Attack Squadron 144 (VA-144) originally was established as VA-116 on 1 December 1955 at NAS Miramar, California. Equipped with F7U-3M Cutlass fighters, VA-116 first deployed in April 1957 with Air Task Group Two on board the USS Hancock (CVA-19). On this deployment the squadron flew patrols off Taiwan during the Formosa Straits crisis.
In October 1957, VA-116 switched to the FJ-4B Fury attack aircraft and in 1958 became a unit of Carrier Air Group 14 (CVG-14). That year the squadron sailed on board the USS Ranger (CVA-61) during the new carrier's transit around Cape Horn to its home port in Alameda, California.
Redesignated VA-144, the squadron deployed to the Western Pacific three times before moving to NAS Lemoore, California, in May 1962 and upgrading to the A4D-2N (A-4C) Skyhawk attack aircraft. After one more peacetime deployment to the Western Pacific on board the USS Constellation (CVA-64), VA-144's second deployment on board the carrier took it to war over Vietnam in 1964. The Roadrunners participated in Yankee Team operations over Laos.
The Roadrunners were on hand to respond to the Tonkin Gulf incident in August 1964 and launched retaliatory strikes against Hon Gay, a port in North Vietnam. VA-144 lost one A-4C to enemy fire, and its pilot, Lieutenant (j.g.) Everett Alvarez, became the first American naval POW of the Vietnam War.
Between 1965 and 1970, VA-144 made five more deployments to the war zone: once with A-4Cs with Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW-5) on board the USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14); once each with A-4Cs and A-4Es with CVW-11 on board the USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63); and once each with A-4Es and A-4Fs with CVW-5 on board the USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31). The Roadrunners participated in successful strikes against the Haiphong Thermal Powerplant and Kep Airfield. During its war deployments, VA-144 lost a total of six pilots (three killed and three captured) and five A-4Cs and four A-4Es to enemy action. VA-144 was disestablished on 29 January 1971.
U.S. Navy (Retired)