The VA-36 Roadrunners


Roadrunners - 1956
Provided by Puresome
Hotrodus Supersonicus - 1961
Provided by Puresome


Roadrunner
Provided by Puresome
Roadrunner and Snake
Drawn by Bud Southworth


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The Squadron Duty Officer is the squadron contact point, who communicates
with former squadron members about squadron information, sea stories,
squadron pictures, scuttlebutt, and gathers information about squadron buddies.
Please contact the Squadron SDO as listed here.

The Table Of Content:
Patch:
  • VF-102's first patch, the Winged Wolf, was in use by October 1952. The patch included: a blue circular design with a black winged wolf leaping diagonally from left to right in front of a yellow moon and over a red lightning bolt; and a blue sea depicted in the lower part of the circle. The wolf, lightning bolt, blue sea and circular insignia were outlined in yellow.

  • VF-102 Junior Officers also had an unofficial Roadrunner patch they wore on their flight jackets during the 1950s, the patch corresponded with the squadrons nickname of Road Runners which was adopted in 1949 and was probably linked to the popular movie cartoon introduced during that time.

  • After VF-102 was redesignated VA-36 in 1956 the Roadrunner patch was the patch of choice; and VA-36 officially adopted the Roadrunner patch after receiving its first A-4 Skyhawks in September 1958. One of the nicknames for the A-4 was "Heinemann's Hot Rod" and the "Supersonicus" logo on the patch is a play on the nickname and the Roadrunner movie cartoon. This patch is shown above.

  • After VA-36 was re-established a modified Roadrunner patch was approved April 6, 1987. The modified patch depicted a bird with a snake clutched in its talons.
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Handle:
Aircraft:
Date Type First Received - - - - - - Type of Aircraft:
Heritage:
  • May 1, 1952, Fighter Squadron ONE HUNDRED TWO (VF-102) established.

  • July 1, 1955, VF-102 redesignated as Attack Squadron THIRTY SIX (VA-36).

  • August 1, 1970, Attack Squadron THIRTY SIX (VA-36) disestablished.

  • March 6, 1987, Attack Squadron THIRTY SIX (VA-36) re-established.

  • April 1, 1994, Attack Squadron THIRTY SIX (VA-36) disestablished!

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Commanders:
  • Date Assumed Command - - - - - - - Commanding Officer
  • May 1, 1952- - - - - - - Lieutenant Commander R. B. Dalton
  • 1953 - - - - - - - - - - Commander R. A. Clarke
  • September 10, 1954 - - - Commander L. A. Menard, Jr.
  • May 31, 1956 - - - - - - Commander Thad T. Coleman, Jr.
  • July 26, 1957- - - - - - Commander Hugh M. Garvey
  • July 22, 1958- - - - - - Commander A. L. Detweiler
  • January 30, 1960 - - - - Lieutenant Commander P. D. Davidson
  • April 28, 1961 - - - - - Commander G. L. Ayers, Jr.
  • May 29, 1962 - - - - - - Commander E. J. Carroll
  • May 18, 1963 - - - - - - Commander H .K. Matthes
  • May 1, 1964- - - - - - - Commander R. W. Somers
  • April 22, 1965 - - - - - Commander J. E. Marshall
  • April 2, 1966- - - - - - Commander T. F. Rush
  • May 19, 1967 - - - - - - Commander A. R. Cunningham
  • May 24, 1968 - - - - - - Commander E. H. Brooks
  • May 29, 1969 - - - - - - Commander N. H. Rose
  • March 30, 1970 - - - - - Commander W. C. Nix
  • March 6, 1987- - - - - - Commander T. Lamar Willis
  • December 1, 1988 - - - - Commander Daniel J. Franken
  • May 4, 1990- - - - - - - Commander T. Ladson Webb, Jr.
  • August 27, 1991- - - - - Commander Thomas M. Deyke
  • September 3, 1992- - - - Commander Mark T. McNally
  • September 23, 1993 - - - Commander Mark J. Himler
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Home Ports:
  • Date - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Location:
  • May 1, 1952 - - - - Naval Auxiliary Air Station Cecil Field
  • July 1955 - - - - - Naval Air Station Jacksonville
  • April 1956- - - - - Naval Air Station Cecil Field
  • March 6, 1987 - - - Naval Air Station Oceana
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Air Wings:
Date - - - - - - - - - - - - Tail code - - - - - - - Air Wing
  • May 1, 1952- - - - - - P- - - - - - CVG-10
  • November 1953- - - - - K- - - - - - CVG-3
  • September 1954 - - - - P- - - - - - CVG-10
  • May 1955†- - - - - - - J/AP*- - - - ATG-201
  • January 15, 1958 - - - AQ - - - - - ATG-202
  • March 14, 1958 - - - - AL - - - - - CVG-17
  • October 11, 1958 - - - AC - - - - - CVG-3/CVW-3‡
  • September 22, 1965 - - NG - - - - - CVW-9
  • July 15, 1966- - - - - AJ - - - - - CVW-8
  • September 1, 1966- - - AE - - - - - CVW-6
  • October 16, 1967 - - - AK - - - - - CVW-10
  • August 1, 1969 - - - - AA - - - - - CVW-17
  • September 1987 - - - - AJ - - - - - CVW-8
  • * The tail code J was assigned to ATG-201 on July 24, 1956 and changed to AP in the latter part of 1957. The effective date for the change was most likely the beginning of FY 58 (July 1, 1957).
  • † The specific date the squadron was assigned to Air Task Group 201 (ATG-201) has not been verified. However, it probably was in May 1955, the date the squadron deployed aboard Bennington (CVA 20) for a shakedown cruise to Guantanamo Bay.
  • ‡ Carrier Air Groups were redesignated Carrier Air Wings on December 20, 1963, hence, CVG-3 became CVW-3. Back to Table of Contents
    Deployments:
    Departure & Return - - - - - - - - Air Wing - Carrier - Aircraft - - Area of Operations:
    • 11-53 to 09-54 - - - - CVG-3 - - CVA 40 - - F9F-5- - World Cruise
    • 10-31-55 to 04-16-56 - ATG-201 - CVA 20 - - F9F-5- - WestPac
    • 08-15-59 to 02-26-60 - CVG-3 - - CVA 60 - - A4D-2- - Mediterranean
    • 08-22-60 to 02-26-61 - CVG-3 - - CVA 60 - - A4D-2- - NorLant/Mediterranean
    • 07-05-61 to 08-22-61 - CVG-3 - - CVA 60 - - A4D-2N - Caribbean
    • 11-28-61 to 05-11-62 - CVG-3 - - CVA 60 - - A4D-2N - Mediterranean
    • 12-03-62 to 12-21-62 - CVG-3 - - CVA 60 - - A4D-2N - Caribbean
    • 03-29-63 to 10-25-63 - CVG-3 - - CVA 60 - - A-4C - - Mediterranean
    • 11-28-64 to 07-12-65 - CVW-3 - - CVA 60 - - A-4C - - Mediterranean
    • 10-26-65 to 06-21-66 - CVW-9 - - CVAN 65- - A-4C - - WestPac/Vietnam
    • 01-10-67 to 09-20-67 - CVW-6 - - CVA 66 - - A-4C - - Mediterranean
    • 06-04-68 to 02-08-69 - CVW-10- - CVS 11 - - A-4C - - Pacific/Vietnam
    • 12-02-69 to 07-08-70 - CVW-17- - CVA 59 - - A-4C - - Mediterranean
    • 08-25-88 to 10-11-88 - CVW-8 - - CVN 71 - - A-6E - - NorLant
    • 12-30-88 to 06-30-89 - CVW-8 - - CVN 71 - - A-6E - - Mediterranean
    • 12-28-90 to 06-28-91 - CVW-8 - - CVN 71 - - A-6E - - Mediterranean/IO
    • 03-11-93 to 09-08-93 - CVW-8 - - CVN 71 - - A-6E - - Mediterranean/IO
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    Photograph Albums:
    Squadron Photograph Album
    Squadron Off-Duty Album
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    Events:
      May 1, 1952:
      Established as Fighter Squadron ONE HUNDRED TWO (VF-102). The first aircraft assigned to the Roadrunners was the Goodyear FG-1D Corsair I.

    • October 1952:
      Fighter Squadron 102 was assigned a new aircraft, the Grumman F9F-5 Panther. The Panther had straight wings. You may see the Panther featured in the movie "The Bridges at Toko-Ri" starring William Holden, Mickey Rooney, B. S. Bully, Fredric March and Grace Kelly. This movie based on James Michener's book is the source of the famous quote: "--- where do we get such men?"

    • November 1953 to September 1954:
      During the squadron's world cruise aboard United States Ship Tarawa CVA 40, VF-102 visited fourteen different ports in ten foreign countries and transited the Suez and Panama Canals.

    • July 1, 1955:
      Fighter Squadron 102 was redesignated Attack Squadron THIRTY SIX (VA-36).

    • November 2, 1956:
      VA-36 was assigned a new aircraft, the Grumman F9F-8 & F9F-8T Cougar. The Cougar was a Panther with swept wings that were forty percent larger and a hundred mile an hour speed increase.

    • September 11, 1958:
      VA-36 was assigned a new aircraft, the Douglas A4D-2 (A-4B) Skyhawk.

    • July and August 1961:
      While deployed on a training cruise aboard United States Ship Saratoga CVA 60, in the Caribbean, the Roadrunners were diverted to Cuba for the Bay of Pigs invasion.

    • October 26, 1965 through June 21, 1966:
      VA-36 flying the A-4C Skyhawk from the from United States Ship Enterprise CVAN 65, deployed for their first of two WestPac/Vietnam combat cruises.

    • December 2, 1965:
      The squadron conducted its first combat operations, flying from United States Ship Enterprise CVAN 65, on Dixie Station in the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam. This marked the first time a nuclear powered ship had engaged in combat.

    • December 1965 to June 1966:
      During this period of combat operations squadron personnel were awarded over 170 Air Medals.

    • December 22, 1965:
      Roadrunner A-4C Skyhawk BuNo. 148305 NG 705 was shot down by anti aircraft fire over North Vietnam. The pilot, Lieutenant Junior Grade W. R. Alcorn successfully ejected and was captured and made Prisoner of War.

    • January 14, 1966:
      Roadrunner A-4C Skyhawk BuNo. 147753 NG 713 was shot down by his own snake-eye bomb over Laos. The pilot , Lieutenant Junior Grade S. B. Jordan successfully ejected and was recovered.

    • March 20, 1966:
      Roadrunner A-4C Skyhawk BuNo. 148313 NG 703 was shot down by anti aircraft fire over North Vietnam. The pilot, Commander J. A. Mulligan successfully ejected and was captured and made Prisoner of War.

    • May 23, 1966:
      Roadrunner A-4C Skyhawk BuNo. 147762 NG 712 was shot down by anti aircraft fire over North Vietnam. The pilot, Ensign K. W. Leuffen successfully ejected and was recovered.

    • May to June 1967:
      VA-36, embarked on United States Ship America CVA 66, was on station in the eastern Mediterranean during the Middle East War between Israel and Egypt and Syria. Units of America's air wing were launched to provide air cover for United States Ship Liberty AGTR 5, when it came under attack by Israeli forces .

    • June 4, 1968 through February 8, 1969:
      VA-36 flying the A-4C Skyhawk from the from United States Ship Intrepid CVS 11 deployed for their second of two WestPac/Vietnam combat cruises. The Road Runners had no combat losses this cruise.

    • August 20, 1968:
      Lieutenant DeFillipo flying Roadrunner A-4C Skyhawk BuNo. 148470 while returning from a strike on North Vietnam, collided with his Skipper Commander E. H. Brooks. The two Skyhawks made it back to Intrepid where Skipper Brooks managed to make it into the barrier. DeFillipo stooged about and after losing hydraulics and electronics and with the engine coming apart - eject ten miles in front of Intrepid. An alert crewman saw the chute and minutes later the Angel plucked DeFillipo safely from the drink, The Skipper's Skyhawk was cannibalized and later scrapped.

    • 1969-70 MED Cruise aboard CVA-59:
      I was attached to VA-36 while aboard the USS Forrestal in 1969 until its decommissioning in 1970. During this cruise, my Division Officer Lt. R.E. Kuehn was lost at sea during night ops. I am preparing a memorial for him on the TWS (Together We Served) web site. I would appreciate any and all information you can provide.
      Ray L. Lucas
      VA-36 Maintenance Control
      rll3901@aol.com

    • August 1, 1970:
      VA 36 disestablished.

    • March 6, 1987:
      Re-established as Attack Squadron THIRTY SIX (VA-36). Va-36 was assigned the Grumman A-6E Intruder.

    • December 30, 1988:
      VA-36 deployed aboard United States Ship Theodore Roosevelt CVN 71, for the carrier's maiden cruise to the Mediterranean Sea.

    • January 20 to February 28, 1991:
      The squadron participated in Operation Desert Storm, combat operations against Iraq.

    • April to June 1991:
      The squadron participated in Operation Provide Comfort, a multi-national operation providing relief and aid for Kurdish refugees in northern Iraq.

    • March to September 1993:
      The squadron, along with other units of CVW-8, deployed aboard United States Ship Teddy Roosevelt CVN 71, in a new approach to joint operations to test the Navy's ability to project a wide range of power and mobility from the sea. The composition on the carrier during the deployment included the regular air wing, minus an F-14 and S-3 squadron, and a special Marine Air-Ground Task Force consisting of a Marine Corps fixed-wing and helo squadron and a company of Marines. The mix of units provided the carrier with the ability to project air and ground striking power ashore from a single deck.

    • June 1993:
      The squadron, along with other units embarked on United States Ship Theodore Roosevelt CVN 71, operated in the Red Sea in support of a strike on the Iraqi Intelligence Service headquarters building in Baghdad in response to Iraq's attempt on the life of former President Bush while on a visit to Kuwait in April. During this time, the squadron also participated in Operation Southern Watch missions, enforcing the United Nations no-fly zone within southern Iraq.

    • April 1, 1994:
      VA-36 Road Runners disestablished.

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    Awards:
      Award - - - - - - - - - Inclusive Dates:
    • NAVE:
      • July 1958 to June 1959
      • 01 January 1967 to 30 June 1968
    • AFEM:
      • 03 December 1962 to 20 December 1962
    • NEM:
      • 07 July 1961 to 19 August 1961
    • RVNGC:
      • 02 December 1965
      • 11 December 1965
      • 21 December 1965
      • 24 December 1965
      • 26 December 1965 to 30 December 1965
      • 01 January 1966 to 02 January 1966
      • 04 January 1966 to 14 January 1966
      • 04 February 1966
      • 09 February 1966
      • 23 February 1966
      • 27 March 1966 to 28 March 1966
      • 30 March 1966 to 31 March 1966
      • 02 April 1966
      • 11 April 1966
      • 29 April 1966
      • 01 October 1968 to 01 November 1968
    • VNSM:
      • 02 December 1965 to 14 January 1966
      • 04 February 1966 to 23 February 1966
      • 16 March 1966 to 12 April 1966
      • 22 April 1966 to 14 May 1966
      • 23 May 1966 to 06 June 1966
      • 11 July 1968 to 12 July 1968
      • 14 July 1968 to 15 July 1968
      • 23 July 1968 to 22 August 1968
      • 14 October 1968 to 14 November 1968
      • 03 December 1968 to 27 December 1968
    • NUC:
      • 06 July 1968 to 16 January 1969
      • 17 January 1991 to 07 February 1991
    • SASM:
      • 14 January 1991 to 20 April 1991
    • JMUA:
      • 05 April 1991 to 16 July 1991
    • MUC:
      Sources of information:
      • Wynn Foster
      • Doyle Frost
      • Harry S. Gann
      • Bear Langworthy
      • Jack Woodul

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