page_title: 8th Special Operations Squadron
section_title: Japanese occupation duty
hierarchical_section_title: 8th Special Operations Squadron / History / Japanese occupation duty
caption_attribution_description: English: 8th Bombardment Squadron - A-26 Invaders Japan 1947
context_page_description: The 8th Special Operations Squadron is a squadron of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 1st Special Operations Wing, Air Force Special Operations Command, stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida. The squadron is equipped with the Bell Boeing CV-22 Osprey in support of special operations.
  The 8th is one of the oldest units in the United States Air Force, being organized as the 8th Aero Squadron on 21 June 1917 at Camp Kelly, Texas. The squadron deployed to France and fought on the Western Front during World War I, equipped with United States-built Dayton-Wright DH-4, as reconnaissance aircraft.
  During World War II, the squadron fought in the Southwest Pacific Area with Fifth Air Force as an attack and later North American B-25 Mitchell medium bomber squadron. During the Cold War, it fought in the Korean War with Douglas B-26 Invader medium bombers and Vietnam War as a Martin B-57 Canberra medium bomber and later as an air commando squadron with Cessna A-37 Dragonfly counter-insurgency aircraft.
context_section_description: When peace came the 8th was transferred to the Japanese Home Island of Honshu. The first U.S. personnel from the 3d Group to touch down at Atsugi Airfield on 31 August 1945 were four 3d Group commanders and former commanders, Colonels John P. Henebry, Richard H. Ellis, Charles Howe and Lt Col Stan Kline. The four gunners were Sergeant Cliff Britain, Sergeant Joe Watkins, Staff Sergeant Jim Lynch and Staff Sergeant Sam Hagenbush. They landed at Atsugi Field, Japan on 31 August 1945. They landed in one of the new A-26B Invaders, and the landing was not without controversy as other units claimed the squadron was "grandstanding". The remainder of the group arrived at Atsugi on 8 September.
  By the end of 1945, the last A-20 had been transferred out, and the group became an all A-26 outfit. The wartime personnel strengths declined rapidly as the Army underwent demobilization. By January 1946, the 13th, 89th and 90th Bombardment Squadrons had been reduced to one officer and one enlisted man each. The remaining personnel were concentrated in the 8th Bombardment Squadron. By late March, the personnel situation had improved to the extent that the 90th Bombardment Squadron could be made operational again. On 20 August 1946, the 3d Bomb Group moved to Yokota Air Base, near Tokyo. It considered naming Yokota after its Medal of Honor recipient, Major Raymond Wilkins. However, the name was not accepted.
  On 18 August 1948, the new Air Force organizational configuration was in place, and the 3d Bombardment Wing was activated. In March 1950, the 3d Wing moved to Johnson Air Base to accommodate the 35th Fighter Wing, which took its place at Yokota to perform the air defense mission nearer Tokyo.
caption: 8th Bombardment Squadron – A-26 Invaders formation flying in Japan, 1947
exif: {}