77th Bombardment Squadron | 28th Bombardment Group | 11th AAF | Disney design

[walika]

77th Bombardment Squadron | 28th Bombardment Group | 11th AAF | Disney design

The squadron was activated in January 1941 as a Northwest Air District medium bomber squadron, equipped with a mixture of Douglas B-18 Bolos, PT-17 Stearman trainers and early model Martin B-26 Marauders. Upon completion of training, it was assigned to the new Elmendorf Field, near Anchorage, Alaska; being one of the first Air Corps units assigned to Alaska. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the squadron flew antisubmarine patrols over the Gulf of Alaska.

When the Japanese invaded the Aleutian Islands in June 1942, the squadron was reassigned to Fort Glenn Army Airfield on Adak Island; and began combat missions over the captured islands of Kiska and Attu. Flew combat missions with B-26 Marauders and later B-25 Mitchell medium bombers during the Aleutian Campaign, remaining in Alaska until the end of World War II in 1945 when the squadron personnel were demobilized and the unit inactivated as a paper unit in early of November 1945. SSgt Charlton Heston served as a radio operator and gunner aboard a B-25 of the 77th from 1944–45.

LINEAGE. Constituted 77th Bombardment Squadron (Medium) on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 15 Jan 1941. Inactivated on 5 Nov 1945.

ASSIGNMENTS. 42d Bombardment Group, 15 Jan 1941; 28th Composite (later Bombardment) Group, 2 Jan 1942.

STATIONS. Salt Lake City, Utah, 15 Jan 1941; Boise, Idaho, 4 Jun-14 Dec 1941; Elmendorf Field, Alaska, 29 Dec 1941 (operated from Umnak beginning 30 May 1942); Adak, 3 Oct 1942 (operated from Adak beginning 12 Dec 1942 and from Attu beginning 22 Jul 1943); Amchitka, 11 Sep 1943; Attu, 11 Feb 1944-19 Oct 1945.

AIRCRAFT. B-18, 1941, 1942-1943; B-26, 1941-1943; B-25, 1942-1945.

OPERATIONS. Combat in Northern Pacific, c. Feb 1942-17 Jul 1945.

CAMPAIGNS. Aleutian Islands; Air Offensive, Japan; Air Combat, Asiatic-Pacific Theater.

 

Embroidered on wool. Design by Walt Disney Studios.

 

 

 

Silkscreened on leather. Design by Walt Disney Studios.

 

History of the 77th Bombardment Squadron

 

Sources:
Maurer. Air Force Combat Squadrons of World War II.

Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II.

Rawls, Walton. Disney Dons Dogtags. p 58.

77bs28bg13aaf

77th Bomb Squadron 28th Bomb Group 11th AAF