352d Tactical Fighter Squadron

The 352d Tactical Fighter Squadron was deployed and permanently reassigned to the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing at Phan Rang Air Base, South Vietnam on 15 August 1966. On 10 October it was decided to transfer the F-4 equipped squadrons at Phan Rang to Da Nang Air Base, and move the F-100 equipped squadrons at Da Nang to Phan Rang.

The 366th TFW was reassigned w/o personnel or equipment to Da Nang and the 35th Tactical Fighter Wing was reassigned from Da Nang to Phan Rang.

The deployed F-100 squadrons at Phan Rang were:

• 120 Tactical Fighter (F-100C/F) (Tail Code: VS)
• 352 Tactical Fighter (F-100D/F) (Tail Code: VM)
• 612 Tactical Fighter (F-100D/F) (Tail Code: VS)
• 614 Tactical Fighter (F-100D/F) (Tail Code: VP)
• 615 Tactical Fighter (F-100D/F) (Tail Code: VZ)

The 120 TFS deployed from the Colorado Air National Guard in April 1967, remaining until April 1969. With its personnel returning to CONUS, the squadron was redesignated the 612 TFS. The 614 and 615 TFS were deployed squadrons from the 401 TFW at England Air Force Base Louisiana and were reassigned to Phan Rang from Da Nang in October 1966.

Missions carried out by the squadrons included air support of ground forces, interdiction, visual and armed reconnaissance, escort, close and direct air support, and rapid reaction alert.

During the Cambodian incursion of April 1970, the 352d struck enemy bases and supply caches in the Parrot’s Beak area just inside the Cambodian border during April and May. The 352d also provided close air support and interdiction in support of South Vietnamese operations in Laos and Cambodia during January through June 1971.

In April 1971, the 352 TFS began phasing down for inactivation and flew its last combat mission on 26 June 1971. The 612, 614 and 615 TFSs were deactivated in place on 31 July 1971 and were reassigned back to the 401st Tactical Fighter Wing, now assigned to Torrejon Air Force Base Spain. However, the 352 TFS was deactivated permanently, along with the 35th TFW on 31 July 1971 as part of the American drawdown in Vietnam.

On 15 May 1972, the provisional 4554th Tactical Fighter Replacement Squadron, 354th Tactical Fighter Wing at Myrtle Beach AFB was activated with A-7D Corsair II aircraft as a LIFT training squadron. Although not part of the lineage and history of the 352d TFS, the 4554th TFRS used the markings of the inactivated 352d TFS on its A-7Ds until its inactivation in October 1975, its aircraft being reassigned to the Air National Guard when the 354th was being re-equipped with A-10 Thunderbolt IIs.