Attack Squadron 85

Date: 1 Feb 1951 to 30 Sep 1994
Location: US 2nd Fleet, NAS Oceana, Virgina Beach, VA
Surname/tag: Military_And_War, Atkron_85, VA_85

Overview

A6A Intruder of VA-85 on board USS Kitty Hawk, Gulf of Tonkin, 1966

Wikipedia VA-85

Attack Squadron 85 started out as the 859th reserve squadron on February 1,1951, flying the Grumman TBM-3E Avenger. It was redesignated as VA-85 on February 4, 1953 and disestablished on September 30, 1994.^[1]

Its first patch was a woodpecker wearing a life vest, astride a rocket, and carrying a bomb in his hand. The second patch was a winged bomb.

On May 7, 1958 the CNO (Chief of Naval Operations) approved the Black Falcon patch that you see pictured above.

From its inception, the Black Falcons has flown two military aircraft. Three different models of the Douglas Skyraider were flown from March 1951 to March 1964.

A-1H Skyraider

This photo shows a A-1H Skyraider from the Black Falcons awaiting launch off of the USS Forrestal (CVA-59). All of the squadron's early deployments were off the Forrestal.

The squadron's second aircraft was the A-6 Intruder which included the A-6A, KA-6D aerial tanker, and A-6E.

VA-85 A6A Flight Line NAS Cubi Point, PI

The squadron flew in Vietnam, Operation Desert Storm, Somalia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, and provided support for recon missions over southern Iraq as part of Operation Southern Watch.

While flying the A-6, the Black Falcons had 30 different Commanding Officers. Some were killed in combat, one was killed in a non-combat crash, and one was a POW during the Vietnam War.

The most distinguished officer of VA-85 was a bombardier/navigator, Lieutenant (jg) Brian E. Westin. During a combat mission over North Vietnam in April 1966, Westin's pilot, Lieutenant W. R. Westerman, was seriously wounded.

Westin helped Westerman pilot the aircraft over open water in hopes of being rescued. He made sure his pilot ejected safely|| before ejecting himself from the damaged aircraft.

First to be picked up was Westin who directed the rescue helicopter to his downed pilot. When they spotted Westerman, they also spotted a shark near the bleeding pilot. Noticing that his pilot could not get into the sling, Westin dove in to help his comrade.

When it came time to retrieve Westin, the hoist malfunctioned. He waved off the helicopter so his pilot could get urgent medical attention, and waited in shark infested waters until a second helicopter arrived.

For his bravery, Westin was awarded the Navy Cross. ^[2]

Naval Air Station Assignments

NAS Niagara Falls	01 Feb 1951
NAS Jacksonville	05 Apr 1951
NAS Quonset Point	26 Sep 1951
NAS Oceana	11 Jun 1952

Aircraft

	Acquisition Date	Link to Aircraft Profile
General Motors TBM-3E Avenger	1951	TBM-3E
Douglas AD-2 Skyraider	05 Mar 1951
Douglas AD-4 Skyraider	Jul 1952
Douglas AD-6/A1-1H Skyraider	Jan 1954	A-1
Grumman A-6A Intruder	06 Mar 1964	A6-A
Grumman A-6B Intruder	1968	A6-B
Grumman A-6C Intruder	1970	A6-C
Grumman KA-6D Intruder	18 Nov 1970	KA6D
Grumman A-6E Intruder	09 Dec 1971	A6-E

Deployments

Period	Air Wing	Carrier	Ops Area
Apr 1953 - Oct 1953	CVG-8	USS Coral Sea (CVA 43)
Sep 1954 - Apr 1955	CVG-8	USS Lake Champlain (CVA 39)
Mar 1956 - Sep 1956	CVG-8	USS Intrepid (CVA 11)
Oct 1957 - Dec 1957	CVG-8	USS Ranger (CVA 61)
Mar 1958 - May 1958	CVG-8	USS Forrestal (CVA 59)
Jan 1960 - Aug 1960	CVG-8	USS Forrestal (CVA 59)
Feb 1961 - Aug 1961	CVG-8	USS Forrestal (CVA 59)
Aug 1962 - Mar 1963	CVG-8	USS Forrestal (CVA 59)
Oct 1965 - Jun 1966	CVW-11	USS Kitty Hawk (CVA 63)	Vietnam War
Nov 1966 - Jun 1967	CVW-11	USS Kitty Hawk (CVA 63)	Vietnam War
Apr 1968 - Dec 1968	CVW-6	USS America (CVA 66)	Vietnam War
Aug 1969 - May 1970	CVW-14	USS Constellation (CVA 64)	Vietnam War
Jan 1971 - Jul 1971	CVW-17	USS Forrestal (CVA 59)	Mediterranean
Sep 1972 - Jul 1973	CVW-17	USS Forrestal (CVA 59)	Mediterranean
Mar 1974 - Sep 1974	CVW-17	USS Forrestal (CVA 59)	Cyprus Evacuation
Mar 1975 - Sep 1975	CVW-17	USS Forrestal (CVA 59)
Apr 1978 - Oct 1978	CVW-17	USS Forrestal (CV 59)	Mediterranean
Nov 1979 - May 1980	CVW-17	USS Forrestal (CV 59)	Mediterranean
Mar 1981 - Sep 1981	CVW-17	USS Forrestal (CV 59)	Lebanon War
Jun 1982 - Nov 1982	CVW-17	USS Forrestal (CV 59)	Lebanon War
Apr 1983 - Jul 1983	CVW-3	USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67)	Lebanon War
Sep 1983 - May 1984	CVW-3	USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67)
Aug 1985 - Apr 1986	CVW-17	USS Saratoga (CV 60)	Mediterranean Indian Ocean
Jun 1987 - Nov 1987	CVW-17	USS Saratoga (CV 60)
Mar 1988 - May 1988	CVW-1	USS America (CV 66)
Aug 1988 - Oct 1988	CVW-17	USS Independence (CV 62)
Feb 1989 - Apr 1989	CVW-1	USS America (CV 66)
May 1989 - Nov 1989	CVW-1	USS America (CV 66)	Mediterranean Indian Ocean
Dec 1990 - Apr 1991	CVW-1	USS America (CV 66)	Operation Desert Storm
Aug 1991 - Oct 1991	CVW-1	USS America (CV 66)
Dec 1991 - Jun 1992	CVW-1	USS America (CV 66)
Aug 1993 - Feb 1994	CVW-1	USS America (CV 66)	Operation Deny Flight Operation Continue Hope Operation Southern Watch

^[3]

Combat Operations

Vietnam

Operation Desert Storm - 17 January–28 February 1991

The squadron participated in Operation Desert Storm, combat strikes against targets in Iraq and the Kuwaiti theater of operations. During this period of combat the squadron flew 585 combat sorties, consisting of 1,700 flight hours and expended over 850 tons of ordnance.

Somalia

Bosnia-Hercegovina

Member of Category: United States Navy Carrier Based Squadrons [1]]

Sources

1. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_VA-85_(U.S._Navy)
2. ↑ Military Aircraft Historian
3. ↑ Seaforces-online

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