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| VF-111 | |
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 VF-111 squadron patch |
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| Active | October 10, 1942 - March 1995 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Motto | Illegitimi Non Carborundum |
| Mascot | Omar |
| Engagements | World War II Korean War Vietnam War |
The VF-111 Sundowners, a world famous U.S. Navy fighter squadron, was originally established in 1942 as VF-11. It served as an active Pacific Fleet Fighter Squadron until its disestablishment in 1995. In November 2006, VFC-13 Detachment Key West was redesignated as VFC-111, taking on the 'Sundowner' insignia and callsign. Officially, the US Navy does not recognize a direct lineage with the original VF-11 from World War II1.
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History
VF-111 began operating as VF-11 at NAS North Island California on October 10, 1942 and on October 23 was on its way to Hawaii with Grumman F4F Wildcats. To epitomize their spirit and tactical superiority over the Japanese, the squadron decided it should be called the 'Sundowners' and its insignia (which persists to this day) depicts two F-4F Wildcats shooting down a Rising Sun.
From April to July 1943 VF-11 downed 56 enemy aircraft in aerial combat. In October 1944, VF-11 deployed for the first time on USS Hornet. After Guadalcanal, the squadron transitioned to the F6F Hellcat and participated in strike and air-to-air combat missions that resulted in the shoot down of 102 enemy aircraft with dozens more destroyed on the ground. As a direct result of their combat record, the squadron was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation and lived up to the name - 'Sundowners.'
In July 1948, they were designated VF-111 and transitioned to the F9F-2 Panther. At the start of the Korean War, Lieutenant Commander Amen scored the first US Navy jet kill in aviation history, downing a MiG-15 while flying a Panther from the USS Philippine Sea (CV-47). After Korea, VF-111 flew the F9F-6 Cougar, FJ-3 Fury, F-11 Tiger and F-8 Crusader from the decks of 5 different carriers.
During Vietnam, the Sundowners were home based at NAS Miramar, California with the squadron making seven deployments to Southeast Asia, flying 12,500 combat missions. During the 1967-1968 deployment, Lieutenant Tony Nargi shot down a MiG-21 while flying an F-8 Crusader. In 1971, VF-111 joined Carrer Air Wing FIFTEEN (CVW-15) and transitioned to the F-4B Phantom II.
On 6 March 1972, while flying from the USS Coral Sea (CVA-43), VF-111 aircrew LT Garry Weigand and LTJG Bill Freckleton, engaged and shot down a MiG-17 near Quang Lang Airfield in North Vietnam. [Their aircraft, F-4B, NL 201, BuNo 153019, was restored to the original paint scheme by the current Sundowner squadron and is displayed on a pedestal just inside the main gate at NAS Key West, Florida.]
The squadron later transitioned to the F-4J version of the Phantom and in late 1976 through early 1977, the Sundowners made an Atlantic and Mediterranean deployment, a rare event for a Pacific Fleet squadron, deploying with the rest of CVW-15 aboard the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42) for that carrier's final cruise before decommisioning and the squadron's final deployment with the venerable F-4. The squadron returned to NAS Miramar in April 1977 and began to divest itself of its F-4 Phantom II aircraft in preparation for transition to the F-14 Tomcat.. Pilots and RIOs slated to remain in the squadron attended F-14 ground school and transitional flight familiarization and training at the Pacific Fleet F-14 Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS), VF-124, while maintenance personnel attended applicable training at VF-124's Fleet Replacement Aircraft Maintenance Program (FRAMP) and the associated Naval Air Maintenance Training Group Detachment (NAMTRADET). At the same time, first tour pilots, RIOs and maintainers with no prior F-4 time joined VF-111 direct from VF-124.
By October 1978, VF-111 had fully transitioned to the Block 100 model F-14A. VF-111 subsequently made two deployments with Carrier Air Wing FIFTEEN aboard the USS Kitty Hawk from May 1979 to February 1980 and from April to October 1981. VF-111 also participated in the effort to free the American hostages in Iran.
In October 1983 VF-111 returned to its home station of NAS Miramar following a world cruise on the maiden deployment of the USS Carl Vinson. The Sundowners accumulated over 1400 landings and 3000 flight hours during the cruise.
In 1986, VF-111 accumulated over 7000 accident free flight hours and won the Commander, Fighter-Airborne Early Warning Wing Pacific (COMFITAEWWINGPAC) Third Quarter Safety Award and the squadron earned COMCARGRU 3 and COMCARWING 15 endorsements to receive the Admiral Joseph C. Clifton Award which designates the recipient as the best fighter squadron in the Navy.
In the spring of 1986 VF-111 began another busy work-up cycle, completing a successful series of training evolution and exercises in preparation for their June 1988 Pacific/Indian Ocean deployment. VF-111's seventeen month work-up was capped by a history making event, FLEETEX 88-2, the first time since World War II that a carrier, the USS Carl Vinson and a battleship, the USS New Jersey operated as a combined Battle Fleet.
VF-111's eventful 1988 deployment began in June and ended in December. It included operations in the Northern/Western Pacific, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean, providing support of tanker escorts in the Persian Gulf and included a transit of the Bering Sea, the fourth such transit in four deployments. Interoperability with U.S. and foreign air assets was stressed through exercises with the USAF Alaskan Air Command and Air Forces of Malaysia, Japan and Thailand.
In preparation for another deployment in 1990, VF-111 deployed aboard USS Carl Vinson from September to November 1989 as participants in PACEX 89. This landmark exercise had the Sundowners operating in the Bering Sea, the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan as a part of the largest naval exercise since World War II.
The Sundowners next deployment began in early February 1990 and ended in late July 1990. While deployed, VF-111 participated in a Battle Group Evaluation in Hawaiian waters, multi-national interoperability exercises in the Sea of Japan during Team Spirit 1990 and intensive Air Combat Maneuvering with Fleet Composite Squadron FIVE (VC-5) at NAS Cubi Point, Philippines. This was followed by a two and a half month period in the Indian Ocean and North Arabian Sea while undergoing training exercises with the Air Forces of Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and a successful Weapons Week off Diego Garcia.
The squadron accumulated over 2200 hours and 1000 arrested landings and proved its readiness by scoring direct hits on all five missile firing exercises undertaken during the six month period. The completion of this highly successful deployment ended a 3 year period during which the squadron was either deployed or on detachment sixty-five percent of the time.
In recognition of the squadron's success in missile firings, VF-111 received the 1990 Boola Boola award. As a Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS)-equipped squadron, VF-111 again proved its combat readiness by winning the 1990 TARPS derby, awarded to the best tactical air reconnaissance squadron on the west coast. Throughout the first 9 months of 1991, the squadron sent four detachments to Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada to work with the Air Force Fighter Weapons School and the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron (422 TES). To stay current in the carrier environment, the squadron also participated in carrier qualifications aboard USS Ranger and USS Abraham Lincoln. The squadron continued the pace it set in 1990 by executing eight consecutive and successful missile firings.
On October 15, 1991, VF-111 returned to the familiar flight deck of USS Kitty Hawk. Departing NAS Norfolk, Virginia following the carrier's comprehensive, multi-year Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) at Newport News Naval Shipyard, VF-111 and Kitty Hawk began a two month cruise "around the horn" of South America, returning back to the Kitty Hawk's then-homeport of Naval Air Station North Island, California. Port visits during the deployment included St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, Mar Del Plata, Argentina and Valparaiso, Chile. Multi-national exercises with Venezuela, Argentina and Chile were conducted in various air-to-air and strike scenarios. The Sundowners returned to NAS Miramar in December 1991.
Until December 1991, VF-111 (as with sister squadron VF-51) were scheduled to become the first deployable units to operate the F-14D Super Tomcat, but in the end the honor went to VF-11 and VF-31, two former east coast squadrons that has transferred from NAS Oceana, Virginia to NAS Miramar.
In 1993, VF-111 deployed to the Pacific, Indian Ocean and the Persian Gulf and flew in support of Operation Provide Relief and Operation Southern Watch. In 1994 VF-111 deployed to the Pacific, and in March 1995 the squadron, under command of CDR (now retired CAPT) Tom Joyce, was disestablished.
Sundowner Aces
- Lt. Charles R. Stimpson 16;
- Lt. James E. Swope 10;
- Lt. Jimmie E. Savage 7;
- LtJG Horace B. Moranville 6;
- Lt. Cdr. Robert E. Clements 5;
- LtJG Vernon E. Graham 5;
- Lt. Henry S. White 5
Other aces who scored kills with the Sundowners were: Lt. William N. Leonard, LtJG William J. Masoner, and LtJG John A. Zink.
Popular Media
In 1985, VF-111 was one of several NAS Miramar based squadrons to participate in the filming of the movie Top Gun. Some VF-111 and VF-51 aircraft were repainted in fictitious squadron markings for the film. To be able to film the sequences, the F-14s were fitted with cameras mounted in pods attached to the underbelly Phoenix pallets and the under wing pylons, as well as using ground mounted cameras. Also, one of the fictional RIOs in the movie, played by Clarence Gilyard, uses the callsign "Sundown" and wears a VF-111 styled helmet and squadron patch on his flight suit.
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