The real story behind how an A-10 Warthog ended up with a cow kill marking
It didn't go down the way you may have heard.
BY JARED KELLER | PUBLISHED FEB 10, 2023 1:32 PM EST
a-10 warthog cow kill victory marking
Out of all of the A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft in the U.S. Air Force’s fleet, an A-10 Warthog with the serial number 81-994 may be among the most unique for one simple reason: it’s the only aircraft we know of to sport kill markings for taking out a cow downrange.
Assigned to the Red Devils of the 107th Fighter Squadron, 127th Wing of the Michigan Air National Guard at Selfridge Air National Guard Base, the A-10 in question has been spotted in official Air Force photos sporting a yellow kill marking for a cow alongside those for ordnance released.
The cow kill marking goes back at least to 2017 when the 107th A-10’s red-and-green commemorative WWII paint job was rolled out to honor the 100th anniversary of the Red Devils. In 2018, the cow-killing A-10 even made an appearance at a commemorative flight over the beaches of Normandy on the 74th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/a-10-warthog-cow-kill-victory-marking/
