"Steven P. McNicoll" wrote in message link.net...
"WaltBJ" wrote in message
om...

What's the number of the VF squadron with the rising sun as a logo?
Are they the Sundowners?


That wouldn't make any sense at all.

The last iteration of VF-111 in 1959 adopted the insignia of the first
VF-111 whose lineage went back to VF-11, established on 1 August 1942.
The VF-11 Squadron insignia was a sun setting into the ocean being
shot down by two diving F4F's. This insignia was the official
squadron insignia for VF-11 and its successors, including both
VF-111's. The business with the "rising sun" was the marking
sometimes painted on the vertical stabilizer of some of the squadron's
later jets, F4's, F-14's and so on. Rather gaudy, but not the
official insignia. Kind of dates to the days when some thought some
of our friends on the far side of the pond might take some offense at
the implication of a sun being shot down. The name Sun Downers (note
two words, not one) had that obvious implication and also referred to,
from the days of a sailing navy, a Sun Downer which was a sailor or,
in plural, a crew that was hard working and worked until the sun set
rather than until the sun crossed the yardarm. My father was a pilot
in the original VF-11 and did the design work on the original
insignia.

The VF-11 was redesignated VF-11A on 15 November 1946 and as VF-111 on
15 July 1948. This VF-111 was disestablished on 19 January 1959.

The second VF-111 was established as VA-156 on 4 June 1956. It was
redesignated VF-111 on 20 Jan 1959. The new VF-111 adopted the
insignia of the old VF-111. The squadron was redesignated VF-26 on 1
September 1964 and then redesignated back to VF-111 on 17 September
1964. VF-111 was disestablished on 31 March 1995.

Regards,

Rich