fighter

Nice photo!

From a George Retelas February, 2022 Facebook post (Found by my Google search for Keith Diz Laird): Dean S. "Diz" Laird (born February 7, 1921) is the only U.S. Navy ace to have combat victories in both the Pacific and European theaters of World War II. In this new short film I produced for the USS Hornet Museum, Diz recalls his first combat flight in a F4F Wildcat with VF-4 "The Red Rippers" against the German Luftwaffe (a Junkers Ju-88 and a Heinkel He-115) on October 4, 1943 near Norway. He later added three more strikes against Japanese aircraft in the Pacific theater in a F6F Hellcat to become an "Ace". Diz Laird currently volunteers as a docent aboard the USS Hornet Museum where the ship has restored an FM-2 Wildcat that was recovered from the bottom of Lake Michigan. "Two Down, Three to Go" (5min): youtu.be/CtVOnYvv4Uw USS Hornet - Sea, Air and Space Museum American Fighter Aces Association & Friends The Tailhook Association Naval History & Heritage Command U.S. Naval Air Forces The Red Rippers

"Keith Diz Laird" pilot fighter Ace WW2 "World War II" "Diz Laird" "USS Hornet Museum" "F4F Wildcat" "VF-4 Red Rippers" "F6F Wildcat" "Pacific Theater" "European Theater" "German Luftwaffe" "Japanese" docent "FM-2 Wildcat" "USS Hornet - Sea, Air and Space Museum American Fighter Aces Association & Friends"

Is there possibly a date somewhere together with this shot? Stig

Stig Jarlevik no luck. Total mystery shot

A pity What I can see is a VF-102 F-14A coded AB102 in a scheme it carried when new to the unit (from 1981). The code is only carried on the inside of the twin rudders and in its place there is a large diamond with the Rattle Snake symbol (Diamond Back) which could mean the photo is from 1985 in celebration of the units 30 years in existence since it reformed in 1955. Stig

Stig Jarlevik The jet is an F-14B (note the F110-GE-400 burner cans and GRU-7 ejection seats) and the photo was taken during VF-102's last cruise with the F-14, aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) (note the 'TR' under the CVW-1 tail code, 'AB') in the Persian Gulf as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. That cruise was the only one which saw VF-102 deployed aboard Big Teddy, and ran from September 2001 to March 2002.

Hawk914 Very interesting Hawk, thanks! Anything on why the colors basically reverted to what they had in the early/mid 1980s? I guess I was too fixed on that.....😮