VF-74 (Be-Devilers): A United States Navy fighter squadron established on 16 April 1945 as Bombing Fighting Squadron 20 (VBF-20) at Naval Air Station Wildwood, New Jersey, initially flying the F4U Corsair. Nicknamed the “Be-Devilers,” it was redesignated VF-10A on 15 November 1946, VF-92 on 12 August 1948, and VF-74 on 15 January 1950, eventually basing at NAS Oceana, Virginia. The squadron transitioned through aircraft including the F6F Hellcat, F8F Bearcat, F4U-4 Corsair, F2H Banshee or F9F Cougar, F4D Skyray, F-4 Phantom II (first operational squadron in 1961), and F-14 Tomcat (A and B models, first fleet squadron with F-14B in 1988). VF-74 participated in combat during the Korean War (1952 aboard USS Bon Homme Richard with over 1,500 sorties), Vietnam War (1967 aboard USS Forrestal, impacted by the 1967 fire; 1972-1973 aboard USS America), the 1985 Achille Lauro hijacking interception, 1986 operations against Libya (Attain Document and El Dorado Canyon), Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm (1990-1991 aboard USS Saratoga), and support for UN operations in Yugoslavia (1992). The squadron was disestablished on 30 April 1994.
