Nimitz (CVN 68) - Naval Cruise Book

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...,1.... -....- ..v ,.,, - -- f-----wr-rf,...-,,V , - 356 The Attack squadron EIGHTY six, ivA-sei, gas CQHF ' all' missioned in February 1951 and flew the F4U ' ors during the Korean Conflict. B rcat the Sidewinders transi- After flying the F8F ea , H . tioned to their first jet aircraft, the F9F Panther in 1953. Two years later Attack Squadron EIGHTY SIX, QVA-iii, was flying the F7U Cutlass , otherwise known' as t e Ensi n Eater . ln 1957 the squadron received it's first Q A4D Skyhawk which it flew for the next ten years. On June 1, 1967, VA-86 became the first fleet operation- al squadron of A7A's in the Navy. ln it's history, VA-86 has deployed aboard eleven differ- ent aircraft carriers to the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, the North Atlantic, Western Pacific, and indian Oceans. ln October 1962, VA-86 was aboard the USS Lexington participating in the Cuban Blockade. ln May 1965, the squadron deployed aboard USS Independence for its first of four combat cruises to Southeast Asia. The Sidewind- ers were aboard USS America in the Tonkin Gulf when the Paris Peace Accords were signed and our POW's released. The VA-86 Sidewinders currently fly the A-7E Corsiar ll for the USS Nimitz and CVW-8 team. This sophisticated single-engine, single seat light attack bomber is flown and maintained by twenty officers and 270 enlisted personnel. Their mission is to conduct air-to-surface attack oper- ations with the full spectrum of air delivered U.S. Navy weapons. The Sidewinders of VA-86 do it better than anyone else, as is evident by their being awarded the Com- gngasnzder, Naval Air Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet Battle E for As a part of the Nimitz Team, the Sidewinders of VA-86 stand ready to defend America's interests, anytime-any- where. knou 5

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CDR C.S. Abbot CDR Fl. Castor CDR G. Pike LCDR R. Klosterman LT J.L. Green LT R. Heinicke LT J. Herbig LT D.J. Reilly LT M.L. Shankle LT PLL. Thayer LT K. Little LT D. Washutka A , LCDR C. Perry LCDR K. Winters LT W, Fennecken LM, LT S. Morrison LT H.J. Osborne LT A, peters LTJG R. Rolf LTJG C. Zingler CWO2 T. Hinds 358 AVCM Fl. Elliott YAFCM L. Hartsfield AECS J. Hanson AQCS J. MYSFS ATLS M. Wagers T ADCS E Williams