Flinn, William, ATCS

The U.S. Navy fighter squadron VF-194 was established as VF-91 on 26 March 1952 and equipped with the Grumman F9F-2 Panther. The squadron was assigned to Carrier Air Group 9 (CVG-9) and made its first deployment on theUSS Philippine Sea (CVA-47) from December 1952 to August 1953 to Korea and the Western Pacific. In 1954 the squadron exchanged their Panthers for the swept wing Grumman F9F-6 Cougar. Between 11 May 1954 and 12 December 1954 VF-91 circumnavigated the world aboard the USS Hornet (CVA-12). From February to June 1956 VF-91 made its next deployment on the USS Oriskany (CVA-34), this time equipped with the F9F-8 Cougar.

The F9F-8s were replaced by the North American FJ-3 Fury in 1957 and the squadron made a Western Pacific cruise aboard the USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) between September 1957 and April 1958.

In 1959 VF-91 transitioned to the Vought F-8C Crusader and made three deployments aboard the USS Ranger (CVA-61) between 1960 and 1963.

On 1 August 1963 VF-91 was redesignated VF-194 and reassigned to Carrier Air Wing Nineteen. Between 1964 and 1973 VF-194 made eight deployments to the Vietnam War, two aboard the USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31) (1964, 1965/66), two aboard the Ticonderoga (1966/67, 1967/68) and the last four aboard the Oriskany. During these deployments the squadron flew the F-8E from 1965 to 1968 and then the F-8J. After the end of the US involvement in Vietnam in 1973, VF-194 made another two cruises to the Western Pacific aboard the Oriskany. VF-194 and its sister squadron VF-191 were the last US Navy fighter squadrons equipped with the F-8 Crusader.

When the Oriskany was retired as the last active Essex-class carrier, VF-194 received the McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom in 1976. Together with VF-191 the squadron was reassigned to Carrier Air Wing Fifteen. However, after only one deployment aboard the USS Coral Sea (CV-43) the squadron was disestablished on 1 March 1978.

On 1 December 1986 a new VF-194 was established, which claimed the unit's name and markings. After training withVF-124 the squadron was due to deploy onboard the USS Independence (CV-62) flying the Grumman F-14A Tomcat as part of CVW-10. However, VF-194 was disbanded on 30 April 1988, before the cruise could take place.

Best Moment
Being a VF-194 Plank Owner and helping stand up a new unit.  We got to build the squadron from scratch with hand-picked people.

Worst Moment
Finding out that our squadron was being decommissioned.  We hadn't even been a unit for two full years before they decided to pull the plug on our air wing.