522 Fighter squadron south Vietnamese gy

[CaptChaos]

Patch is on my father’s flight suit. What is it and what is it’s history 

[Tonomachi]

There are a bunch of fake versions of this patch on eBay (see photo) which identifies it as 522nd Fighter Squadron, 63rd Tactical Wing.  I found the below information on the Internet.  Could this have been a South Vietnamese Air Force Squadron that maybe your father was an advisor to and thus wore their patch?

 

The South Vietnam Air Force (Vietnamese: Không lực Việt Nam Cộng hòa – KLVNCH), officially the Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF; French: Force aérienne vietnamienne, FAVN) (sometimes referred to as the Vietnam Air Force or VNAF) was the aerial branch of the Republic of Vietnam Military Forces, the official military of the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) from 1955 to 1975.

The RVNAF began with a few hand-picked men chosen to fly alongside French pilots during the State of Vietnam era. It eventually grew into the world’s sixth largest air force at the height of its power, in 1974. It is an often neglected chapter of the history of the Vietnam War as they operated in the shadow of the United States Air Force (USAF). It was dissolved in 1975 after the Fall of Saigon; many of its members emigrated to the United States.

63rd Tactical Wing
Bien Hoa
522nd Fighter Squadron F-5A/B Freedom Fighter
RF-5A Freedom Fighter
536th Fighter Squadron F-5A/B Freedom Fighter
F-5E Tiger II
540th Fighter Squadron F-5A Freedom Fighter
F-5E Tiger II
542nd Fighter Squadron F-5A Freedom Fighter
544th Fighter Squadron

[CaptChaos]

Interesting, but the 522 flew A-1 sky raider aircraft. My dad was the USAF advisor to the squadron. 

[CaptChaos]

As another note the 522 was part of the 83rd SAG( Special Air Group)

[CaptChaos]

I also have two patches that were on the same flight suit

[Tonomachi]

I found this on the Internet where it mentions a connection with the 83rd SAG and 522nd FS:

 

"83rd Tactical Wing / 83rd Special Operations Group
The 83rd SOG (Special Operations Group) is somewhat of a mystery. It is not part of a wing, nor of an Air Division. It seemed to be under direct VNAF headquarters control. Their aircraft had no national markings. This unit was used for covert or clandestine missions over North Vietnam. President Thieu ordered the disbandment of the 83rd SOG in January 1968 because he feared General Ky would use the unit in a coup attempt. The 522. FS (which was at that time an integral part of the 83rd) was assigned to the 23rd TW at Bien Hoa AB and it's pilots were dispersed over various other fighter squadrons. When the 83rd SOG was disbanded, it's helicopter element was redesignated 219. Helicopter Squadron."

 

 

[Tonomachi]

I found an Internet site where it described your father's VNAF 83rd Special Operations Group patch and there is a photo of it painted on the side of an 83rd Special Operations Group A-1 Sky Raider (see link).

 

http://rvnhs.com/museum/featured/83rdspecialgroup.html

 

 

[CaptChaos]

My father flew 500 missions with this unit including the first raid on North Vietnam. Thanks for the info it answers some questions I had. 

[yokota57]

Great RVNAF patches. Thanks for posting them!