Hello, WordPress! For the past 2+ years I’ve spent my free time researching and writing about USS Intrepid‘s Fighting Squadron 18 (VF-18). In that time I’ve corresponded with respected authors in the field of U.S. Naval History; family members of VF-18 pilots; and, in rare, magical moments, have spoken directly to the very men who populated this remarkable fighting force.

Last July I embarked on a writing project which chronicles the lives and wartime contribution of Fighting 18 pilots. I have decided to upload those stories here for wider distribution with the hope that, by making such materials publicly available, this squadron will receive some measure of long-overdue recognition for its part in the Pacific Theater of Operations.

The “Fickle Finger” insignia of Fighting Squadron 18

Cheers,

-Mike Fink