History
Activated in early 1941 by the Army Air Corps as a medium bomber squadron during the pre-war mobilization by the United States. Performed coastal patrols as part of First Air Force with B-18 Bolos and early-model B-26 Marauders.
Deployed to Australia in early 1942 to reinforce Fifth Air Force after its withdrawal to Australia. Re-equipped with B-25 Mitchell medium bombers and flew missions from Northern Queensland over New Guinea. Moved to forward airfields in New Guinea and followed MacArthur's advance along the northern coast of the island into the Netherlands East Indies flying tactical bombardment missions against Japanese strong points and airfields. Moved to Luzon, Philippines, as part of the United States liberation forces in 1945, then moved to Okinawa during the summer in preparation for the Invasion of Japan. Moved to Japan and became part of the Occupation Forces. Inactivated in 1949 due to budget reductions.
Reactivated in France in 1953 as a NATO B-57 light bombardment squadron, equipped for night bombardment with nuclear weapons. Moved to West Germany in 1958 as a MGM-1 Matador tactical missile squadron when the unit was ordered out of France. Remained as a tactical missile unit until 1966 when the Mace was retired.
Read more about this topic: 405th Tactical Missile Squadron
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“As I am, so shall I associate, and so shall I act; Caesar’s history will paint out Caesar.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
“Let us not underrate the value of a fact; it will one day flower in a truth. It is astonishing how few facts of importance are added in a century to the natural history of any animal. The natural history of man himself is still being gradually written.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“There is nothing truer than myth: history, in its attempt to “realize” myth, distorts it, stops halfway; when history claims to have “succeeded” this is nothing but humbug and mystification. Everything we dream is “realizable.” Reality does not have to be: it is simply what it is.”
—Eugène Ionesco (b. 1912)