VMFA-122
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| Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 | |
|---|---|
 VMFA-122 Insignia |
|
| Active | March 1, 1942 - present |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | USMC |
| Type | Fighter/Attack |
| Role | Close air support Air interdiction Aerial reconnaissance |
| Part of | Marine Aircraft Group 31 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort |
| Nickname | Werewolves (present) Crusaders (1957-Jan 4, 2008) Candystripers (WWII) Werewolves (WWII) "The Last Blue Collar Squadron" |
| Tail Code | DC |
| Mascot | Mach Altus |
| Engagements | World War II * Battle of New Georgia Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
LtCol Douglas G. Douds |
| Notable commanders |
Pappy Boyington Marion Eugene Carl John Fogg |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Fighter | F4F Wildcat F4U Corsair FH-1 Phantom F2H Banshee F6F Hellcat F9F Panther FJ Fury F-8 Crusader F-4 Phantom F/A-18 Hornet |
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 122 (VMFA-122) is a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. The squadron, known as the "Werewolves", are based out of Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina and fall under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (2nd MAW). Their traditional call sign is "Nikel". Their mascot, known as Mach Altus (Latin for speed and altitude), is a statue of a Crusades-era knight. [1]
Contents |
[edit] Mission
Conduct anti-air warfare and offensive air support operations in support of Fleet Marine Forces from advance bases, expeditionary airfields, and aircraft carriers, and to conduct such other air operations as may be directed.
[edit] History
[edit] World War II
Marine Fighter Squadron 122 (VMF-122) was commissioned on March 1, 1942 at Camp Kearney in San Diego, California. Outfitted with the F4F Wildcat, the squadron, then known as the "Candystripers", saw their first combat tour in October 1942. During this tour they were part of the Cactus Air Force at Henderson Field and also operated out of Espiritu Santo. In April of 1943, while under the command of Major Pappy Boyington, the squadron transitioned to the F4U Corsair and accounted for 35 1/2 kills. The squadron's first combat tour ended in August of 1943 when they returned Marine Corps Air Station Miramar.
For its second tour, VMF-122 embarked upon the USS Hollandia in July of 1944. From there they operated from an airstrip on Peleliu conducting combat operation until the end of the war in August of 1945. They returned to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point (MCAS Cherry Point) in February of 1946 and were deactivated between July and October of that year.
[edit] 1950s
The squadron was reactivated in November of 1947 as the first Marine squadron to employ jet-propelled aircraft flying the FH Phantom. During this time the squadron also field the first and only Marine aerial demonstration team known as the "Flying Leathernecks. In October 1950, the squadron deployed from Naval Air Station Quonset Point aboard the USS Oriskany. In October 1951, the squadron became the first Marine jet squadron to be both day and night qualified for carrier operations. They toured the country for two years before being disbanded with the transition to the F2H Banshee. In 1952, they again transitioned to the F9F Panther and after a Mediterranean cruise in 1953 they were assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 24 at MCAS Cherry Point.
January 1954 again saw the squadron transitioning aircraft, this time to the FJ Fury. The next few years saw a litany of small deployments onboard a multitude of aircraft carriers. The squadron relocated to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort in September of 1957 and in December of that year they became the first squadron in the Marine Corps to fly the F-8 Crusader. It was at this time that they transitioned from being the "Candystripers" to the new nickname of "Crusaders." The squadron became VMF(AW)-122 upon receiving all weather capable F-8Es in 1962. That year they also deployed to Key West to fly combat air patrol during the Cuban missile crisis.
[edit] Vietnam War
In 1964, VMF(AW)-122 deployed to Naval Air Facility Atsugi for a year and returned to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro in January of 1965. While at MCAS El Toro they transitioned to the F-4B Phantom and were redesignated VMFA-122. They deployed to the Republic of Vietnam in August 1967 and operated from the airbase at Danang. For the next five months, the squadron flew 2540 sorties and delivered 4800 tons of ordinance. In February of 1968, while supporting Marines during the Siege of Khe Sahn the squadron flew 629 sorties and dropped 1300 tons of ordinance. They rotated to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni in September 1968 and returned to Vietnam during the summer of 1969, this time operating from Chu Lai.
[edit] 1970s through 1990s
Following their time in Vietnam, the Crusaders were assigned to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii in September 1970. They were then ordered to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan as a Joint Chiefs of Staff directive to counter a North Vietnamese offensive against South Vietnam. The squadron returned to Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii on 27 December 1972. On August 14, 1974, VMFA-122 was placed in a cadre status in anticipation of becoming the Marine Corps’ first F-14A squadron. With the decision not to accept the Tomcat into the Marine Corps inventory, VMFA-122 was reactivated at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina and refitted with the F-4J. On September 25, 1985, VMFA-122 flew its last F-4 sortie, completing 20 years of service as a F-4 “Phantom” squadron.
On January 22, 1986, the squadron began a new era with the acceptance of its first F/A-18A Hornet. Throughout the 1980’s, 1990’s, and into the 2000’s VMFA-122 conducted multiple training deployments to Europe and throughout the United States.
[edit] Global War on Terror
In October 2001, the Crusaders increased their combat capabilities by transitioning to the F/A-18C. The squadron participated in the Unit Deployment Program (UDP), completing eleven deployments to the Western Pacific. From July 2002 to July 2003, the Crusaders completed a year long UDP due to the "stop-move" order implemented by the Marine Corps. This allowed Hornet squadrons from Beaufort to deploy to Kuwait in anticipation of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in January 2003. The Crusaders were dispatched from MCAS Iwakuni to many locations in the Pacific Rim, including Marine Corps Air Facility Kaneohe Bay in Hawaii and Clark AB in the Philippines. In January 2005 the “Crusaders” continued the UDP rotation, deploying to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. In September 2006 the "Crusaders" again returned to MCAS Iwakuni with detachments to Clark AB in the Philippines, Kadena Air Force Base on Okinawa, and Khorat, Thailand.
Prior to another squadron deployment in support of OIF later in 2008, the squadron reverted to their WWII nickname, the Werewolves[2]
[edit] See also
- United States Marine Corps Aviation
- List of active United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
- List of inactive United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
[edit] Notes
[edit] References
This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Marine Corps.
- Bibliography
- Rottman, Gordon L. (2002). U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle - Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939 - 1945’’. Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-31906-5.
- Sherrod, Robert (1952). History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II. Washington, D.C.: Combat Forces Press.
- Web
- VMFA-122's official website
- (2006). "MARINE FIGHTER ATTACK SQUADRON 122 - The Crusaders". . VMFA-122 Retrieved on 2007-12-16.
- P-MAN IV - p. 7. The Bent Prop Project. Retrieved on 2007-03-30.
[edit] External links
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