340th Fighter Squadron (340th FS) "Minutemen"
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 5th Air Force (5th AF), 348th Fighter Group (348th FG)

Background
On September 24, 1942 constituted as the 340th Fighter Squadron (340th BS) in the 348th Fighter Group (348th FG). Nicknamed Minutemen. The squadron motif was a figure wearing flying goggles and a long red cape shooting a Thompson submachine gun atop a lighting bolt over a white disc with a light blue border. On September 30, 1942 activated at Mitchell Field in New York and the same day moved to Bradley Field in Bradley, CT. On October 30, 1942 moved to Westover Field in MA. On January 23, 1943 moves to Hillsgrove in Rhode Island. On April 26, 1943 returns to Westover Field. On May 9, 1943 departs overseas to the South West Pacific Area (SWPA).

Wartime History
On June 23, 1943 arrives 5 Mile Drome (Wards) near Port Moresby equipped with the P-47D Thunderbolt.

On August 28, 1944 lost is P-47D Thunderbolt crashed at Redscar.

On October 1, 1943 lost is P-47D "Carter's Li'l Pil" 42-8066  pilot Lt. Wallace M. Harding (survived) force landed into Waigani Swamp north of Port Moresby.

On December 13, 1943 moves to Finschafen Airfield on the north coast of New Guinea.

On March 13, 1944 moves to Saidor Airfield on the north coast of New Guinea.

On May 26, 1944 the squadron moves to Wakde Airfield on Wakde Island off the north coast of New Guinea.

On August 24, 1944 moves to Noemfoor Island off the north coast of New Guinea.

On September 6, 1944 lost is P-47 pilot McDougal (MIA) on a bombing mission over Kahoe on Halmahera and was shot down by anti-aircraft fire.

On November 30, 1944 moves to Tacloban Airfield on Leyte in the Philippines.

On December 14, 1944 moves to Tanauan Airfled on Leyte in the Philippines.

On February 4, 1945 moves to San Marcelino Airfield on Luzon in the Philippines.

On May 15, 1945 moves to Floridablanca Airfiled on Luzon in the Philippines and converts to the P-51D Mustang.

On July 9, 1945 moves to Ie Shima Airfield on Ie Shima off Okinawa.

On September 9, 1945 moves to Kanoya Airfield in Japan.

On October 20, 1945 moves to Itami Airfield in Japan. On May 10, 1946 inactivated.

Awards
Distinguished Unit Citation New Britain December 16-31, 1943
Distinguished Unit Citation Philippines December 24, 1944
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation

References
Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II (1982) pages 421-422 (340th FS) [PDF pages 433-434]
Kearby's Thunderbolts The 348th Fighter Group in World War II (1992) details the 348th FG
Kearby's Thunderbolts The 348th Fighter Group in World War II (1997) details the 348th FG
Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 26 Mustang and Thunderbolt Aces of the Pacific and CBI (1999) includes profiles of 348th FG pilots