English: A F-4S Phantom II at the National Air & Space Museum. The Museum's McDonnell Douglas F-4S-44-MC Phantom II, BuNo 157307, was accepted by the U.S. Navy on 18 December 1970. By 22 June 1971, it was assigned to fighter squadron VF-31 Tomcats stationed at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana, Virginia (USA). Early in 1972, VF-31, (with F-4 Bu. No. 157307) went aboard the aricraft carrier USS Saratoga (CVA-60), and by April en route to the western Pacific for duty in the Vietnam War. On 18 May 1972, the squadron started combat operations on Yankee Station, off the coast of Vietnam. While on a flight on 21 June 1972, its last day on station it was launched that day on a MIGCAP (MiG Combat Air Patrol) with VF-31's executive officer, Cdr. S.C. Flynn, USN, as pilot, and Lt. W.H. John as the radar intercept officer (RIO). This was not their regularly assigned airplane. They spotted three MiGs and in the ensuing engagement shot down one MiG-21 with an AIM-9D Sidewinder missile. This action marked a first for Attack Carrier Air Wing Three (CVW-3) and for an East Coast fighter squadron.

After the kill, the Museum Phantom's tour in Vietnam continued and was expanded to include support missions for B-52 raids on Hanoi and Haiphong. VF-31 completed its deployment to southeast Asia early in 1973, and returned to its home port at NAS Oceana, Virginia. The Phantom remained assigned to VF-31 until 12 September 1975, when it was transferred to VF-33 Tarsiers. After a series of deployments aboard USS Independence (CV-62), it was assigned to VF-74 Be-Devilers on 6 May 1977, also based at Oceana. It left VF-74 on 17 September 1979, for VF-103 Sluggers, then to VF-171 on 21 October 1981. On 8 April 1983, F-4J BuNo 157307 was inducted into the Naval Air Rework Facility at NAS North Island, California, for conversion from a F-4J to an F-4S.

When conversion was completed on 27 December 1983, F-4S 157307 joined Marine fighter attack training squadron VMFAT-101, stationed at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Arizona. It remained there until 11 May 1987, when it was transferred to VMFA-232 Red Devils, at MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, on its last squadron duty. On 28 November 1988, it left the Marines for the National Air and Space Museum, at which time it had amassed a total of 5,075 hours flight time with 6,804 landings (1,337 were arrested), and 1,163 catapult shots off the deck of a carrier. F-4S of the NASM