grade Perkins was recovered. Photograph from John W. Hays 9 February 1968: VSF-3 Chessmen were disbanded. Assets and some personel were transfered to the VA-152 Fighting Aces. Back to Table of Contents Awards No info yet Back to Table of Contents This Skyhawk Association website is dedicated to: AIR MEDAL On Tuesday, July 2, 1967, Lieutenant Fredrick Morrison Kasch was flying a Douglas A-4B Skyhawk, AK-112, bureau number 145002, from the USS Intrepid (CVS-11) carrier on Yankee Station. Lieutenant Kasch was killed after being hit by AAA fire while attacking a target in North Vietnam. Photograph from Jacki Lomangino Lieutenant Kasch was 26 years old at the time of his death. Fredrick's remains were repatriated in 1989 and he rests in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego California. Photograph from John W. Hays Lieutenant Fredrick Morrison Kasch is remembered on "The Wall" panel 22E, line 106. Sources Bud Southworth John W. Hays "Boom" Powell Return To The Navy Units Page