[QUOTE=’Gunny’ Perdue]Scooter-

The Navy and the USMC would disband a squadron after a combat tour… and often would reconstitute another one with all new personnel and a re-use the designation…. VMF-214 is a perfect example (3 times).

VF-17 was reconstituted 3 times as well.. but only twice saw combat tours.

Under Blackburn it first served on the Bunker Hill (was detached to Ondonga)and achieved 152 kills with F-4U’s

2nd tour with Beebe as CO on the Hornet… it was a plussed up squadron with F6F’s first with 36 planes, then 54 and finally 72. After six months or so it was cut in half and VBF-17 formed of the remainder.

-VF-17 161 kills
-VBF-17 125 kills

If you would like to concatenate the kill records, be my guest. But in my opinion it doesn’t really follow… non-continuous records are not added… even in the same war.[/QUOTE]

That maybe true yet with the turn over pilots what does it matter? A USAAC Squadron would more than likely have all new pilot within a years time…….. :rolleyes: