FIGHTER SQUADRON ONE FIVE FOUR _ VF-154 GRAND SLAMMERS / BLACK KNIGHTS

The roots of VF-154 can be traced back to VBF-718, a Naval Air Reserve squadron which was established at NAS New York on 1 July 1946. The squadron was redesignated VF-68A on 1 February 1947 and VF-837 on 1 December 1949.

The Korean War caused the Navy to recall 42 reserve squadrons by May 1951 with VF-837 being called to ac­tive duty on 1 February 1951. VF-837 made one War cruise aboard the USS Antietam (CV-36) as part of Carrier Air Group Fifteen (CVG-15) and was re­designated VF-154 on 4 February 1953 when CVG-15 and its squadrons were augmented into the regular Na­vy. February 4th. also marked the start of two Korean War deployments aboard the USS Princeton (CVA-37).

While at NAS New York, the squadron flew F6F-5 Hellcats, F4U-4 / FG-1D Corsairs and FH-1 Phantoms. As VF-837, the squadron transitioned to Grumman F9F-2 Panthers for its Antietam deployment and then changed to F9F-5 Panthers for its de­ployments aboard Princeton as VF-154.

VF-154 returned to NAS Moffett Field on 31 February 1955 and transi­tioned to the North American FJ-3 Fury in July. In the spring of 1957 the FJ-3s were replaced by the Chance Vought F8U-1 Crusader. This gave the squadron the distinction of being the first operational Pacific Fleet F8U squadron. VF-154 would fly various models of the Crusader until replaced by the McDonnell F-48 Phantom in November 1965. Various models of the Phantom were flown until Novem­ber 1983 when the Black Knights transitioned to the Grumman F-14A Tomcat.

VF-154's first deployment of the Crusader was to NAAS Fallon, Neva­da, for weapons training. This was followed by the first NAVA1RPAC Sidewinder firings at NAS Miramar. This was followed by another trip to Fallon in September and the Navy's first carrier qualifications by an opera­tional squadron on 18 November 1957. The November carquals were conducted aboard the USS Hancock (CVA-19), and were repeated in December.

Shortly after the arrival of the Crusader, a squadron-wide compet­ition for a more appropriate squadron insignia was announced. The winning design was submitted by LTJG J. Mi­ottel and was forwarded to the Chief of Naval Operations for approval. Ap­proval was granted and the squad­ron's new insignia was released to the press in December 1957. The squad­ron continued to be known as the Grand Slammers until the name Black Knights was added to the top of their insignia in 1963.

VF-154 left its home base at NAS Moffett Field, California, for deploy­ment to Japan aboard the Hancock on 16 February 1958. During this cruise, which ended on 3 October 1958, the F8U would be plagued by teething problems in the form of gear and tail hook failures. Two aircraft were lost on 4 March while the Hancock was oper­ating off of Oahu. LTJG C. F. Ramsey lost one of his landing gears and was killed during his ejection. Then LTJG John Miottel had to take the barricade due to a failed arresting hook. Unfor­tunately the barricade tore off the port landing gear and the aircraft went over the side. Luckily the pilot escaped as it hit the water.

Between March and June, five more mishaps, mainly attributable to gear and hook problems occurred. One of these, on 20 June, was LTJG Miottel taking the barricade for the second time, to become the only Crusader pilot to thus do so. Because of these reoccurring problems, F8U operations were only conducted within bingo field distances. By the time the cruise ended all of VF-154's Crusad­ers had been reworked to eliminate further gear and hook failures.

The squadron redeployed aboard Hancock from 1 August 1959 until 18 January 1960 with the improved F8U-1E. No further gear or hook problems were experienced during this cruise.

VF-154 would deploy four more times with the F-8, all aboard the USS Coral Sea (CVA-43). The first Coral Sea cruise from 19 September 1960 until 27 May 1961 was to Japan. VF-154 F-8s flew air superiority for the task force from NAS Atsugi and from Naha Air Base. After returning home in May, the squadron's home base was transferred to NAS Miramar, Cal­ifornia, in June 1961.

The Coral Sea redeployed from 12 December•1961 until 17 July 1962 and became the first CVA to operate in the Bearing Sea. For this cruise VF-154 flew the updated F8U-2N (F-8D).

VF-154's third Coral Sea cruise was to Sydney, Australia, for partici­pation in the 21st. annual celebration of the Battle of the Coral Sea. This deployment lasted from 3 April 1963 until 25 November 1963.

The fourth Coral Sea deployment started on the 23rd. anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack, on 7 December 1964. VF-154, commanded by CDR Henry Glindeman Jr. was beginning their first Vietnam War WESTPAC cruise. Once on station, the Coral Sea joined TF-77 with the Hancock and the Ranger.

The F-8Ds would first see combat on 7 February 1965, the day after guerrillas attacked American bases in South Vietnam. The retaliatory air strikes took place against the Dong Bpi military barracks. This attack was the start of nine months of non-stop combat operations for the squadron and marked the squadron's loss of its first aircraft in combat. LCDR R. W. Scumaker ejected from his flak riddled F-8D only to be interned until 1973.

Five more aircraft were lost by the Black Knights before suspending combat operations on 14 October 1965. On 26 March LT C. E. Wange­man Jr. ejected from his damaged F-8 and was recovered uninjured after at­tacking the Bach Long radar site. Bach Long claimed two more aircraft on 29 March. LCDR K. E. Hume was killed and CDR Donnelly ejected and spent 45 hours in the shark-infested waters off Bang Long Island before being rescued. Then LT D. A. Kardell was killed while strafing trucks in North Vietnam on 9 May. The squad­ron's last mission was flown against their first target, the barracks at Dong Hoi, and LT J. A. Terhune was forced to eject over the Gulf of Tonkin where he was rescued.

For the squadron's first Vietnam cruise and its last F-8 cruise, VF-154 was awarded the Armed Forces Ex­peditionary Medal and the Navy Unit Commendation Medal. Individual per­sonnel were awarded one Silver Star, three Distinguished Flying Crosses and a 120 Air Medals. VF-154 would go on to fly six more combat cruises, five aboard Coral Sea and one aboard Ranger, and all with F-4 Phantoms. In 1983 the Grumman F-14A Tomcat re­placed the Phantom.

Black Knight insignia designed by LTJG John Miottel and drawn by Milton Caniff, creator of Steve Canyon, is dis¬cussed by (left to right) LTJG John Miottel, LCDR R. B. Baldwin, and LTJG Carl Madsen. (via Miotell) VF-154 flight-line at Moffett in 1957, pilot is in a full pressure suit. (via John Miottel)


VF-154 F8U-1 Crusaders at NAAS Fal¬lon in September 1957. Only two of the aircraft were wearing the squadron's distinctive orange lighting bolts. (John Miottel)


VF-154 F8U-1 143720 in 1957. The light-ing bolts on the fuselage and the tail were orange bordered by black. The landing gear on the early F8Us were natural metal. (Geoge Thomas via Clay Jansson)


VF-154, FIRST FLEET OPER-ATIONAL CRU-SADER SQUA-DRON TO CAR-RIER QUALIFY.


VF-154 F8U-1 launch-es from the USS Hancock (CVA-19) on 11-25-57. The steam catapult has just been fired. (USN)



VF-154 F8U-1 143697 during carrier qualifi¬cations in November 1957. Landing gear is natural metal. (Na¬tional Archives)



VF-154 F8U-1 143689 aboard Hancock in November 1957. No-tice the speed brake was slightly open. (National Archives)


Flight of five VF-154 F8U-1s; 143779 (#401), 143798 (#408), 143801 (#411), 143773 (#402), and 143795 (#406). No-tice the bottom two are carrying Sidewinders. (via Barry Miller)



VF-154 F8U-1 143793 on 2 January 1959. Unlike the squadron's first F8U-1s, this aircraft has been delivered with the aerial refueling package as ev-idenced by the bulge above the guns. The colorful orange lighting bolts were eliminated after the 1958 cruise. (USN)


VF-154 F8U-1E (F-8B) 145466 flies over the flight deck of the USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) on 3-6-61. (USN)




VF-154 F8U-1E 145524 taxing at NAS Moffett Field on 5-16-59_ The colorful orange lighting bolts have been re-placed with a thin orange stripe below the black fin cap. (William T. Larkins)


Air Wing 15 in review, with VAH-4 Skyraider, VF-151 Demon, VA-152 Skyraider, VA-153 and VA-155 Skyhawks, and VF-154's
F8U-1E (145516) Crusader. (USN via Stan Wyckoff)


VF-154 F8U-2N 148673 (#413) flies 148676's (#414) wing while
inverted during a flight over the Philippines in January 1962
while deployed aboard the USS Coral Sea (CVA-43). (USN)



VF-154 F8U-2Ns (F-8Ds) 148651 (#401) and 148654 (#404)
preparing to refuel from two VA-155 Skyhawks while over the
Pacific in May 1962. (USN)



VF-154 F-8D 148673 at NAS Miramar on 9-12-64 with the Black Knight insignia on the tail. The ventral fin was bor-dered by orange. (Swisher)


Knight F-BD 147899 over the Gulf of Tonkin as 148670 flies chase on 8 November 1965. Aircraft were armed with the double Zuni rocket tubes on the upper missile rail and a single Sidewinder on the lower rail. (USN)




VF-154 F-BD 148678 over NAS Atsugi on 19 September 1963. The name CDR W. R. ELLIS was painted below the canopy rail. The thin orange tail stripe is clearly visible above the rudder. (T. Matsuzaki)



VF-154 F-8D 148649 at NAS Miramar on 1-19-63. The pilots name LT JO T. G. HENDER¬SON was painted below the canopy rail. The letters WBJS (Worlds Best Jet Squadron) were painted in black on the raised wing's red bulkhead. (Clay Jansson)