673rd Bombardment Squadron (673rd BS) "Flying Cowboys"
U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), 5th Air Force (5th AF), 417th Bombardment Group (417th BG)

Background
On March 23, 1943 constituted as 673rd Bombardment Squadron (Light) in the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF). Nicknamed "Flying Cowboys". On March 28, 1943 activated in the 417th Bombardment Group (417th BG) "Sky Lancers" at Will Rogers Field, Oklahoma operating the DB-7 Boston and later A-20 Havoc. On August 4, 1943 moves to DeRidder Army Air Base in Louisiana. On December 10, 1943 departs overseas for the South West Pacific Area (SWPA).

Wartime History
On January 28, 1944 arrives at Cape Sudest in New Guinea. On February 3, 1944 moves Cape Sudest to Dobodura. On March 25, 1944 flew their first combat mission. On April 14, 1944 moves to Saidor Airfield.

On May 22, 1944 lost is B-25D "Torrid Tessie The Terror" 41-29692 (MIA) pilot 1st Lt Edward V. Atwell, Jr. on an administrative flight from Nadzab Airfield bound for Saidor Airfield and went Missing In Action (MIA). The crash site was found in 1959 and remains recovered by American Graves Registration Service (AGRS) and buried in a group burial, case resolved.

On September 8, 1944 moves from Saidor Airfield to Kornasoren Airfield on Noemfoor Island.

On December 6, 1944 moves to Tacloban Airfield on Leyte. On December 22, 1944 moves to San Jose Airfield on Mindoro.

On March 19, 1945 lost was A-20G Havoc 43-22155 pilot 1st Lt. Ralph M. Jennings on a low level strafing mission against Bacold on Negros and returning had engine trouble and ditched off Panay, pilot missing and gunner rescued.

On March 27, 1945 lost was C-47A "Windy City" 43-16011 pilot Captain Eldred E. Kellogg (MIA) took off from Garbutt Field at Townsville on a flight bound for Finschafen Airfield with 24 crew and passengers, most from the 417th BG went Missing In Action (MIA).

On August 18, 1945 moves to Okinawa.

On November 4, 1945 moves to Itami Airfield in Japan. On November 15, 1945 inactivated.

Awards
Distinguished Unit Citation Philippines December 30, 1944–January 2, 1945
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation

References
417th Bomb Group The Sky Lancers [417th BG Yearbook]
Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II (1982) page 701 (673rd Bombardment) [PDF pages 713]

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