54 Weather Reconnaissance Squadron

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AWRA Organizational History

54 Weather Reconnaissance Squadron

Lineage

Constituted 654th Bombardment Squadron (Heavy, Reconnaissance, Special) on 17 Ju1 194.4, Activated on g Aug 1944. Redesignated: 54th Reconnaissance Squadron ( Long Range, Weather) on 4 Sep 1945; 54th Reconnaissance Squadron (Very Long Range, Weather) on 27 Nov 1945. Inactivated on 15 Oct 1947. Redesignated 54th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron ( Medium, Weather) on 22 Jan 1951. Activated on 21 Feb 1951. Redesignated 54th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron on 15 Feb 1954. Discontinued on 18 Mar 1960. Activated on 8 Feb 1962. Organized 18 Apr 62. Inactivated on 30 Sep 1987.

Assignments

25th Bombardment Group (Reconnaissance), Eighth Air Force, 9 Aug 1944; Third Air Force, 8 Sep 1945; 311 Reconnaissance Wing, 27 Nov 1945 (attached to Twentieth Air Force, 8 Dec 1945-28 Feb 1946); Air Weather Service, 13 Mar 1946; 43d Weather Wing, 1 Aug-15 Oct 1947. 2i43d Air Weather Wing, 21 Feb 1951; 1st Weather Wing, 8 Feb 1954; Department of the Air Force, 18 Mar 1960; Military Air Transport Service, 8 Feb 1962; 9 Weather Reconnaissance Group, 18 Apr 1962; 9 Weather Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Jul 1965; 41 Rescue and Weather Reconnaissance Wing, 1 Sep 1975-30 Sep 1987.

Components. Operating Location A, Udorn RTAFB, Thailand, 17 Mar 67- 72.

Stations

Royal Air Force Base, Watton, Norfolk, England, 9 Aug 1944; Drew Field, FL, Aug 1945; North Field, GU, 27 Nov 1945- Mar 1946; Buckley Field, CO, Mar 1946-2 Jun 1946. Langley Field, VA, 2 Jun 1946- Jul 1946; Morrison Field, FL, Jul 1946-30 Jun 1947; McClellan Field, CA, 1 Jul 1947; Fairfield-Suisun Army Air Base, CA, 31 Jul 1947. North Army Air Base, GU, 2 Aug 1947-15 Oct 1947; Andersen AFB, GU, 21 Feb 1951-18 Mar 1960; Andersen AFB, GU, 8 Feb 1962-30 Sep 1987.

Commanders

Maj. John Larkin 9 Aug 1944- 8 Jan 1945, Maj. Willis Locke 9 Jan 1945- Unknown, Maj. Robert Howle Apr 1945- Unknown, Capt. Willard Blackwell Unknown - 7 Jan 1946, 1Lt. Leo Stewart, Jr. 8 Jan 1946-10 Jan 1946, Capt. Richard Shine 11 Jan 1946-15 Aug 1946, Capt. R. N. Nurrey 16 Aug 1946- 6 Sep 1946, Maj. William Barney 7 Sep 1946-10 Sep 1946, Maj. Harold Richardson 11 Sep 1946-16 Sep 1946, LtCol. Roy Nelson, Jr. 17 Sep 1946-25 Feb 1947, Maj. William Barney 26 Feb 1947-25 Mar 1947, LtCol. Roy Nelson, JR. 26 Mar 1947-14 Oct 1947, (deactivated 15 Oct 1947-20 Feb 1951), LtCol. Paul Bechtel 21 Feb 1951-17 Jun 1952, LtCol. Roger Stevenson 18 Jun 1952- 6 Aug 1954; LtCol. Griffin Wood 7 Aug 1954- 7Apr 1956, LtCol. Howard Berg 8 Apr 1956- 4 Apr 1958, LtCol. Dale Desper 5 Apr 1958-18 Mar 1960, (deactivated 19 Mar 1960-18 Apr 1962), LtCol. Eugene Wernette 18 Apr 1962-12 May 1964, LtCol. Frank Remmele 13 May 1964-25 Jun 1964, LtCol. William Rankin 26 Jun 1964-17 Jun 1966, LtCol. George Podwolsky 18 Jun 1966-25 Jun 1966, Col. Robert Kane 26 Jun 1966-30 Jun 1967, LtCol. Arthur Weaver 1 Jun 1967-31 Dec 1968, Col. Carl Gunderson, Jr. 1 Jul 1969-14 Aug 1970, LtCol. Allen Weeks 5 Aug 1970-1 Aug 1971, Col. Douglas Campbell 2 Aug 1971-24 Mar 1972, LtCol. Merle Nelson 25 Mar 1972-22 Jun 1972, LtCol. Leo Rice 23 Jun 1972-27 Jun 1974, Col. Franklin Ross 28 Jun 1972- 3 Aug 1975, Maj. Charles Conover 4 Aug 1975- 6 Aug 1975, Col. Foster Post 7 Aug 1975-1 Sep 1975, LtCol. William Christian 2 Sep 1975-31 Aug 1977, LtCol. Gerald Lasco 1 Sep 1977-26 Jun 1979, LtCol. Paul Prescott 27 Jun 1979-16 Jun 1981, LtCol. Jerald Bell 17 Jun 1981-12 Sep 1982, LtCol. Norman Lee, III. 13 Sep 1982-22 Mar 1984, LtCol. William Rahter 23 Mar 1984-?, Lt Col Donald Owen ?? ??? 1986-30 Sep 1987.

Aircraft

B-25, 1944; Mosquito XVI, 1944-1945; B-26, 1944-1945; P-38, 1944-1945; B-29, 19461947; c-47, 1946-1947. WB-29, 1951-1956; C-54, 1951-1960; YC-97, 1952-1953; TB-50, 1955; WB-50, 1955-1960. WB-50, WB-47, and C-130,1962-1965; WC-130, 1965-1987.

Operations

Photographic and weather reconnaissance in ETO, 9 Aug 1944-4 May 1945. Provide reconnaissance data required to plan and conduct the bomber offensive and assess it's effects upon the enemy, 1944-1945. Perform weather reconnaissance or dropped chaff to jam the enemy's radar in advance of bombing raids, 1945. Weather reconnaissance over seas adjacent to the United States, 1946-1947. Flew into tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea to provide atmospheric data to the US Weather Service, 1946-1947. Weather reconnaissance in. support of the Korean War. Flew into tropical storms and typhoons in the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean 1951-1960, 1962-1987. Supported unit deployments overseas and space launches from Florida by flying along routes to provide weather data since 1962-1987. Conducted atmospheric sampling and flew some non-weather reconnaissance and search and rescue missions over the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean.

Service Streamers

World War II American Theater. Asiatic-Pacific Theater; Korean Theater.

Campaign Streamers

Northern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

Armed Forces Expeditionary Streamers

None.

Decorations

Army Meritorious Unit Commendation: 23 May-31 Oct 1945. Air Force Outstanding Unit Awards: 1 Dec 1958-30 Sep 1959; 1 Jul 1967-30 Jun 1968; 1 Jan-31 Dec 1971; 1 Sep 1975-1 May 1977; 16 Jul 1977-16 Jul 1979; 17 Jul 1979-15 Jun 1981; 1 Apr 1984-31 Mar 1986.

Emblem

54th SRS approved 10 Aug 51. 54WRS approved on 11 Apr 1963; modified on 23 Jan 1972.

Lineage, Assignments, Components, Stations, and Honors through 30 Sep 1987.

Commanders, Aircraft, and Operations through 30 Sep 1987.