The last crusade...

After twelve years, the last Crusader cruise took place in the autumn of 1975 with VF-191 and VF-194 aboard the Oriskany. Following the completion of that cruise, March 1976, the USS Oriskany was decommissioned and the last of the gunfighters were retired from the fleet and transferred to the storage facility at Davis Monthan AFB.

Phinal Phantoms

In 1976, VF-191 transitioned to the McDonnell F-4J Phantom. Although the Phantom II was to be in service with the US Navy up towards the end of the 1980's, that of VF-191 was nearly over. In February 1977, VF-191 embarked on a single cruise aboard the USS Coral Sea (CV-43).

This final cruise was not to be without incident. Whilst being launched off the carrier, a Phantom suffered a flame out and crashed into the sea. The guard helicopter was over the crash site almost instantly and the RIO was rescued. Tragically, the pilot was never found.

Disestablishment

As a result of the budget for fiscal year 1978, the US Navy reduced it's carrier force to 12 active carrier wings and 13 aircraft carriers. CVW-19 was disestablished 30 June 1977 and VF-191, along with VF-1944, at Miramar, was disestablished 1 March 1978.

Deployments