VA-76, VC-4, VP-66

• Attack Squadron 76 (VA-76) – "Spirits": • 1. Vietnam War Service: VA-76 was heavily involved in the Vietnam War, flying A-4 Skyhawks from aircraft carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin and taking part in numerous combat sorties. • 2. USS Forrestal Fire: VA-76 lost several aircraft during the tragic fire aboard USS Forrestal (CV-59) in July 1967, one of the worst naval disasters in US history. • 3. MiG-21 Kill: On October 6, 1972, a VA-76 pilot, Lt. Clyde E. Lassen, shot down a North Vietnamese MiG-21 with an unguided Zuni rocket, one of the few MiG kills by an A-4 and the only A-4 MiG kill in US Navy history. • 4. Decommissioning: VA-76 was disestablished in October 1969, after almost 14 years of service, reflecting the drawdown after Vietnam. • 5. Nickname Origin: The squadron was known as the “Spirits,” a name reflected in their squadron insignia, which featured a ghostly figure. • Composite Squadron Four (VC-4): • 6. Night Fighter Pioneers: VC-4 was the US Navy’s first night fighter squadron, established in 1943, flying the F6F-5N Hellcat and later F7F Tigercat and F4U Corsair night fighters. • 7. WWII Atlantic Patrols: The squadron played a key role in protecting Atlantic convoys from German U-boats and aircraft at night during World War II. • 8. Carrier Operations: VC-4 was among the first to perform carrier-based night operations, testing and refining tactics for night landings and combat. • 9. Korean War Deployments: VC-4 deployed on several aircraft carriers during the Korean War, providing night combat air patrol and interdiction missions. • 10. Legacy: VC-4 was redesignated as VF(N)-41 and later as VF-41, continuing its lineage as a fighter squadron with a proud heritage in night operations. • Patrol Squadron 66 (VP-66) – "Liberty Bells": • 11. Naval Reserve Squadron: Established in 1970, VP-66 was a US Navy Reserve patrol squadron known as the “Liberty Bells,” flying P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft. • 12. Cold War Patrols: VP-66 conducted anti-submarine warfare (ASW) patrols in the Atlantic and Mediterranean, monitoring Soviet submarine activity throughout the Cold War. • 13. Drug Interdiction: In the 1980s and 1990s, VP-66 participated in drug interdiction missions in the Caribbean, supporting law enforcement agencies. • 14. Operation Desert Storm: VP-66 contributed combat aircrews and aircraft to support maritime surveillance during Operation Desert Storm in 1991. • 15. Disestablishment: The squadron was disbanded in 2006 as part of a reorganization of Naval Air Reserve patrol squadrons, ending over 35 years of service.