World War II The
764th Bombardment Squadron was activated at
Wendover Field, Utah on 1 July 1943 as one of the four original
squadrons of the
461st Bombardment Group. After training with
Consolidated B-24 Liberators under
Second and
Fourth Air Forces in the United States, the squadron departed for the
Mediterranean Theater of Operations on New Year's Day of 1944. The squadron arrived at its combat station,
Torretto Airfield, Italy by the end of February 1944. The squadron was engaged primarily in the
strategic bombing campaign against Germany, attacking communications, industrial facilities and other enemy strategic targets in Austria, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania and Yugoslavia. It participated in the campaign against
Axis petroleum production with attacks against facilities at
Most, Czechoslovakia;
Blechhammer, Germany; and
Moosbierbaum and
Vienna in Austria. It received a
Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for an attack on petroleum facilities at
Ploiești, Romania on 15 July 1944, when it heavily damaged its objective, despite clouds and smoke obscuring the target and opposition by
flak and
interceptors. Officer
cadre for the squadron was drawn from the
4th Tow Target Squadron at
George Air Force Base, California. Facilities at Hill required development and combat readiness training did not begin until July 1954. The wing trained in
light bomber operations and participated in exercises, including simulated deployments. In January 1955, the unit began to receive B-57s and was fully equipped by the end of the year. However, Hill's parking and hangar space was inadequate for the B-57s and even as they began to arrive, the unit anticipated a move to
Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas, which was being developed by the
Corps of Engineers for reopening in 1955. In October 1955, the squadron moved from Hill to Blytheville. The squadron inactivated in January 1958 as
Tactical Air Command, under budget pressures, prepared to transfer Blytheville to
Strategic Air Command (SAC). SAC wings were organized under the dual deputy system, so the squadron was assigned directly to the 461st Wing, rather than to a group. The squadron continued the mission of strategic bombardment training. It participated in exercises and operational readiness inspections at the direction of SAC. In addition, in January 1968, announcement was made that Amarillo would close at the end of the year. The squadron's last operational B-52 was transferred to another unit on 21 January 1968, and the squadron inactivated on 25 March. ==Lineage==