7th Fighter Wing

Constituted as 7th Fighter Wing on 31 Mar 1944. Activated in Hawaii on 21 Apr 1944. Assigned to Seventh AF to provide air defense for the Hawaiian Islands. Redesignated 7th Air Division in Dec 1947. Inactivated in Hawaii on 1 May 1948.

Activated in England on 20 Mar 1951. Assigned to Strategic Air Command. Operated with components of Strategic Air Command temporarily deployed to the United Kingdom.

Groups. 15th Fighter: 1945-1946. 21st Fighter: 1944. 30th Bombardment: 1945-1946. 81st Fighter: 1946-1948. 508th Fighter: 1945.

Stations. Ft Shafter, TH, 21 Apr 1944; Wheeler Field, TH, 18 Nov 1946-1 May 1948. South Ruislip, England, 20 Mar 1951-.

Commanders. Col John M Weikert, 1 Jul 1944; Col Orrin L Grover, 24 Nov 1944; Brig Gen John W Weikert, 15 Dec 1944; Col Richard A Grussendorf, 22 Apr 1946; Col Earl H Jacobsen, 10 Jun 1947; Col Thomas W Blackburn, 26 Aug 1947-1 May 1948. Maj Gen Archie J Old Jr, 26 Apr 1951; Maj Gen John P McConnell, 23 May 1951; Maj Gen James C Selser Jr, 14 Mar 1953; Brig Gen Thomas C Musgrave Jr, 20 Jul 1954; Brig Gen James H Walsh, 10 Jul 1955-.

Campaigns. Asiatic-Pacific Theater.

Decorations. None.

Insigne. Shield: Blue within a narrow yellow border, a vertical white sword partially sheathed, point down, the hilt in the shape of wings, the handle diagonally striped blue and yellow, the sword interlaced with a red seven terminating in a pointed foot between two smaller red flashes, all three outlined in white; interlaced with the flashes and behind the sword a spray of yellow laurel leaves. (Approved 16 Sep 1954.)

Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986