VMF-214
| Marine Attack Squadron 214 | |
|---|---|
VMA-214 insignia
|
|
| Active | July 1, 1942 - present |
| Country | United States |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch | United States Marine Corps |
| Type | Attack |
| Role |
Close air support Air interdiction Aerial reconnaissance |
| Part of |
Marine Aircraft Group 13 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing |
| Garrison/HQ | Marine Corps Air Station Yuma |
| Nickname(s) | The Black Sheep Swashbucklers (early WWII) |
| Tail Code | WE |
| Engagements |
World War II Korean War * Battle of Pusan Perimeter * Battle of Inchon * Battle of Chosin Reservoir Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm Operation Enduring Freedom Operation Iraqi Freedom * 2003 invasion of Iraq |
| Commanders | |
| Current commander |
LtCol Duane Rivera |
| Notable commanders |
Major Greg Boyington |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack |
A-4 Skyhawk (1962–89) AV-8B Harrier II (1989-present) |
| Fighter |
F4F Wildcat (1942) F4U Corsair (1943–53) F9F Panther (1953) F2H Banshee (1953–57) FJ Fury (1957–62) |
Marine Attack Squadron 214 (VMA-214) is a United States Marine Corps fighter squadron consisting of AV-8B Harrier (V/STOL) jets. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona and is under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 13 (MAG-13) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3rd MAW).
The squadron is best known as the Black Sheep of World War II fame and for one of its commanding officers, Colonel Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, whose memoirs also inspired the 1970s television show Baa Baa Black Sheep, later syndicated as Black Sheep Squadron, which dramatized the squadron's exploits during the war.
Provide offensive air support, armed reconnaissance, and air defense for Marine expeditionary forces.
Marine Fighter Squadron 214 was originally commissioned on July 1, 1942, at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, on the Island of Oahu. Initially called the "Swashbucklers," they participated in the Solomon Islands campaign, flying out of Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. They were disbanded following their combat tour and the squadron designation was given to the Marine command on Espiritu Santo.
In August 1943, a group of twenty-seven young men under the leadership of Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington (who was later awarded the Medal of Honor) were joined together to form the original "Blacksheep" of VMF-214. Major Boyington had just returned from a year's tour in China as a member of the 1st American Volunteer Group (nicknamed the Flying Tigers), and had been credited with multiple kills of Japanese aircraft. The squadron was not assigned any aircraft or ancillary personnel at first and flew to Guadalcanal and later the Russell Islands in borrowed planes that were in less than satisfactory condition.
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Wikipedia