524th Fighter Squadron

524th Special Operations Squadron
524th Fighter Squadron F-16C Fighting Falcon 88-0528
Active	1941–1945; 1946–2007; 2009–present
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Type	Special Operations
Nickname(s)	Hounds of Heaven
Engagements	World War II Korean War Operation Southern Watch Operation Iraqi Freedom
Decorations	Distinguished Unit Citation Air Force Outstanding Unit Award Philippine Republic Presidential Unit Citation Korean Presidential Unit Citation
Insignia
524th Special Operations Squadron Emblem (approved 21 January 1955)

The 524th Special Operations Squadron is an active squadron of the United States Air Force, based at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, with the 27th Special Operations Wing.

The squadron was first activated by General Headquarters Air Force in early 1941 as the 11th Reconnaissance Squadron, attached to the 27th Bombardment Group at Hunter Field, Georgia and equipped with Douglas B-18 Bolo Light bombers. In August the squadron was redesignated the 91st Bombardment Squadron and was assigned directly to the 27th Group. On 21 October the squadron was ordered to the Philippines in response to the growing crisis in the Pacific and it sailed on 1 November.

The squadron arrived at Fort William McKinley in the Philippines and prepared for delivery of its A-24 Banshee dive bombers, however when the Imperial Japanese Army attacked the Philippines in December the situation had not changed. Unknown to the men of the squadron, to avoid capture or destruction of their aircraft, the ship carrying the planes was diverted to Australia. Members of the squadron flew to Australia to pick up their A-24s from the USAT Meigs. However, because swift Japanese advance prevented the airmen in Australia from returning to the Philippines, these members of the air echelon of the 27th group were ordered to operate from Brisbane.

The ground echelon of the 27th was evacuated south from Luzon on 25 December to the Bataan Peninsula, arriving to form the 2nd Battalion (27th Bombardment Group), Provisional Infantry Regiment (Air Corps). For the 99 days following the attack on Pearl Harbor until their surrender to the Japanese after the Battle of Bataan, the men of the squadron and other ground elements of the 27th Bombardment Group and other Air Corps units in the Philippines became the only Air Force units in history to fight as an infantry regiment and to be captured as a unit. After surrendering, they were forced to endure the infamous Bataan Death March. Of the 880 or so Airmen who were taken prisoner, fewer than half survived captivity. However, a number of officers and enlisted men of the 27th Bomb Group were evacuated out of the Philippines in five United States Navy submarines just before it was overrun by the Japanese during April. On the night of 3 May 1942 these subs managed to sneak into Manila Bay and evacuate American personnel from Corregidor to Java and Fremantle, Western Australia. The squadron continued to participate in combat in the Southwest Pacific 4 May 1942.