VA-153 (U.S. Navy)

Operational history

• VF-831 was assigned to Carrier Air Group 15, aboard, which was deployed to Korea from 8 September 1951 to 2 May 1952.
• February 1955: Squadron aircraft flew sorties in support of the evacuation of Chinese Nationalists from the Tachen Islands during the First Taiwan Straits Crisis.
• 23 August–9 September 1958: The squadron flew sorties in the Taiwan Straits during the Second Taiwan Straits Crisis.
• January 1961:, with VA-153 embarked, operated in the South China Sea after Pathet Lao forces captured strategic positions in Laos.
• 2 February 1965: The squadron began participating in operations in Laos. These operations involved Yankee Team, Operation Barrel Roll and Operation Steel Tiger missions.
• 7 and 11 February 1965: The squadron participated in Flaming Dart I and II, reprisal strikes against targets in North Vietnam following a Viet Cong attack on the American advisors compound at Pleiku and the American billet in Qui Nhon, South Vietnam.
• March 1965: The squadron participated in Operation Rolling Thunder, the bombing of military targets in North Vietnam.
• 13 August 1965: The squadron’s commanding officer, Commander H. E. Thomas, was killed in action over North Vietnam.
• March 1968:, with VA-153 embarked, operated on station off the coast of Korea following the capture of in January by North Korea.

• 21 November 1970: The squadron flew missions in support of Operation Ivory Coast, an attempt to rescue American prisoners of war at the Son Tay prisoner compound, 20 miles west of Hanoi.
• 11–22 February 1973: Following the ceasefire with North Vietnam the squadron flew combat missions in Laos until a ceasefire was signed with that country on 22 February 1973.
• February 1973: Commander D. R. Weichman, the squadron’s executive officer, completed his 625th combat mission of the Vietnam War. He maintains the record for the highest number of combat missions for a Navy fixed-wing pilot during this conflict.
• November 1973:, with VA-153 embarked, departed from operations in the South China Sea to relieve on station in the Arabian Sea due to the unsettled conditions following the Yom Kippur War.

  Home port assignments

• NAS New York – assigned here prior to the squadron’s recall to active duty on 1 February 1951.
• NAS Alameda – 01 Apr 1951
• NAS Moffett Field – 5 May 1952
• NAS Lemoore – 21 Aug 1961

  Aircraft Assignment

• F6F Hellcat *
• F9F-2 Panther – 06 Feb 1951
• F9F-5 Panther – Aug 1952
• F9F-6 Cougar – Oct 1953
• FJ-3 Fury – Mar 1955
• F9F-8 Cougar – Nov 1955
• F9F-8B Cougar – Apr 1956
• A4D-1 Skyhawk – 12 Feb 1957
• A4D-2 Skyhawk – 27 Oct 1958
• A4D-2N Skyhawk – 20 Jun 1961
• A-4E Skyhawk – Jan 1967
• A-4F Skyhawk – Apr 1968
• A-7A Corsair II – 14 Sep 1969
• A-7B Corsair II – May 1973