The Navy established attack squadron 164 (VA-164) on 1 September 1960 as one of two light attack squadrons assigned to the Atlantic Fleet’s new Carrier Air Group 16 (CVG-16, later CVW-16). The Ghost Riders initially were equipped with the A4D-2 (A-4B) Skyhawk attack jet.
CVG-16 was reassigned to the Pacific Fleet a year after its establishment, and VA-164 was home-based at the new jet base of NAS Lemoore, California. The Ghost Riders departed on their first WestPac deployment in June 1962 on board the USS Oriskany (CVA-34) before upgrading to the A-4E in March 1964.
VA-164 deployed three times to the Vietnam combat zone on board the Oriskany. The Ghost Riders soon were flying strike sorties over North Vietnam. The squadron adopted the Iron Hand role, striking surface-to-air missile sites with Shrike missiles. VA-164 lost only two aircraft and one pilot during its first war deployment. The Ghost Riders lost only two A-4Es and two pilots during its intense 1966 deployment, but lost four pilots during the devastating fire that broke out on board the Oriskany in October 1966.
VA-164’s final deployment in June 1967 was the Navy’s costliest of the war in terms of combat losses. CVW-16 lost 39 aircraft (29 in combat) and 27 airmen. The Ghost Riders lost ten aircraft and five pilots to enemy action.
In March 1968, VA-164 transferred to CVW-21 on board the USS Hancock (CV-19) and returned to the war zone in July 1968, participating in the last months of the Rolling Thunder air campaign. The Ghost Riders lost one A-4E and its pilot to enemy action. Upon return, VA-164 upgraded to the A-4F, and deployed back to the war in August 1969 and October 1970, losing no aircraft to enemy action.
VA-164 flew strikes to stem the North Vietnamese April 1972 offensive and flew in the early phase of the Linebacker I operation against North Vietnam, all without loss of aircraft or pilots.
VA-164 deployed twice more on board the Hancock, operating in the Gulf of Aden during the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War, before being disestablished on 12 December 1975.
U.S. Navy (Ret.)