World War II

Very heavy bomber operations

B-29 Superfortress as flown by the group

Dalhart became a center for organizing Boeing B-29 Superfortress very heavy bombardment groups and the 333d was again activated there in July 1944.^[2] However, its original squadrons were not activated along with it. Instead, the 435th, 460th, and 507th Bombardment Squadrons were assigned. These three squadrons had previously been the "fourth" (highest numbered) squadrons in groups that also flew B-29s. The three squadrons had been inactivated in May 1944, when B-29 groups were reorganized to have three, rather than four squadrons.^[6] The 435th had seen combat in the Southwest Pacific Theater early in the war.^[7]

In January 1945 the group moved to Great Bend Army Air Field, Kansas, where it continued its training until June 1945. The group deployed to Okinawa as part of Eighth Air Force in the Pacific Theater. It arrived in Okinawa, but the end of the war with the defeat of Japan led to a drawdown of Eighth Air Force and the group never engaged in combat. The group helped evacuate prisoners of war from Japan to airfields in the Philippines. The unit was inactivated on Okinawa on 28 May 1946.^[2]

Vietnam War

The 633d Combat Support Group^[8] had provided support for Air Force units at Pleiku Air Base, South Vietnam since the spring of 1966. In February 1968, the 6th Air Commando Squadron, flying Douglas A-1 Skyraiders, moved to Pleiku from England Air Force Base, Louisiana and was assigned to the 14th Air Commando Wing, which was located at Nha Trang Air Base. The 633d Special Operations Wing was activated in July 1968 to act as the headquarters for both units stationed at Pleiku.^[1][9][10]

The wing engaged in special operations combat, including close air support, air escort, day and night interdiction, and visual and photographic reconnaissance from its activation until November 1969.^[1]

In November 1969 its only operational squadron was inactivated in Operation Keystone Cardinal, the first reduction in United States Air Forces combat forces as ceilings on forces in South Vietnam were reduced and the United States began to withdraw. Its Douglas A-1 Skyraiders were transferred to the 56th Special Operations Wing in Thailand.^[11] The wing managed the reduction of United States forces at Pleiku until March 1970, when it was inactivated and transferred its remaining equipment and personnel to the 6254th Air Base Squadron.

Consolidation and redesignation

In July 1985, the wing was consolidated with the 333d Bombardment Group, a World War II unit that also served in the Pacific area. The consolidated unit was designated the 333d Special Operations Wing, but has never been active under that designation.^[12]

Assignments

• 21st Bombardment Wing, 15 Jul 1942^[13]
• Probably II Bomber Command, 21 February 1943 – 1 April 1944
• Probably II Bomber Command, 7 July 1944
• 316th Bombardment Wing (later 316th Composite Wing), by 31 August 1945 – 28 May 1946^[14]
• Pacific Air Forces, 9 July 1968 (not organized)
• Seventh Air Force, 15 July 1968 – 15 March 1970^[1]

Stations

• Topeka Army Air Base, Kansas, 15 July 1942
• Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, 22 February 1943 – 1 April 1944
• Dalhart Army Air Field, Texas, 7 July 1944
• Great Bend Army Air Field, Kansas, 13 January – 18 June 1945
• Kadena Air Base, Okinawa 5 August 1945 – 28 May 1946^[16]
• Pleiku Air Base, South Vietnam, 9 July 1968 – 15 March 1970^[1]

Aircraft

• Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, 1942-1944^[2]
• Boeing B-29 Superfortress, 1944-1946^[2]
• Douglas A-1 Skyraider, 1968-1969^[1]

Campaigns and awards

Award streamer	Award	Dates	Notes
	Air Force Outstanding Unit Award with Combat "V" Device	15 July 1968 – 31 May 1969	633d Special Operations Wing[1]
	Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm	15 July 1968 – 15 March 1970	633d Special Operations Wing[1]

Campaign Streamer	Campaign	Dates	Notes
	American Theater without inscription	15 Jul 1942 – 1 April 1944, 7 July 1944-18 Jun 45	333d Bombardment Group[2]
	Asiatic–Pacific Theater without inscription	5 August 1945 – 2 March 1946	333d Bombardment Group[2]
	Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase III	9 July 1968 – 31 October 1968	633d Special Operations Wing[1]
	Vietnam Air Offensive, Phase IV	1 November 1968 – 22 February 1969	633d Special Operations Wing[1]
	Tet 1969/Counteroffensive	23 February 1969 – 8 June 1969	633d Special Operations Wing[1]
	Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969	9 June 1969 – 31 October 1969	633d Special Operations Wing[1]
	Vietnam Winter-Spring 1970	3 November 1969 – 15 March 1970	633d Special Operations Wing[1]

Bibliography

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Craven, Wesley F; Cate, James L, eds. (1955). The Army Air Forces in World War II (PDF). Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657. OCLC 704158. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

  Goss, William A. (1955). "The Organization and its Responsibilities, Chapter 2 The AAF". In Craven, Wesley F.; Cate, James L. (eds.). The Army Air Forces in World War II (PDF). Vol. VI, Men & Planes. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press. LCCN 48003657. OCLC 704158. Retrieved 17 December 2016.

• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.
• Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6. LCCN 70605402. OCLC 72556. Retrieved 17 December 2016.
• Ravenstein, Charles A. (1984). Air Force Combat Wings, Lineage & Honors Histories 1947-1977. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-12-9.
• "Project Corona Harvest, USAF Force Withdrawal from Southeast Asia 1 January 1970 – 30 June 1971 (Secret, automatically declassified 1984)" (PDF). Headquarters, Pacific Air Forces. 31 May 1972. Retrieved 5 October 2015.