97th fighter interceptor squadron

The 97th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was a unit of the United States Air Force, originally activated in 1942 during World War II. Initially flying P-38 Lightnings and later P-51 Mustangs, the squadron participated in air defense and escort missions in the European Theater. Reactivated during the Cold War, the unit was assigned to air defense duties in the continental United States, operating aircraft such as the F-86 Sabre and F-102 Delta Dagger. The squadron was ultimately inactivated in 1968 as part of the drawdown of Air Defense Command forces.