Why the ZZ at Kadena?

[Guest Xtndr50boom]

Heard a story while ago that the 18th wing at Kadena can never come back to the states because they disgraced themselves in WW2 or the korean war. Something about leaving their enlisted to get captured by the enemy. That's also why their tailcode is ZZ, the absolute last they could have.

Does anyone know what actually happened? If so, was it a specific sqdn, or the entire wing?

[LJ Driver]

I heard this:

When they were based in Korea, they evacuated the base so fast that they left half the ground personnel there. MacArthur decided that they would wear yellow chickens on their patches and have ZZ for a tail flash, until they distinguish themselves in a war...

Don't know how true it is, but makes for good rumor mill fodder.

[Guest 35AoA]

i'd also like to ask why the 67th fighter squadron in the 18th wing use the callsign "c0ck", yet still use the "so to speak" with everything else ... kinda funny to listen to them in a brief, "craniums up on RTB, they'll be some fighters to your stern, and make sure you call C0ck Ops with your status" ... made me giggle like a little 1st grader (not really)

i enjoy watching AF guys cringe when i throw out a "rear", "over-head", "box", "c0ck-pit", etc, LOL, comical, like little kids, amazes me

[ 03. July 2005, 01:33: Message edited by: 35AoA ]

[Guest Rainman A-10]

I've heard the ZZ coward story, too. I had a squadron cc who was in that wing who talked about it but I don't remember the exact details. He had a wing history book and it had pictures of all the crew chiefs hanging from the rafters in the hanger or somewhere.

Not everyone does the STS bullsh!t. I think it is stupid and gay. I hit the wall this spring at Red Flag when I realized the mass brief took an extra 5-10 minutes because of all the so to speaks.

The A-10 community has stayed away from it but I have heard it creeping in recently. No one where I work does it. Cranium and container, yes. STS, nfw.

[Hacker]

Originally posted by 35AoA:

i'd also like to ask why the 67th fighter squadron in the 18th wing use the callsign "c0ck",

A little thread hijack...

Back around '02 I was out at Nellis for WIC support, and the Cocks were flying red air for the F-15E division. For some reason on this particular day, my 2-ship was tasked to tag along with the red air 4-ship to go against the WUGs.

They used the callsign "C0ck"...and gave my 2-ship of F-15Es the callsign "Beaver"!! The call to tower that "C0ck MARSA Beaver" was #1 for takeoff was funny enough, but on the Highway Departure, as we passed Indian Springs, we checked in with Range Control as "C0ck and Beaver"!

The controller paused a sec, and when he keyed the mic you could hear that he was laughing...

Controller: "Say again callsign for range entry??"

C0CK 01: "That's <extra enunciation> C0CK and BEAVER for the XXXX range time."

Controller: <laughing even harder> "Copy C0CK and BEAVER....heh, cleared scheduled, cleared tactical!"

[Guest Xtndr50boom]

Thanks for the insight everybody. Pretty sobering thought

[Beaver]

That callsign rules.

[Guest ShadowNav090]

I'm here at Kadena and we call they're patch the Surrendering Chicken

The whole 18th wing's tail flash is ZZ. So It would have to be the whole wing.

Cheers

-R 17

[Wolf Pack]

I was stationed at Kunsan AB Korea. We have been told this story. 

During the Korean war they we over ran by the North Koreans the base buged out and only ones left were the pilots and the crew chiefs. As crew chief's were getting the planes ready for launch they begged the pilots to take them with them. The pilots used their 9 mm and told the crew chief to get off their planes. 

Thus leaving all the crew chief behind to be captured. The crew chief were strung up by safety wire in the hanger. 

This hanger is still in use by the South Koreans. They never close the door 100%. 

They were given the lowest destination a squadron could have ZZ for their cowdness. And they could never go back to the USA until they prove themselves in war. 

I am not sure if the proved themselves during the Gulf war  or not I hope someone can fill this in.

So their patch looks like a chicken running with his hands up and a piece of safety wire wrapped around his leg.

[Muscle2002]

According to the Kadena Air Base historian, none of the above is true.  

[matmacwc]

I knew it wasn't, but it's fun watching the rumors.  However, the crew chief thing is fact.

[17D_guy]

Weird to see Rainman on here as a Guest account due to the update.  Hope he's doing well.

[Breckey]

On 8/29/2017 at 7:18 PM, Wolf Pack said:

During the Korean war they we over ran by the North Koreans the base buged out and only ones left were the pilots and the crew chiefs. As crew chief's were getting the planes ready for launch they begged the pilots to take them with them. The pilots used their 9 mm and told the crew chief to get off their planes. 

For one the 9mm was not a US sidearm caliber until the 1980s.

[brickhistory]

For another, the 12th (was part of 18th WG during my time in mid-1990s*), the 44th, and the 67th all flew combat missions during Vietnam.

Guess that's not called a "real war."

Might get another chance fairly soon...

 

 

*AWESOME assignment

[matmacwc]

So you're familiar with the story.

[JimNtexas]

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth I was in what was then called the 67th Tactical Fighter Squadron. I heard variations of the ground staff hanging from the rafters story, but never heard anyone say anything about the Wing getting the ZZ tail code because of cowardice.  The prevailing story was ZZ symbolized Kadena as being the end of the world.

Unlike the 67th 'Fighting C0cks' Disney designed patch, the 18th Wing patch really did look like a surrendering chicken.  Maybe there is something to the legend.