MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan -- (Last in a series of twelve)
Since World War II, the historic mission of Misawa Air Base has been the defense of Northern Japan and the collection of intelligence. In order to accomplish Misawa's defensive mission, both the Japan and the U.S. have stationed fighter aircraft at the air base. Here are a few of the important March anniversaries related to Misawa's fighters:
March 1, 1952: The U.S. Air Force established the 39th Air Division at Misawa Air Base with the mission of providing command and control of all aircraft assigned to the air defense of Northern Japan. The Air Division remained in place until January 15, 1968, and was Japan and the U.S.'s first line of defense against Soviet aggression in the Pacific.
March 31, 1978: The Japan Air Self-Defense Force's 3rd Air Wing headquarters relocated to Misawa Air Base from Matsushima Air Base with the 3rd and 8th Fighter Squadrons. The relocation was in part an effort to compensate for the departure of the U.S.'s Pacific Air Forces from Misawa in 1972 and the simultaneous removal of U.S. fighter assets.
March 18, 1979: The first Cope Eagle exercise took place on Misawa Air Base. It involved four F-15A Eagles from the 27th Fighter Squadron, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, and a variety of JASDF aircraft including two F-4EJs and two F-104Js from Chitose, and two F-1s and two F-86s from Misawa's 3rd Air Wing.
March 21, 2003: Misawa Air Base's 14th Fighter Squadron flew the first non-stealth missions over Baghdad, Iraq and fired the first AGM-88 High-Speed Anti-Radiation Missile of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The 14th employed all of the air-to-ground ordnance in their inventory, including the AGM-65 Maverick, AGM-88, GPS-guided bomb and cluster munitions, and 20-millimeter cannon.
Additional anniversaries for March include:
March 17, 1942: The first aircraft lands on Misawa Air Base, a Type 1, twin-engine, land-based attack bomber assigned to the Misawa Air Group. The Allied code name for the bomber was "Betty."
March 2-4, 1943: P-38s of the 35th Fighter Group participated in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea. On each day of the battle, the 35th Fighter Group's P-38s departed Port Moresby to provide escort for B-24s, which were tasked with striking a Japanese convoy in the Bismarck Sea.
The 39th Fighter Squadron's historian recorded:
The Battle of the Bismarck Sea took place over a period of two days -- March 3 and 4, 1943. It was the culmination of an attempt, by the Japanese, to reinforce their hard pressed garrisons in the Buna area. . . . (On) March 3rd, the weather was good, and an assembled force of bombers, escorted by P-38s left Port Moresby to sink the convoy which was now approximately seventy-five miles off Cape Ward Hunt, headed for Lae. . . . As our force approached the convoy, our bomber formations were attacked by enemy interceptors. The ensuing action lasted for twenty minutes, as the enemy cover force fought a determined battle to save their shipping from destruction. . . . The 39th accounted for five "Zekes," three "Oscars," one, "Hap," and one unidentified type plane."
The historian continued:
On March 4th, the second day of the Bismarck Sea Battle, the fight evolved into a complete annihilation of the twenty-two ship convoy. Only eleven planes of the 39th Squadron went back the second time. As our bombers and fighters returned to complete the destruction that began the day before the enemy air power came up to make another interception. Six more enemy planes were destroyed by the squadron. By the time the bombers and fighters returned to their base at Port Moresby, the entire convoy was lying on the bottom of the sea.
The success of the 35th Fighter Group came at a cost, and on March 3, the unit lost three pilots, including Capt. Robert L. Faurot, an ace of the 39th Fighter Squadron. However, the success of U.S. forces during the Battle of the Bismarck Sea prevented the resupply of Japanese forces in New Guinea, demonstrated the effectiveness of air power, and helped to ensure Allied victory in the region.
March 8, 1944: Lt. Col. Thomas J. Lynch died after his P-38 Lightning was shot down a mile southwest of Aitape, New Guinea over a mangrove swamp. Lynch is the 35th Fighter Wing's all-time top ace with 20 aerial victories and remains missing-in-action.
March 1, 1950: The 35th Fighter Wing is assigned to Fifth Air Force for the first time.
March 14, 1966: The 35th Tactical Fighter Wing was activated at Da Nang Air Base, South Vietnam, flying F-4 Phantom and F-102 Delta Dagger fighter aircraft.
March 23, 1981: General Lew Allen Jr., U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff, visited Misawa Air Base to observe the beginning of Cope North 81-2 as a guest of the Government of Japan.
March 9, 1985: The 432d Transient Alert Section performed its first official function when it parked a KC-10 Extender on Misawa's flight line. This was the first time a KC-10 Extender landed at Misawa Air Base.
March 23, 1989: The Army and Air Force Exchange Service opened its new $12 million, 93,000 square-foot shopping center to the Misawa Air Base community.