It moved to Great Bend Army Air Field, Kansas in December 1943 to begin training.

Conducted numerous attacks against industrial targets in Japan, flying in daylight and at high altitude to carry out these missions.

The group received a Distinguished Unit Citation for striking an aircraft engine plant at Nagoya on 13 December 1944.

[2] Began flying missions at night in March 1945, operating from low altitude to drop incendiaries on area targets in Japan.

In January 1946, the 73d Bombardment Wing and the 498th Group under it was reassigned to the CAF Third Air Force at MacDill Field, Florida.

The unit was redesignated and reactivated as the 498th Tactical Missile Group at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, on 16 September 1960.

The Mace was a third-generation tactical USAF missile, a follow-up of the MGM-1 Matador which had been developed in the late 1940s and early 1950s from the World War II-era Republic-Ford JB-2.

[5] The presence of the nuclear-armed Mace missile on Japanese soil was considered so sensitive that Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara directed in early 1962 that the existence of the TM-76B weapons system on Okinawa "was not to be publicized in any way."

Fearing political maneuvering and protests from Communist sympathizers on Okinawa and in Japan, the 498th TMG was directed to be "identified by initials only."

Air Force Historical Research Agency records give the final formal date of inactivation as 31 December 1969.

Their objective was to deliver all munitions and support to the correct location on time and in prime operating condition.

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency