72nd Fighter Squadron

Suffered tremendous casualties and aircraft losses at Wheeler Field during the Pearl Harbor Attack.

Re-equipped and used as Seventh Air Force training unit; also flew reconnaissance patrols over Hawaii until late 1943.

Deployed to Central Pacific as part of Seventh Air Force island hopping campaign against Japanese in late 1943.

Flew combat missions from Makin Island using P-39 Airacobra fighters until April 1944, returning to Hawaii and being re-equipped and trained with long-range P-51 Mustangs.

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

72nd TFTS F-16B Block 10B Fighting Falcon 80-0623
72nd TFS F-100D 55-3610 at Clark AB, 1958
72nd Fighter Squadron P-51D Mustang, North Field, Iwo Jima, 1945.