The heritage of the 116th Bomb Wing can be traced to Mitchell Field, New York, where it was formed on 28 September 1942, flying the P-47 Thunderbolt. Shortly afterwards on 1 October 1942, it was redesignated as the 353rd Fighter Group and assigned to 8th Air Force. The new unit flew missions in support of the D-Day landings in Normandy during WWII and participated in the Ardennes, Northern France, Central Europe, and Rhineland Campaigns. The 353rd was honored with a Distinguished Unit Citation (DUC) for actions over Holland in 1944 and finished the war with 35 aces and over 300 kills of enemy aircraft. Fact sheet |
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