World War II It was first activated as the
326th Fighter Squadron and served as an air defense and operational training unit until 1 March 1944, and then a replacement training unit until 31 March 1944. The 326th Squadron upgraded to
Convair F-102 Delta Dagger aircraft, armed with
AIM-4 Falcon Air-to-air missiles by June 1957. On 22 October 1962, before President
John F. Kennedy told Americans that missiles were in place in Cuba, the squadron dispersed one third of its force, equipped with nuclear tipped missiles to
Central Nebraska Regional Airport at the start of the
Cuban Missile Crisis. These planes returned to Richards-Gebaur after the crisis. However, Starting on 19 December 1962, the squadron established a detachment of fighters at
Homestead Air Force Base, Florida. This operation ended on 15 February 1963. For one year, a similar detachment was established at
Naval Air Station Key West, Florida, from 1 August 1965 until 1 July 1966. From 1966 until inactivation, the 326th maintained a detachment at Grand Island Municipal Airport, Nebraska.
Lineage • Constituted as the
326th Fighter Squadron on 24 June 1942 : Activated on 10 July 1942 • Disbanded on 31 March 1944 • Reconstituted, and redesignated
326th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 23 March 1953 : Activated on 18 December 1953 : Inactivated on 2 January 1967
Assignments •
328th Fighter Group, 10 July 1942 – 31 March 1944 •
4676th Air Defense Group, 18 December 1953 • 328th Fighter Group, 18 August 1955 •
328th Fighter Wing, 1 February 1961 – 2 January 1967
Stations •
Hamilton Field, California, 10 July 1942 •
Santa Rosa Army Air Field, California, 13 December 1943 – 31 March 1944 •
Fairfax Field, Kansas, 18 December 1953 •
Grandview Air Force Base (later Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base), Missouri, 1 March 1954 – 2 January 1967
Aircraft •
Bell P-39 Airacobra, 1942–1944 • North American F-86D Sabre, 1953–1957 • Convair F-102 Delta Dagger, 1957–1967 ==References==