137th Airlift Squadron
The 137th Airlift Squadron is a unit of the New York Air National Guard 105th Airlift Wing located at Stewart Air National Guard Base, Newburgh, New York. It was first activated during World War II as the 483rd Bombardment Squadron. After converting to fighter aircraft as the 504th Fighter-Bomber Squadron, the squadron deployed to the European Theater of Operations, where it participated in combat, earning a Distinguished Unit Citation and destroying 52 enemy aircraft in air to air combat. Following V-E Day, it returned to the United States, where it was inactivated in November 1945.
In 1946, it was allotted to the National Guard and in 1948 was activated in the New York Air National Guard as the 137th Fighter Squadron it continued in the fighter role until 1961, when the 137th Tactical Fighter Squadron was replaced by the 137th Aeromedical Transport Squadron. It flew transport and aeromedical evacuation missions until 1969, when the 137th Military Airlift Squadron was replaced by the 137th Tactical Air Support Squadron which trained as a forward air control unit until 1983, when it moved from Westchester County Airport to Stewart and resumed the airlift mission.
Mission
The squadron operates the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III strategic airlift cargo plane from Stewart Air National Guard Base. The squadron's airmen regularly fly missions providing support to U.S. forces worldwide. Squadron members also deploy as members of air expeditionary wings into operational areas throughout the world. As members of the New York Air National Guard, airmen of the squadron respond to state emergencies when called upon by the Governor of New York.History
World War II
Organization and training
The first predecessor of the squadron was formed in August 1942 as the 483rd Bombardment Squadron at Hunter Field, Georgia, as one of the original four squadrons of the 339th Bombardment Group. It was equipped with Douglas A-24 Banshee dive bombers, and also flew a few Curtiss A-25 Shrikes. In July 1943, it moved to Walterboro Army Air Field, South Carolina, where it re-equipped with Bell P-39 Airacobras. The following month, along with all other single engine bomber units of the Army Air Forces, it was redesignated as a fighter-bomber unit, becoming the 504th Fighter-Bomber Squadron. It moved to Rice Army Air Field, California in September 1943, where in addition to training with its P-39s, it participated in maneuvers. It departed Rice for the European Theater of Operations on 9 March 1944, sailing from the New York Port of Embarkation on the on 22 March.Combat in the European Theater
The squadron landed in England on 4 April and arrived at its combat station, RAF Fowlmere, the next day. Its first airplane arrived on 12 April, a North American P-51B Mustang. It quickly converted to the new fighter, and flew its first combat mission, a fighter sweep, on 30 April. In May, it dropped the "Bomber" from its name, becoming the 504th Fighter Squadron. It flew escort for Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and Consolidated B-24 Liberator heavy bombers during its first five weeks of operations, and afterwards flew escort missions to cover operations of medium and heavy bombers that struck strategic objectives, interdicted enemy lines of communication, and provided air support for ground forces. In June 1954, it began to receive updated P-51D models of the Mustang. The 339th Group was also the first VII Fighter Command unit to be equipped with g-suits, which enabled its fighters to make tighter turns in dogfights.On D-Day It provided fighter cover over the English Channel and the coast of Normandy for the landing forces. It strafed and dive bombed vehicles, locomotives, marshaling yards, flak batteries, and troops while Allied forces fought to break out of the beachhead in France. It attacked transportation targets during Operation Cobra, the July breakout at Saint Lo, and the subsequent Allied drive across France. It flew area patrols during Operation Market-Garden, the airborne landings attempting to secure a bridgehead across the Rhine in the Netherlands in September.
The squadron frequently strafed airfields and other targets of opportunity while on escort missions. It was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation for its actions on escort missions on 10 and 11 September 1944. On the first day, after escorting bombers attacking a target in Germany, it attacked Erding Airfield, destroying or damaging enemy aircraft despite intense fire from antiaircraft guns and small arms. The following day it escorted a formation of bombers attacking Munich that was attacked by enemy interceptor aircraft, in the strongest defense put up by Luftflotte Reich since May. The squadron shot down fifteen enemy fighters and drove off the remaining attacking aircraft, while other elements attacked an airfield near Karlsruhe, encountering heavy fire, but damaging or destroying numerous aircraft parked on the field.
The squadron escorted bombers to, and flew patrols over the battle area during the Battle of the Bulge, the German counterattack in the Ardennes in December 1944 through early January 1945. In March 1945 it supported Operation Varsity, the assault across the Rhine in Germany, patrolling the area to prevent German air attacks. It flew its last combat mission on 21 April 1945. The squadron was credited with 52 air to air victories during its year in combat.
In August and September 1945, the squadron transferred its planes to depots and many of its personnel were reassigned. The remaining squadron members left the theater in September, preceding the remainder of the 339th Group, which sailed on the in October. It was briefly stationed at Drew Field once again before inactivating on 7 November 1945.
New York Air National Guard
Fighter operations
The 504th Squadron was redesignated the 137th Fighter Squadron and was allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946. It was organized at Westchester County Airport, White Plains, New York, and was extended federal recognition on 24 June 1948. The squadron was equipped with Republic F-47D Thunderbolts and was assigned to the 107th Fighter Group at Niagara Falls Municipal Airport, when the group was organized in December. The mission of the 137th Fighter Squadron was to train and equip to be capable of immediate mobilization to perform its Federal mission and to function efficiently when called on by the State of New York to preserve peace, order and public safety..Although most Air National Guard units were called to active duty for the Korean War, the 137th retained the air defense mission. In 1951, its Thunderbolts were replaced by F-51H Mustangs, capable of extended flights over all of New York State. In November of 1951, Eastern Air Defense Force implemented a plan under which a "scramble line" was installed to the squadron that would permit the squadron to be mobilized and ordered into combat within four hours. The following year, the squadron became the 137th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron without a change in mission.
In 1954, the Mustang was ending its service life and Air Defense Command was re-equipping its fighter-interceptor squadrons with jet aircraft. The 137th received Lockheed F-94B Starfires, however the F-94 required a two-man aircrew a pilot and an observer to operate its radar equipment. The additional recruitment of guardsmen led to the units having a manning and capabilities problem. It was not until 1955 that a regular flow of graduates from the radar observer school began. In October 1954, the squadron began augmenting the Regular Air Force, maintaining a Starfire on alert from dawn to dusk daily.
In 1956, the 107th Fighter-Interceptor Wing was reorganized and redesignated the 107th Air Defense Wing. In this reorganization, the 105th Fighter Group was established as the 137th's new headquarters. The group included the 137th as the group's operational squadron and included units to support the 137th The North American F-86H Sabre replaced the F-94B Starfires in 1957.
In 1958, the squadron became the 137th Tactical Fighter Squadron and changed from its ADC mission to being gained by Tactical Air Command . The new assignment involved a change in the group's training mission to include high-altitude interception, air-to-ground rocketry, ground strafing and tactical bombing. It also won the Governor's Air Trophy as the best tactical unit in the state.
Airlift operations
The 105th Tactical Fighter Group was inactivated on 1 February 1961 with the 137th being redesignated the 137th Aeromedical Transport Squadron and transferred to the 106th Aeromedical Transport Group as Military Air Transport Service became its wartime gaining command. The 137th converted to flying the Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar. The squadron airlifted critically injured and sick personnel until late 1963.With air transportation recognized as a critical need, the squadron was redesignated the 137th Air Transport Squadron , Heavy on 1 December 1963 and equipped with Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter heavy transports, although the aeromedical flight remained as a secondary mission. With the mission change, the squadron returned to the control of the 105th Air Transport Group. With the C-97s, the 137th augmented MATS airlift capability worldwide in support of the Air Force's needs, flying missions weekly. In the spring of 1964, it airlifted men and materiel to and from the maneuver areas for Operation Desert Strike, which was the second largest military exercise since World War II, involving over 100,000 service members. The squadron also airlifted members of the National Guard to and from their annual training sites, which previously had to be done by ground transport or commercial air. It also flew scheduled MATS transport missions to Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and South America. On 1 January 1966, MATS became Military Airlift Command and the 137th was redesignated as the 137th Military Airlift Squadron.
In 1966, the squadron began operations to and from bases in South Vietnam. During calendar year 1967, in addition to the Southeast Asia flights which continued throughout the year until September, the squadron flew missions to South America, Africa, Australia, Asia and Europe in support of MAC and the Joint Chiefs of Staff airlift missions. The overseas flights also were in addition to a variety of airlift missions flown within the continental United States to include Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico carrying personnel of the active military, Reserve and National Guard units to and from training sites and a continuing series of joint exercises.