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John Thomas Blackburn (January 24, 1912 – March 21, 1994) was an American naval aviator, World War II flying ace, and the first commanding officer of the famed F4U Corsair squadron VF-17 Jolly Rogers.
In December 1942, he received orders to form and command Fighting Squadron 17 (VF-17) which was to serve on the new Essex-class carrier Bunker Hill. Reporting to Norfolk, Virginia on Jan. 1, 1943, he began to organize his new command.
- California
- Captain
- United States
- June 24, 1912
Jun 27, 2022 · Fighter Squadron 17 (VF-17), known as the 'Jolly Rogers' was formed in January 1943 in Norfolk, VA. Their leader was Lt. Cdr. Tom Blackburn. He was everything you would expect in a tough, hard-driving WW2 fighter pilot.
- Web Wizard
Tom Blackburn always stressed teamwork and led the squadron to a Navy Unit Commendation and made the “Skull and Crossbones Squadron” one of the most successful squadron’s in the annals of air warfare.
Jan 1, 1989 · In January 1943 Blackburn is ordered to form the VF - 17, the second fighter squadron to receive the new Corsair fighter, known as the "Hog" as it was as tricky to handle "as a hog on ice." Blackburn's squadron was posted on and around Guadalcanal from October 1943 to March 1944.
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- Tom Blackburn
Mar 13, 1988 · In only 76 days of combat, Blackburn's Jolly Rogers downed a record 154 enemy warplanes, and Blackburn himself emerged as one of VF-17’s leading aces with eleven aerial combat victories to his credit.
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Jun 18, 2009 · The Jolly Rogers is the true story of one of the U.S. Navy's foremost World War II fighter squadrons, VF-17, and its charismatic commander, fighter ace Tom Blackburn. In his action-packed war memoir and unit history, Blackburn describes VF-17's intense, winning campaign against the Japanese over the northern Solomon Islands and Rabaul in late ...
- Paperback
- Tom Blackburn, Eric Hammel
