VF-143 and VF-144 F-4B Phantom marking oddity

Started by Wes Pennest · 4 ≡ · ↻ 10 months ago
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    Wes Pennest said 10 months ago:

    I just picked up the Bravo Mig Killers Pt. 1 decal sheet from Furball and there's something weird.

    The emblem of VF-143 is the "Pukin' Dog" griffon, which we all know and love; but NH 406 / 158430 of VF-114 "Aardvarks" has the "Pukin' Dog" griffon on the fuselage side with an "E" device inside, underneath "Commander Carrier Division Seven". There's no information about this jet on the info sheet (The only jets the sheet actually has info about are: NL-215, NK-311, NG-602, NF-100, NF-110, NF-102, NL-100, NL-110, and NL-113) Why are there two different squadron emblems on this one jet? Was VF-143 the prior squadron of this plane's crew? What's the story here?

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    John S Walton said 10 months ago:

    In the Navy the "E" stood for excellence.Different colors for different reasons.My destroyer had a green"E" for operations dept.,which I was involved with as I was a radarman.

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    David Odenwald said 10 months ago:

    If Wiki is to be believed, VF-114 did not score a victory in Vietnam until 20 Dec 1966 when an F-4B bagged an AN-2 with an AIM-7.

    As for the VF-143 on the side, in 1964 was VF-143 on Yankee Station and this VF-114 Phantom landed on the wrong carrier to get 'zapped' by the World Famous Pukin Dogs?

    There has to be a good sea story behind these markings.

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    Wes Pennest said 10 months ago:

    So the plot thickens. Apparently BuNo 158430 is actually a Douglas A4-M Skyhawk that's currently on a pole in Sequatchie Memorial Park in Dunlap, TN. As near as I can determine, the 148-151 prefix of BuNos was designated for Phantoms, and there IS photographic record of a 148430 belonging to VF-114 trapping aboard the USS Kitty Hawk in 1962 but without the Pukin' Dog or the "Commander Carrier Division Seven" on it.
    (I can't download the picture so I'll just paste the link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/skyhawkpc/11345109073)

    Then in 1964, 148430 reappears as AH 71 from VF-161, in a squadron photo at China Lake.
    (again, can't download the picture so here's the link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/skyhawkpc/51974994237)

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