356th Tactical Fighter Squadron The 356th Tactical Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force fighter squadron . Its last assignment was with the 354th Fighter Wing , being stationed at Myrtle Beach AFB , South Carolina . It was inactivated on June 12 , 1992 . History . World War II . Activated on November 15 , 1942 at Hamilton Field , California , initially equipped with P - 39 Aircobra s and assigned to IV Fighter Command for training . Moved to several bases in California and Nevada then to Portland Army Air Base , Oregon in June 1943 and re - equipped with new P - 51B Mustang s . Transitioned to the Mustang throughout the summer of 1943 the deployed to the European Theater of Operations ( ETO ) , being assigned to IX Fighter Command in England . In late 1943 , the strategic bombardment campaign over Occupied Europe and Nazi Germany being conducted by VIII Bomber Command was taking heavy losses in aircraft and flight crews as the VIII Fighter Command ' s P - 38 Lightning s and P - 47 Thunderbolt s lacked the range to escort the heavy B - 17 Flying Fortress and B - 24 Liberator bombers deep into Germany to attack industrial and military targets . The P - 51 had the range to perform the escort duties and the unit ' s operational control was transferred to Headquarters , Eighth Air Force to perform escort missions . From its base at RAF Boxted , the unit flew long - range strategic escort missions with VIII Bomber Command groups , escorting the heavy bombers to targets such as Frankfurt , Leipzig , Augsburg , and Schweinfurt , engaging Luftwaffe day interceptors frequently , with the P - 51s outperforming the German Me - 109 and Fw - 190 interceptors , causing heavy losses to the Luftwaffe . Remained under operational control of Eighth Air Force until April 1944 , when sufficient numbers of P - 51D Mustangs and arrived from the United States and were assigned to VIII Fighter Command units for escort duty . Was relieved from escort duty and was re - equipped with P - 47D Thunderbolt s , and reassigned to RAF Lashenden on the southern coast of England . Mission was redefined to provide tactical air support for the forthcoming invasion of France , to support the Third , and later Ninth United States Armies . Flew fighter sweeps over Normandy and along the English Channel coast of France and the Low Countries , April – June 1944 , then engaged in heavy tactical bombing of enemy military targets as well as roads , railroads and bridges in the Normandy area to support ground forces in the immediate aftermath of D - Day . Moved to Advanced Landing Ground s in France beginning at the end of June , 1944 , moving eastwards to combat airfields and liberated French airports supporting Allied Ground forces as the advanced across Northern France . Later , in 1944 , the squadron became involved in dive - bombing and strafing missions , striking railroad yards , bridges , troop concentrations , and airfields . Participated in attacks on German forces in Belgium in the aftermath of the Battle of the Bulge , then moved eastward as part of the Western Allied invasion of Germany . The squadron flew its last mission of the war on May 7 , 1945 from the captured Luftwaffe airfield at Ansbach ( R - 45 ) . Remained in Occupied Germany as part of the United States Air Forces in Europe XII Tactical Air Command occupying force after the German Capitulation , being stationed at AAF Station Herzogenaurach . Was inactivated on March 31 , 1946 . Cold War . Reactivated by Tactical Air Command , United States Air Force on 19 November 1956 , being assigned to the reactivated 354th Fighter - Day Group at the new Myrtle Beach Air Force Base , South Carolina . Equipped with North American F - 100 Super Sabre fighters , the squadron participated in exercises , operations , tests , and firepower demonstrations conducted by the Tactical Air Command within the US and abroad . The unit frequently deployed to Aviano Air Base , Italy and Wheelus Air Base , Libya . Was deployed to Europe during the 1958 Lebanon crisis and was moved to McCoy AFB , Florida in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis . Korean duty . During the Vietnam War , the unit was deployed to Misawa Air Base , Japan on March 16 , 1965 . At Misawa , it was assigned to the 39th Air Division , whose mission was to support Misawa , Taegu Air Base and Kunsan Air Base in South Korea which all had just been reactivated . From Misawa , aircraft and personnel of the 356th rotated six F - 100D aircraft every ten days to Kunsan and Taegu performing Nuclear alert duty . The 356th was on a TDY status to Misawa AB until August 13 , 1965 when it was permanently reassigned to the 39th AD . In August 1967 , the F - 100 ' s were sent to Vietnam as replacement aircraft and the 356 TFS converted to the F - 4 Phantom II . On January 15 , 1968 , the 475th Tactical Fighter Wing was activated at Misawa and took over as host unit from the 39th Air Division . On January 23 , 1968 , as a response to the capture by the North Koreans of the USS " Pueblo " , the 356 TFS was immediately dispatched to Kunsan . For a week , the 356 TFS was the only deterrent at Kunsan until the 4th Tactical Fighter Wing was deployed from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base , NC and took over alert duties . When the 354 TFW became the permanent host unit at Kunsan AB in July 1968 , the 356th was NOT assigned to its 354th TFW host unit at Myrtle Beach AFB . At Kunsan , the 356 TFS was part of Detachment 1 , 475th Tactical Fighter Wing , which was a separate operating unit . On March 15 , 1971 , the 3d Tactical Fighter Wing replaced the 475 TFW at Misawa and absorbed its assets . The 356 TFS was inactivated and the squadron was reassigned back to the 354 TFW at Myrtle Beach AFB . Post - Vietnam era . Returning to Myrtle Beach AFB in 1971 , the unit was re - equipped with A - 7D Corsair II fighter - bombers . From 1971 - 1977 the squadron remained at Myrtle Beach AFB and became a LIFT Training Squadron , not being on operational deployment status , supporting the 353d and 355th Tactical Fighter Squadrons which were deployed to Thailand for combat operations , 1972 – 1974 , and to NATO bases in Germany ( 1975 – 1976 ) . Frequently interchanged personnel with the provisional 4554th Tactical Fighter Training Squadron assigned to the 354th at Myrtle Beach . The 356th Tactical Fighter Squadron was re - equipped with the Republic A - 10 Thunderbolt II in 1977 , and on July 1 , 1977 was the first squadron in the USAF to be declared operationally ready with the A - 10 . The unit deployed to King Fahd International Airport , Saudi Arabia 15 August 1990 . During Desert Storm , the squadron engaged in combat operations , January – February 1991 , inflicting heavy damage to enemy armor and artillery emplacements , cut off enemy supply lines , and engaged in search and rescue operations . Returned to the United States in March 1991 , and returned to peacetime training operations . Immediately began phasing down with the designated BRAC 1990 closure of Myrtle Beach AFB and the pending inactivation of its host Wing . The squadron ' s aircraft were dispersed , being reassigned to Air National Guard and other active Air Force Fighter Squadrons throughout the balance of 1991 and early 1992 . The squadron was inactivated June 10 , 1992 . Survivor . Aircraft number 56 - 3417 , F - 100D - 86 - NA ( formerly F - 100D - 85 - NH ) , with " High Wire " Mods , is on display at Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum , Denver , Colorado . It was restored with USAF Museum approval from its GF - 100D paint scheme , plain aluminum paint with the " O - " on its tail , to its original " Green Demons " colors .