US Air Force - 21st TASS - Hit My Smoke

Patch - Vietnam War - Snoopy Flys

USAF - United States Air Force

Measures - 3.4 x 3 inches (8.5 x 7.5 cms)

USAF 21^st TASS – 21^st Tactical Air Support Squadron

The 21st Tactical Air Support Squadron (21st TASS) was a U.S. Air Force forward air control squadron.

It was organized on 8 May 1965 under the initial command of Lieutenant Colonel Jack Martin, and was assigned to the 2nd Air Division and attached to the 6250th Tactical Air Support Group (Provisional) at Pleiku Air Base, but it did not become operational until 1 August 1965.

On 8 November 1965, the squadron was reassigned to the 505th Tactical Control Group, which was headquartered at Tan Son Nhut Airport near Saigon.

The 505th provided administrative and logistical support to the 21st.

In September 1966 the 21st was relocated to Nha Trang Air Base where it was attached to the 14th Air Commando Wing.

On 8 December 1966, the 21st was reassigned the 504th Tactical Air Support Group.

The headquarters for the squadron remained at Nha Trang until October 1969 when it was moved to Cam Ranh Bay Air Base. Its final move was back to the 377th Air Base Wing at Tan Son Nhut on 15 March 1972.

The 21 TASS was inactivated on 23 February 1973 at Tan Son Nhut, SVN. Aircraft losses while engaged in combat were 18 O-1E, 14 O-1F, 9 O-1G, 16 O-2A, and 1 OV-10A.

Air crew casualties over the course of the war totaled at least 29 KIA, one captured and held POW, and one injured in a flying accident.

The mission of the 21st TASS was to provide visual reconnaissance and airborne forward air control support of tactical offensive operations. The area of operations assigned to the 21st was II Corps, a large and geographically mixed section of Vietnam, and at various times detachments of the squadron operated from a number of different sites within II Corps.