KADENA AIR BASE, Japan -- The 44th Pursuit Squadron was activated in December, 1940, at Wheeler Field, Hawaii. Members of the 44th wouldn’t have to wait long to join the war effort.
“Our first combat involvement was during the Pearl Harbor attack, and continued throughout the Pacific during World War II, eventually bringing us to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Jameson, 44th Fighter Squadron commander.
During the attack on Pearl Harbor, only two of the squadron’s aircraft were able to take off, and were subsequently shot down. Following the attack, the 44th flew training missions all summer in anticipation and to be combat proficient in the battles to come.
The squadron participated in the air battle over Guadalcanal from January to June of 1943 and, by the end of that year, the 44th was rated the top squadron of 13th Air Force with 135 enemy aircraft destroyed.
“This whole 75 years of the 44th – they’ve set a bar of excellence that we strive every day to uphold or even push higher if we can,” said Capt. Matthew Selby, 44th FS pilot. “I feel very lucky. It’s really interesting to see all the people who have done amazing things, and to be wearing the same patch as them is humbling.”
The 44th FS participated in many battles throughout the Pacific during WWII and the Korean conflict as well as participating in missions during Vietnam.
“I think being a part of that legacy gives us perspective. It’s about the people who have come before you and the foundation that has been established. It’s an absolute honor,” Jameson said.
The 44th went through four different names during their career, as well as several different airframes, until 1979, when they were the second unit in Pacific Air Force to receive the F-15 Eagle. Transition to the new aircraft carried into 1980.
“The whole reason we come in to work every day is so we get it perfect. A lot of that motivation comes from us trying to make sure we are preserving the legacy of the 44th,” Selby said.
Since then, the 44th has been active throughout the Indo-Asia-Pacific region with missions, deployments and exercises, wearing proudly the mantle that has been passed down to them.
“Here at the 44th, we’re proud of where we came from,” Selby said. “It’s easy to be motivated when you’re a part of that kind of history.”