all-bull Posted July 27, 2012 Share #1 Posted July 27, 2012 Hello there, Any guesses on what unit this patch could have belonged to? It's a nice hand made Thai patch, and would love to get an ID on it. Thanks a lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Signor Posted July 27, 2012 Share #2 Posted July 27, 2012 There was an F-4 unit "possibly " the 8th TFW out of Nam that had a patch similar title "Nocturnal "E" Missions , they flew night trail interdiction missions , could be related .Thye had black painted undersides . Note the F-4 on your patch has the "Formations " panels lit up . Johnny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted July 27, 2012 Share #3 Posted July 27, 2012 497 TFS Night Owls. Randy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nguoi tien su Posted July 27, 2012 Share #4 Posted July 27, 2012 497th TFS for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
all-bull Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share #5 Posted July 27, 2012 Thanks guys! I'm wondering what reference you used to find this out? I couldn't find it on usafpatches and I don't remember it from any VICN... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted July 27, 2012 Share #6 Posted July 27, 2012 Thanks guys! I'm wondering what reference you used to find this out? I couldn't find it on usafpatches and I don't remember it from any VICN... I got one from a 497 guy many years back. Also, the 497 were the primary night fighter unit in SEA, though all 8 TFW units pulled some night missions. Hope this helps. Randy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Signor Posted July 28, 2012 Share #7 Posted July 28, 2012 Wasn't the 497th Sqdn part of the 8th WING ???????? Johnny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nguoi tien su Posted July 28, 2012 Share #8 Posted July 28, 2012 It was part of the 8th TFW. I saw this one in a 497th grouping a few years back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted July 28, 2012 Share #9 Posted July 28, 2012 Wasn't the 497th Sqdn part of the 8th WING ????????Johnny That's what my post said if you read it, but narrowed it down to the actual squadron instead of another WAG. Randy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Signor Posted July 28, 2012 Share #10 Posted July 28, 2012 Well it being part of the 8th Wing wouldn't make it a WAG ! they were part of that unit . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted July 28, 2012 Share #11 Posted July 28, 2012 Well it being part of the 8th Wing wouldn't make it a WAG ! they were part of that unit . There's guessing, and there's knowing. Your own post says "possibly". Then you come back like you knew it all along or something. It's not a wing patch, it's a flight of the 497 TFS. And it wasn't out of "Nam", it was based in Ubon, Thailand. Randy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nguoi tien su Posted July 28, 2012 Share #12 Posted July 28, 2012 Well it being part of the 8th Wing wouldn't make it a WAG ! they were part of that unit . Well, in that case, you could also have said that this D flight was part of the 7/13th AF, or even the USAF! 12 squadrons have been under the 8th TFW at one time or another during the VN war. Getting precise info is what we are all loking for. Next question is when was the patch initially produced? Was it limited in time (I guess so)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted July 28, 2012 Share #13 Posted July 28, 2012 A clue here is the formation lights. These were not on the aircraft F-4C/D originally, but were retrofitted as they went through depot maintenance from the early 70s on. The early F-4Es also did not have them, later ones came from the factory with them installed. This would make in towards the later part of their Ubon tour, maybe 72-74. Randy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gwb123 Posted July 28, 2012 Share #14 Posted July 28, 2012 Years ago John Cook was working on a reference book for USAF patches from the Vietnam War. Anyone know if he has made any progress towards actually getting it printed? It concerns me how long this instituional knowledge will stay with us as time goes on and it is not documented. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Signor Posted July 28, 2012 Share #15 Posted July 28, 2012 There's guessing, and there's knowing. Your own post says "possibly". Then you come back like you knew it all along or something. It's not a wing patch, it's a flight of the 497 TFS. And it wasn't out of "Nam", it was based in Ubon, Thailand.Randy Well wether it was a "Guess" or not it still lead into the right direction of the squadron reguardless .................................. and i didn't say it was a "wing " patch I said the 497th was part of the 8th wings squadrons . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flytiger Posted January 7, 2017 Share #16 Posted January 7, 2017 479th? Read this tonight and folks you can never say any SEA Patch is for sure a this or a that unit. Been collecting for 25 plus and many personal friends that were F4/105 drivers. I have this basic patch given to me by a close personal friend who died in a tragic aircraft accident a few years ago, He had 554 SEA Missions in F4s. He was never in the 479th. He was for a time a FAST FAC out of Danang on one of his as he called it 2 1/2 tours ( he said linebacker did not quiet qualify as it was not 100 missions/one year). Anyhow seems my memory say's he related the nocturnal patch to his FAC time. I have his 550 SEA Mission patch and his Son has his 554 Patch which is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steindaddie Posted January 8, 2017 Share #17 Posted January 8, 2017 A clue here is the formation lights. These were not on the aircraft F-4C/D originally, but were retrofitted as they went through depot maintenance from the early 70s on. The early F-4Es also did not have them, later ones came from the factory with them installed. This would make in towards the later part of their Ubon tour, maybe 72-74. Randy Randy is spot-on. Removing one of those lights in the 1980s or 90s revealed the Vietnam era paint underneath. We called them "strip lights" because the actual name was a mouthful: "Electroluminescent Formation Lights". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randy Posted January 8, 2017 Share #18 Posted January 8, 2017 You most certainly can attribute most SEA patches to a specific unit. Flight patches like this one especially, and even more so when provenance is provided. This is a known 497 TFS D Flight patch, nothing else. Not trying to be combative, just stating a known fact. Most Fast Facs flew daylight missions, like Misty, Stormy and Tiger for example. Stormy was at Da Nang with the 366 TFW. Maybe that's where your guy flew some of his missions. The 8 TFW units flew most of the night missions, with the 497 dedicated to it, but all assigned units contributing on some level. As always, there are exceptions but this is the gist of it. Randy 479th? Read this tonight and folks you can never say any SEA Patch is for sure a this or a that unit. Been collecting for 25 plus and many personal friends that were F4/105 drivers. I have this basic patch given to me by a close personal friend who died in a tragic aircraft accident a few years ago, He had 554 SEA Missions in F4s. He was never in the 479th. He was for a time a FAST FAC out of Danang on one of his as he called it 2 1/2 tours ( he said linebacker did not quiet qualify as it was not 100 missions/one year). Anyhow seems my memory say's he related the nocturnal patch to his FAC time. I have his 550 SEA Mission patch and his Son has his 554 Patch which is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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