RVAH-1 Smokin Tigers

Description

RVAH-1 Smokin Tigers
RVAH-1 Smokin Tigers
RVAH-1 Smokin’ Tigers Plaque
14 inch wooden plaque of the RVAH-1 Smokin’ Tigers! Carefully carved and painted, you’ll have a unique and colorful piece to display.
RVAH-1 was a Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron of the U.S. Navy. Originally established as Heavy Attack Squadron One (VAH-1) on 1 November 1955, it was redesignated as Reconnaissance Attack (Heavy) Squadron One (RVAH-1) on 1 September 1964. The squadron was disestablished on 29 January 1979
HISTORY OF RECONNAISSANCE ATTACK SQUADRON ONE
Heavy Attack Squadron ONE (VAH-1), the Squadron’s original
designation, was commissioned at Naval Air Station, Jacksonville,
Florida, on 1 November 1955. It was formed as an all-weather,
carrier-based squadron with a nuclear weapons delivery mission,
flying the A-3D “Sky Warrior.” During the next seven years,
the Squadron made four Mediterranean cruises and three short
deployments off the East Coast. While on their fourth Mediterranean
cruise, the Smokin’ Tigers set an all-Navy record for
A-3D flight hours when 885 hours were flown during a 17-day
period in June 1962.
VAH-1 began transitioning to the A-5A “Vigilante” aircraft
in August 1962 and accepted the first A-5A the following January.
The Squadron was now based at Naval Air Station,
Sanford, Florida, its new home since January 1959. Following
another cruise to the Mediterranean in 1964, VAH-1 began transitioning
to the reconnaissance version of the Vigilante, the
RA-5C. It accepted the first of these aircraft on 10 July 1964.
On 1 September 1964, the Squadron’s official designation
changed to Reconnaissance attack Squadron ONE (RVAH-1). Its
mission was now solely that of all-weather aerial reconnaissance.
In May of the following year, RVAH-1, embarked in USS
INDEPENDENCE (CVA-62) with Carrier Air Wing SEVEN, left the
East Coast for its first Western Pacific deployment. The
Squadron flew its first combat mission over Southeast Asia on
30 June 1965. A total of five months of reconnaissance missions
were flown over•North and South Vietnam.
Following a 1966 deployment to the Mediterranean, again
‘aboard INDEPENDENCE, the Tigers prepared for another combat
deployment to WESTPAC. This cruise began on 3 January 1968;
with CVW-9 aboard the nuclear-powered carrier USS ENTERPRISE’
(CVN-65). In addition to five months of combat reconnaissance
missions, RVAH-1 and ENTERPRISE also participated in operations
in the Sea of Japan at the time of the seizure of the USS PUEBLO.
The Smokin’ Tigers returned to the East Coast, and their
new home base at Naval Air Station, Albany, Georgia, on 18 July
1968. Following another Mediterranean cruise, the Tigers again
flew to the West Coast to join CVW-2 aboard USS RANGER (CVA-61)
for a third combat deployment to Southeast Asia. The Squadron
returned to Albany in June 1971 and soon began refresher training
for a Mediterranean cruise. As the Tigers completed their
training cycle with CVW-3 aboard USS SARATOGA off the East
Coast, the carrier and its Air Wing were recalled on an emergency
basis and in 48 hours left for the Western Pacific in
support of President Nixon’s policies in Southeast Asia. The
Tigers’ first combat mission was flown exactly one year to the
day since the Squadron had last launched aircraft from Tonkin
Gulf.
40
RVAH-1 returned to Albany in February 1973. Following a
well deserved standdown in operations,.training began for a
Mediterranean deployment which started on 3 January 1974 with
CVW-8 aboard USS AMERICA (CVA-66). Upon completion of this
cruise, on 2 August 1974, the Squadron arrived at Naval Air
Station, Key West, Florida, the Smokin’ Tigers’ final home
base. After a three-day standdown, build-ups commenced for a
short NATO cruise to the North Atlantic, again aboard AMERICA.
Following a tour with CVW-1 aboard USS JOHN F. KENNEDY
(CVA-67), which took the Tigers to the Caribbean and Atlantic
Fleet Exercises “Agate Punch” and “Solid Shield,” RVAH- 1 began
pre-deployment trainingyith – -CVW-14 aboard USS ENTERPRISE off
the West Coast. This WESTPAC cruise, the first under peacetime
conditions, began on 30 July1976 and lasted through 28 March
1977. It involved operations in the Philippine Sea, South China .
Sea, the Indian Ocean, and in; the waters off Australia and New
Zealand.
The high tempo of operations continued through the remainder
of 1977, with special Joint Chiefs of Staff tasking and renewed
refresher training for a final WESTPAC cruise filling the days.
In April 1978, again teamed, with CVW-14 aboard ENTERPRISE, the
Squadron’s final cruise began. Seven months later, the Smokin’
Tigers returned to Key West, having again flown reconnaissance
missions from the Sea of Japan to the Singapore Straits, in the
Indian Ocean and off the coast of Western Australia. RVAH-1
continued flying reconnaissance missions until two weeks prior
to its decommissioning day, 29 January 1979.
SIGNIFICANT AWARDS EARNED
1957 – CNO Aviation Safety Award
1958 – Norden Trophy for Bombing Excellence
1961 – Battle Efficiency Award
1965 – Navy Unit Commendation (Carrier Air Wing SEVEN)
1967 – Battle Efficiency Award
1970 – Battle Efficiency Award
1971 – Meritorious Unit Commendation (USS RANGER and Carrier
Air Wing TWO)
1973 – Navy Unit Commendation (USS SARATOGA and Carrier Air
Wing THREE)
1974 – Bartholomew Trophy for Leadership Excellence
1976 – CNO Aviation Safety Award
– Battle Efficiency Award
1977 – Arleigh Burke Fleet Trophy
1978 – Battle Efficiency Award (FY-77)
– Meritorious Unit Commendation
Battle Efficiency Award (FY-78)
– Meritorious Unit Commendation (Reconnaissance Attack
Wing ONE) .
41
COMMANDING OFFICERS
OF
RECONNAISSANCE ATTACK SQUADRON ONE
Commander Paul F. STEVENS Nov 55 – Dec 56
Commander Joseph F. DORRINGTON Dec 56 – Jan 58
Commander William D. SPIEGEL Jan 58 – Dec 58
Commander Sidney N. BANEY Dec 58 – Dec 59
Commander David A. KING Dec 59 – Mar 61
Commander Charles B. SMITH Mar 61 – Apr 61
Commander Charles A. DUNN, Jr. Apr 61 – Apr 62
Commander Edgar J. BOUDINOT Apr 62 – Mar 63
Commander Leonard J. REINHART Mar 63 – Mar 64
Commander Jesse W. TAFT Mar 64 – Apr 65
Commander Valentin G. MATULA Apr 65 – Jul 65
Commander Donald E. MOORE Jul 65 – Jun 66
Commander Richard J. SAMPLE Jun 66 – Jul 67
Commander Ray D. MURPHY Jul 67 – Aug 68
Commander Burton J. LARKINS Aug 68 – Jul 69
Commander W. J. QUIRK Jul 69 – Jul 70
Commander Shelly P. GALLUP Jul 70 – Jul 71
Commander Robert M. FORSTER Jul 71 – Jul 72
Commander Jerry M. CATRON Jul 72 – Oct 73
Commander Milton D. MIEFERT Oct 73 – Aug 74
Commander Gordon N. KUEHN Aug 74 – Aug 75
Commander William P. SMITH Aug 75 – Oct 76
Commander Robert L. LARSON Oct 76 – Jan 78
Commander Thomas V. JOHNSTON Jan 78 – Jan 79
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