Fighter Squadron 62 (FITRON 62)

VF-62 ‘Gladiators’

 

vf-62 gladiators crest insignia patch badge fighter squadron us navy

fighter squadron vf-62 gladiators bearcat banshee us navy

 

STATUS:

established as VBF-17 on January 2, 1945

VBF-17 redesignated VF-6B on November 15, 1946

VF-6B redesignated VF-62 on July 28, 1948

VF-62 redesignated VA-106 on July 1, 1955

AIRCRAFT:

Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat (1948-50)

McDonnell F2H-2 Banshee (1951-55)

 

 

DEPLOYMENTS:

October 1948 - November 1948 with CVG-6 aboard USS Midway (CVB 41)

October 1949 - November 1949 with CVG-6 aboard USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB 42)

May 1951 - October 1951 with CVG-4 aboard USS Oriskany (CV 34)

April 1952 - October 1952 with CVG-4 aboard USS Coral Sea (CVB 43)

April 1953 - December 1953 with CVG-4 aboard USS Lake Champlain (CVA 39)

July 1954 - December 1954 with CVG-10 aboard USS Coral Sea (CVA 43)

 

images

 

fighter squadron vf-62 gladiators f2h-2 banshee carrier air group cvg-4 uss lake champlain cva 39

F2H-2 Banshee (VF-62 / CVG-4) embarked on USS Lake Champlain (CVA 39) - 1953 (courtesy of the National Naval Aviation Museum)

 

vf-62 gladiators fighter squadron f2h-2 banshee cvg-4 uss lake champlain cva 39

F2H-2 Banshee (VF-62 / CVG-4) embarked on USS Lake Champlain (CVA 39) - 1953 (courtesy of the National Naval Aviation Museum)

 

fighter squadron vf-62 gladiators mcdonnell f2h-2 banshee cvg-4 uss wasp cv 18

An U.S. Navy McDonnell F2H-2 Banshee (BuNo 125019) of Fighter Squadron 62 (VF-62) "Gladiators" from the aircraft carrier USS Coral Sea (CVB-43)

after it had landed aboard USS Wasp (CV-18) in 1952. VF-62 was assigned to Carrier Air Group 4 (CVG-4) aboard the Coral Sea for adeployment to the

Mediterranean Sea from 19 April to 12 October 1952. It was common practice to paint a visiting aircraft with comments: "VF-62 Guard Mail Original Coral Sea First";

"Fouled up"; "Must be Air Force"; "Airman Adams reporting sir"; "I wanna be a Ubangi" (referring to VF-12 "Flying Ubangis" on Wasp);

"From Heaven to Coral Sea via Stinger", "You name it - you land on it". - (courtesy of the National Naval Aviation Museum)

 

 

history

The unit began as Bomber-Fighter Squadron 17 (VBF-17) at Agana Air Field, Guam on January 11, 1945. One month later, flying F6F-5 Hellcats, VBF-17 embarked onboard USS HORNET (CV 12) to participate in combat operations against the Japanese. Operations included strikes against Tokyo, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa as well as the first major air strikes against the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku.


In late 1946 the squadron moved to NAS Norfolk, VA, was redesignated as Fighter Squadron Six Baker (VF-6B) and began flying the F4U-4 Corsair.

 

Redesignated again in July 1948 as Fighter Squadron 62 (VF-62), the squadron transitioned to F8F Bearcat aircraft. In August 1950 the squadron received F2H Banshee aircraft and moved to NAS Cecil Field, FL. VF-62 officially became the “Gladiators” on April 16, 1952. Combat action in the Korean Conflict came in 1953 from the USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN (CVA-39) when the Gladiators were tasked with striking key bridges on the Korean mainland.

 

 

Nickname: unknown: 1945-1952. Gladiators: 1952-1969

 

patches

 

 

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