The most obvious difference between the F-4E and its predecessors was the gun in the nose that radically altered the front end of the Phantom. It is only fitting that when the 469th TFS got the E model they designed a patch that illustrated that they were now armed to the teeth.

Early 1950’s patch when the 514th flew the F-84 Thunderjet & F-86 Sabre at RAF Manston.

With its ray gun-toting martian/spaceman receiving earthly transmissions via his magical emerald helmet all while zooming through the heavens on his zippy jet, this patch is total 1950’s. The 147th flew F-84 Thunderstreaks when this patch was worn. The unit lost their air defense role in 1961, and with it, this fantastic patch.

 The “Martian” is a character known as “Ovacron”, the creation of a Pittsburgh disc jockey in the 1950’s. Given that the 147th was based at Pittsburgh AP, the pieces start falling in place. This info also dovetails with my thoughts: it looks like a cartoon character, and not just something thrown together in the squadron.

Jim Van Scyoc (pronounced “sock”) was to achieve unsought notoriety when, in 1961, while flying F-100’s in the New Mexico Air Guard, he accidentally shot down a B-52 while on a practice intercept. That tragic story is all over the internet, and Van Scyoc was not to blame; an electronic glitch was the culprit. Given the circumstances, it is unfortunate that this aerial “victory” represents the only air-to-air “kill” for an F-100. Suchlike, that has been the only B-52 air-to-air shootdown. In Vietnam, it was all SAM’s.

The 336th patch dates from earlier days when Van Scyoc flew F-86’s in Korea.

These patches represent the era when the 331st flew the F-102, and then the F-104.

Stationed in the less than salubrious clime of Libya, the 431st buzzed the North African skies in the mighty F-86 Sabre. 51-13168 was an F model in this squadron. Humorous anecdote: A day or so after I got this patch, I came home to find it in the mouth of my dog who was busily gnawing away. Luckily, he had only succeeded in getting it soaking wet with dog slobber – no holes or damage. Nonetheless, I aged ten years on the spot.

Massive patch; belonged to an F-102 pilot of the 509th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 405th Fighter Wing.

In 1962, the term “Fighter Wing” was rather unusual; that was the age of “Fighter Interceptor” and “Tactical Fighter” Wings (squadrons, groups, etc.) that oversaw a particular fighter with a particular mission. However, the 405th at Clark Air Base was somewhat different in that it oversaw both interceptor and tactical fighters (along with a host of other aircraft) and the generic name of the Wing reflected that fact.

We usually see the ubiquitous “Spook” figure on such a Phantom patch.  When this patch was worn, the Phixers were phixing the F-4D.