374th Fighter Squadron WWII Insignia Tapestry

Established in early-1943 as a P-47 Thunderbolt fighter squadron, the 374th Fighter Squadron trained under I Fighter Command in the mid-Atlantic states. Also flew air-defense missions as part of the Philadelphia Fighter Wing. Deployed to the European Theater of Operations (ETO) as part of the 361st Fighter Group, being assigned to VIII Fighter Command in England, November 1943. The unit served primarily as an escort organization, covering the penetration, attack, and withdrawal of B-17/B-24 bomber formations that the USAAF sent against targets on the Continent. Demobilized during the summer of 1945, the wartime 374th Fighter Squadron was re-designated as the 171st Fighter Squadron, and was allotted to the Michigan Air National Guard.