History of the 80th Fighter Squadron

  • Published
  • By Donald May
  • 8th Fighter Wing Historian
KUNSAN AIR BASE, South Korea --  The 80th Fighter Squadron was born in the rapid buildup of forces as the United States entered World War II, the Army Air Force stood up the unit as the 80th Pursuit Squadron on Jan. 6, 1942, less than a month after the Pearl Harbor attack. The 80th was activated four days later at Mitchell Field, New York, where the squadron became part of the 8th Pursuit Group. After a cross-country rail trip, the squadron boarded the SS Maui and sailed to Australia. 

Members of the 80th PS arrived at Brisbane, Australia on March 6, 1942, where the unit and the rest of the group were equipped with aircraft. The 80th began combat operations July 22, 1942, with its forward deployment to Port Moresby, New Guinea. Early missions involved escorting bombers and strafing enemy ground targets. The squadron's first aerial victories came on Aug. 26, 1942. 

From February to March 1943, the squadron regrouped at Mareeba, Australia. After returning to Port Moresby in March, the 80th Fighter Squadron conducted the bulk of the group's combat operations, since the Airacobras of the other two squadrons were in poor mechanical condition. The 80th would continue to fly the Lightning for the remainder of the war. While re-equipping during the stay at Mareeba, the squadron commander, Major Cragg, dubbed the 80th "The Headhunters" after the local headhunter tribes of Papua, New Guinea. 

The 80th played a part in such operations as the invasion of Cape Gloucester, Hollandia and the campaign in the Philippines. During the assault on Hollandia over a three week period, the 80th Fighter Squadron shot down 33 enemy aircraft without any losses, making them the first squadron in the Pacific Theater to exceed 200 kills. 

By the end of the war, the 80th downed over 225 enemy aircraft (the second highest squadron in the theater, and overall second highest twin engine allied fighter squadron in the war), receiving the Presidential Unit Citation, ten campaign credits, four distinguished Unit Citations, and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation. There were 24 "Headhunter" pilots who became aces during World War II in the Pacific Theater. The unit was inactivated Dec. 26, 1945. 

The squadron remained inactive until Feb. 20, 1947, when it was once again was activated and again assigned to the 8th Fighter Group, at Itazuke, Japan. In August 1948, the 8th Fighter Wing was formed and activated, and the 8th Fighter Group and its flying squadrons were assigned under the new wing. This conversion was completed in 1950, and the squadron designation changed to the 80th Fighter-Bomber Squadron Jan. 20, 1950. 

When North Korea invaded the South June 25, 1950 the Headhunters once again entered combat. A day after the invasion the 80th and the rest of the 8th Fighter Wing provided air defense for the evacuation of Americans from Seoul. Other than these initial air defense missions, the 80th spent the rest of the war flying bombing missions. The 80th served at several different bases during the Korean War, returning to Itazuke after the Communist Chinese intervention and later moving to Suwon, Korea after the United Nations pushed back the Chinese offensive. Shortly before the war ended, the squadron converted from the F-80 to the F-86 Sabre, but continued to fly air-to-ground missions in the Saber. 

The Headhunters earned two Distinguished Unit Citations and two Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citations, as well as ten campaign streamers during the Korean War. In addition, one of its pilots was awarded the nation's highest military award the Congressional Medal of Honor. On the morning of Nov. 22, 1952, Major Charles J. Loring on his 51st mission, led a flight of four F-80s in a close support strike against enemy formations near Triangle Hill, which overlooks Sniper Ridge near present-day Osan Air Base. After locating his target, Major Loring signaled his flight members and then rolled into his bomb run. Altering his course some 45 degrees in a deliberate, controlled maneuver dove directly into the enemy gun positions. Loring's actions destroyed the enemy positions and allowed the entrapped infantry to advance at the cost of his own life. 

In 1962 the 80th transitioned to the F-105 Thunderchief, and in May 1964 moved to Yokota Air Base, Japan. The squadron also performed two combat deployments to Southeast Asia in 1964 and 1965. For these two combat tours the 80th earned the Vietnam Advisory Campaign Streamer. These two deployments made up the total of the 80th Tactical Fighter Squadron's involvement in Vietnam. 

While in Vietnam, the 80th accumulated 7,384 combat missions in Southeast Asia, with 2,657 combat missions over North Vietnam. These missions represent 17,104.4 combat hours over Southeast Asia. Members of the 80th were decorated with seven Silver Stars, 64 Distinguished Flying Crosses and 426 Air Medals while deployed to Vietnam. 

During the late 1960's, the Air Force assigned the squadron to the defense of the Republic of Korea. The squadron converted to the F-4 Phantom in late 1967 and early 1968. After heightened tensions following the USS Pueblo crisis in January 1968, the squadron began a series of periodic deployments to Osan Air Base, South Korea. 

On Feb. 15, 1971, the 80th moved from Yokota to here, and was temporarily assigned to Det. 1, 475th TFW. Soon after, the 80th designated to deactivate. Fortunately, former "Headhunter" Lt. Gen. Jay T. "Cock" Robbins, who was Vice Commander of Tactical Air Command at the time, caught the action and rescued them at the last minute. Instead of fading out, the Headhunters were re-staffed with new personnel, primarily from the 391st Tactical Fighter Squadron. The 391st motto was "Audentes Fortunar Juvat" which translates from Latin: "Fortune Favors the Bold". This motto subsequently became the new "Headhunters" motto. 

The 8th Tactical Fighter Wing replaced the 3 TFW at Kunsan Sept. 16, 1974 reuniting the "Headhunters" with the "Wolf Pack." 

The squadron continued flying the F-4 at Kunsan until September 1981, when it received the F-16 Fighting Falcon. February 3, 1992, the 80th Tactical Fighter Squadron was redesignated the 80th Fighter Squadron and reassigned to the new 8th Operations Group, a direct descendant of our original 8th Pursuit Group. 

In late 2006 through 2007, the 80th traded its Block 30 C+ F-16s for Common Configuration Implementation Program (CCIP) F-16s Block 40s from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The Headhunters are the first squadron in the Republic of Korea to field the new capability of the Modular Mission Computer, Advanced Targeting Pod, and Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System via the upgraded Block 40 aircraft. Their full conversion is expected to be complete in January 2008, shortly after the squadron's 66th birthday. 

Whether flying the legendary P-38 Twin-Tailed Lightning or today's F-16 CCIP Viper, the Squadron aims to achieve tactical fighter excellence.