First Squadron designated VF(AW)-3 Korean War Composite Squadron 3 (VC-3) Blue Nemesis was established on 20 May 1949. VC-3 provided night fighter detachments aboard the aircraft carriers of the Pacific Fleet, flying the
F4U-5N Corsair. Its aircraft were heavily engaged in the
Korean War, and Lt.
Guy Bordelon of VC-3 became the only U.S. Navy
"ace" during the war, after shooting down his fifth enemy plane on 16 July 1953, while detached ashore from the . After the war, the
F2H-3 Banshee replaced the Corsair.
Transitional Training Unit In August 1954 VC-3 assumed a new role as a transitional training unit transitioning fleet fighter squadrons into the latest high performance jet aircraft. It was the only squadron in the Navy to operate as such and was dubbed
Cougar College,
Cutlass Classroom,
Fury Finishing School and
Crusader College as it introduced the
F9F-6 Cougar,
F7U Cutlass,
FJ Fury,
F3H Demon,
F4D Skyray,
A4D Skyhawk and
F8U Crusader to the fleet. On 1 July 1956 the squadron was redesignated
All-Weather Fighter Squadron 3 (VF(AW)-3) but it continued performing the same transitional training role it had been performing since 1954. The squadron was disestablished on 2 May 1958 when the specialized transitional training the squadron performed was no longer needed.
Second Squadron designated VF(AW)-3 Night Fighter Development and Training The second squadron designated VF(AW)-3 was established on 22 May 1944 as the "Navy Air Training Unit-Pacific (NATUPAC)" at
Naval Air Station Barbers Point,
Hawaii. Following
World War II, it was redesignated "Night Development Squadron Pacific" on 6 April 1946. Two years later, it was redesignated "Fighter All Weather Training Unit Pacific (FAWTUPAC)". Among other aircraft flown by the squadron was the Navy's first jet powered, radar equipped carrier based night fighter, the
F3D-2 Skyknight. In 1957, the squadron began transitioning to the
F4D-1 Skyray, receiving its first six aircraft during that year. When the transition was complete, the squadron was equipped with 25 F4Ds, based at
Naval Air Station North Island at
San Diego,
California.
Continental Air Defense role On 2 May 1958 when the transitional training unit designated VF(AW)-3 was disestablished, Fleet All Weather Training Unit Pacific was redesignated
All Weather Fighter Squadron 3 (VF(AW)-3) and it along with its F4D Skyrays assumed a continental air defense role assigned to the 27th Air Division of the
United States Air Force at
Norton Air Force Base. Radar coverage was provided by an Air Force early warning radar site on
Mount Laguna, code-named "Anderson." In the late 1950s, the squadron averaged one or two actual scrambles and two or three training sorties per day. VF(AW)-3 consistently outperformed USAF interceptor squadrons in scramble time and intercept effectiveness. VFAW-3 won NORAD's "best performing unit" trophy, twice. On 29 March 1957, LtCdr Patrick F. Cunningham had an in-flight emergency and had to bail out of his A4D-1 fighter (BuNo 139924) over
San Joaquin Valley,
California. In response to the
Second Taiwan Strait Crisis, VF(AW)-3 aircraft deployed to Taiwan in 1958.
Cuban Missile Crisis After the
Cuban Revolution, VF(AW)-3 also provided a detachment of six aircraft ("Detachment Echo") at
Naval Air Station Key West,
Florida, in 1961, under control of the
Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD). The crews were rotated every eight weeks. In January 1962, after Cuba had received
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 fighters, VF(AW)-3 kept four F4Ds on five-minute alert at all times. From 24 October to 31 December 1962, Detachment Echo of VF(AW)-3 received the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal for participating in the
Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962; at
NAS Key West. VF(AW)-3 was disestablished in April 1963. ==Aircraft==