During its combat life, the Phantom scored in excess of 320 aerial victories. With its all-weather combat effectiveness and its rugged design, it quickly became a pilot favorite. It is one of the few aircraft to perform every fighter mission: interceptor, air superiority, air-to-ground attack, reconnaissance, and escort missions. After its distinguished service in the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm, the U.S. retired the Phantom in 1998. However, more than 800 Phantoms continued flying with other nations. Some of these aircraft were still flying in 2018 – 60 years after the Phantom’s first flight.

The Phantom was the first jet fighter to fly simultaneously with the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force; was also the first international fighter bomber to fly with the air arms of ten other free world nations. It was the only fighter ever to fly concurrently with both the USAD and Navy aerobatic flight demonstration teams, the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels, respectively. One of the most versatile fighters ever built, the Phantom II has truly become a legend in its own time.

The Phantom on display in the Museum’s Pavilion is an original aircraft with a significant historical background. It was assigned to Fighter Squadron 96 – the “Fighting Falcons” – aboard the then San Diego Based USS Constellation, where it was used for combat sorties during the Vietnam War. In early 1972, pilot Lt. Randy “Duke” Cunningham and radar intercept officer Willie Driscoll became the Navy’s first aces of the Vietnam War by scoring two MiG kills in the aircraft, and three more MiG kills in a simarl F-4 from the Fighting Falcons squadron.

In 1988, after a long career with the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Marines, the Museum’s aircraft was taken out of service, completing its last flight at NAS North Island. Volunteers at the Naval Aviation Depot were called upon to prepare the aircraft for exhibit at the Museum. The aircraft engines and avionics systems were removed to save weight, but every effort was made to keep the cockpits as original as possible. From information obtained from the Museum’s archives, the aircraft is painted as it appeared in 1972, when it was assigned to VF-96 flying missions over the South China Sea and Vietnam. In 1990 the aircraft was towed to the Museum, hoisted over the outer wall, and placed on prepared pedestals within the Museum’s courtyard. It honors all the naval aviation personnel who served in Vietnam.