A HISTORY OF

MARINE FIGHTER

ATTACK SQUADRON 232

SECOND EDITION

HISTORY DIVISION

U.S. MARINE CORPS

QUANTICO, VIRGINIA
A Curtiss F6C-4 Hawk belonging to Marine Fighting 

Plane Squadron 10 (VF-10M), the forerunner of Marine 

Fighter Attack Squadron 232 (VMFA-232), on the line 

at Naval Air Station San Diego, California, in August 

1931. The squadron’s Red Devil insignia that has survived 

through the years is clearly visible on the vertical stabilizer.

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo
A History of

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

Second Edition

by

Major William J. Sambito, USMC

updated by

Dr. Fred H. Allison

History Division

United States Marine Corps

Quantico, Virginia

First edition published in 1978

Second edition published in 2015
iii

Foreword ...........................................................................................v

Preface ............................................................................................vii

Early Developments.......................................................................... 1

World War II...................................................................................... 7

Reactivation...................................................................................... 9

The Jet Age ..................................................................................... 12

Combat and the Far East................................................................. 15

Phantoms Fight the Cold War......................................................... 18

Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm .................................. 22

F/A-18 Hornet Peacetime Training.................................................. 25

Onset of the Global War on Terrorism

and Operation Iraqi Freedom I....................................................... 28

Carrier Operations with the U.S. Navy ........................................... 31

Operation Enduring Freedom ........................................................ 36

Into the Next 100 Years.................................................................. 38

Notes.............................................................................................. 41

Appendix A: Chronology ................................................................ 43

Appendix B: Commanding Officers................................................ 47

Appendix C: Honors....................................................................... 51

Contents
v

Foreword

This is a history of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232 (VMFA-232). It traces the operations of 

VMFA-232’s Red Devils from 1925 to 2012. It is one in a series of Marine squadron histories in which 

we hope to bring to light the achievements of individual squadrons and relate them to the general 

development of Marine aviation.

Major William J. Sambito wrote the original history that covers 1925–77 and was published by 

the U.S. Marine Corps History and Museums Division in 1978. Major Sambito earned his bachelor 

of arts degree in psychology from Colby College in Maine and is an experienced helicopter pilot, who 

served with Marine Medium Helicopter Squadrons 262 and 165 during the Vietnam War. After attending the Armed Forces Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia, he was assigned to the History and Museums Division in January 1975.

In 2013, Dr. Fred H. Allison began the update for this history, bringing the squadron’s story up 

to the present. Allison is also a Marine aviator; he served as a radar intercept officer from 1978–92 

in McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom aircraft in VMFA-212 and VMFA-112. He earned his PhD in 

military history from Texas Tech University and wrote his dissertation on Marine Corps developments 

in close air support. He joined what is now Marine Corps History Division in 2000 and has written 

several aviation-related articles; he also was an editor/compiler of the history publication Pathbreakers. 

Currently, he serves as an oral historian with History Division.

The Red Devil squadron is the Marine Corps’ oldest active squadron. This history provides an 

informative overview of the development and action of the squadron spanning almost nine decades. It 

is a proud unit with an enviable operational history. History Division is pleased to provide this history 

of VMFA-232 as a means to recognize the squadron’s contributions in defending the nation.

Dr. Charles P. Neimeyer

Director of Marine Corps History
vii

Preface

The Red Devil squadron of VMFA-232 is regarded as the Marine Corps’ oldest squadron. This is a 

narrative account of the squadron from its beginning in 1925 to 2012. It is a brief history, and as such 

it only covers the major movements of the squadron and the most significant operations. The first part 

of the book, written by Major William J. Sambito, lays out the origins of the squadron, its early days 

in the pioneering era of military aviation, and its participation in World War II, the Korean War, and 

the Vietnam War. This updated edition picks up the story after Vietnam through to 2012. Included 

in that period are squadron activities of the 1980s as the Cold War came to an end. Yet, peace did not 

ensue and, within months of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Red Devils were flying in Operation 

Desert Storm. In the 1990s, the Red Devils, like all of Marine aviation, incorporated new tactics that 

emphasized supporting ground combat. The events of 11 September 2001 created a conflict that only 

now, in 2014, is winding down. In several deployments, the Red Devils in Iraq and Afghanistan, flying 

from sea and land, effectively supported Coalition efforts against terrorists.

VMFA-232 is steeped in tradition and continually holds its standards high. It is hoped that this 

brief history adequately sketches the story and prompts others to contribute their insights, remembrances, records, photographs, and other memorabilia so that the complete history may be written 

someday.

The original manuscript was typed by Cathy Stoll and prepared for publication by the production 

editor, Douglas Johnston. The current History Division’s Editing and Design Branch, headed by Angela Anderson, prepared the manuscript for publication. Jennifer Clampet and Shawn Vreeland reviewed 

and edited the text, while Vincent J. Martinez executed the layout and design. The content from the 

first edition has been left primarily intact, with revisions made only to provide clarity or to accommodate the current History Division style for grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Most of the photographs in the original as well as the updated section are official Department of Defense (U.S. Marine 

Corps) photographs. Other photos were donated by Lieutenant General Richard C. Mangrum. I am 

grateful to Don Brammer for his assistance with photographs. Lieutenant Colonel Byron D. Sullivan, 

who commanded the squadron while I wrote the latter part of this book, provided critical support and 

assigned Captains Eric R. Moos and Chad D. Allen as points of contact. Both were extremely helpful.

Former Red Devils, General William L. Nyland, Lieutenant Colonel Simon M. Doran, John 

F. Luhmann, Cono R. Borrelli, Daniel L. Shipley, Travis L. Kelley, and Dustin J. Byrum, provided 

valuable assistance with photographs, interviews, and commentary. Finally, I would like to thank 

Lieutenant Colonel Jerry J. Estell, who leads the squadron as this book goes to print. His support and 

encouragement are valued and appreciated.

Fred H. Allison, PhD

Marine Corps History Division
1

A History of

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

Early Developments

The original “Red Devil” squadron was activated 

1 September 1925 as Division 1, Fighting Plane 

Squadron 3M (VF-3M), 2d Aviation Group, at 

Naval Air Station (NAS) San Diego, California. 

At the time of activation, only Division 1 was 

manned. This element provided the nucleus for 

the squadron that eventually became Marine 

Fighter Attack Squadron 232 (VMFA-232).1*

The squadron’s first commanding officer, Second 

Lieutenant Clayton C. Jerome,2** retained command for only 19 days before relinquishing his 

*The terms “squadron” and “division,” as used in the 

1920s, may be misleading to those familiar with today’s 

aviation organization. Their meaning at that time, as well 

as the overall purpose of the organization adopted, was 

explained in 1926 by Major Edwin H. Brainard. “Marine 

Corps aviation,” he told students at Marine Corps Base 

Quantico, “is organized along Navy lines, with the division 

as the administrative unit and the squadron as the tactical 

unit. In order to have an organization capable of large 

expansion in time of emergency, the peacetime squadrons 

are only one-third their war strength (i.e., one division 

active and two inactive). A division consists of 75 enlisted 

men and 10 commissioned officers. This gives the nucleus 

around which to recruit the two inactive divisions, and the 

addition of a squadron commander and staff gives a war 

strength unit that should be fairly efficient and capable 

of shortly performing any task. A division consists of six 

planes active and three in reserve. Therefore, a full strength 

squadron has 18 active planes and 9 in reserve, and in 

addition 2 planes attached to squadron headquarters and 

one transport.”

**Jerome graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1922 

and completed his flight training at Pensacola, Florida, in 

1925. Later as a major general and veteran of five World 

War II campaigns, he commanded the 1st Marine Aircraft 

Wing (1st MAW) in Korea from April 1952 to January 

1953. Upon his retirement in 1958, he was promoted 

to lieutenant general. He died on 13 February 1978 in 

Washington, DC.

position to First Lieutenant William J. Wallace.***

Lieutenant Wallace’s squadron then consisted of 

Lieutenant Jerome plus 78 enlisted men.

The first aircraft assigned to the new squadron 

was the Vought VE-7SF Bluebird. This singleseat fighter-trainer was first received in the Marine Corps inventory in 1921. Powered by a 

single 180-horsepower engine, this biplane had a 

maximum speed of approximately 150 miles per 

hour. During 1926, the unit began replacing the 

VE-7SFs with Boeing FB-1 fighters. The Boeing 

biplane was equipped with a Curtiss 410-horsepower engine, was capable of a speed of 167 miles 

per hour, and had a service ceiling of 21,200 feet.

The squadron remained at NAS San Diego 

until 7 April 1927. Then, embarked on board 

the naval transport USS Henderson (AP 1), the 

unit, now boasting five aviators, sailed for China 

as part of Brigadier General Smedley D. Butler’s 

3d Brigade. The mission of this force was to protect the lives and property of the U.S. nationals 

in China during a period of civil turmoil. The 

Henderson arrived in Shanghai, China, on 3 May, 

only to find that arrangements with the Chinese 

government for the use of a landing field had 

not been completed. The aviation component, 

consisting of Marine Observation Squadron 5 

and VF-3M, both under the command of Major Francis T. Evans and later Lieutenant Colonel 

*Wallace was commissioned a second lieutenant in 

1918. As a lieutenant colonel, he was executive officer of 

Marine Aircraft Group 21 (MAG-21) in Hawaii when the

Japanese attacked. Later, as a colonel, he commanded 

MAG-23 at Guadalcanal and, as a brigadier general, 

commanded the Air Defense and Fighter Command in 

Okinawa, Japan, in 1945. From 1945 to 1950, MajGen 

Wallace was the director of Marine Corps aviation. In 

1952, after 34 years of service, he retired with the rank of 

lieutenant general. He died on 7 July 1977.

*
2

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

Thomas C. Turner, proceeded to Naval Station 

Subic Bay, Luzon, Philippine Islands, where it remained until returning to Shanghai on 13 June 

1927.3

The squadrons stayed in the Shanghai area 

on board the Henderson until 25 June and then 

began the voyage north to Tientsin. On 30 June, 

the units arrived at Camp MacMurray, Hsin Ho, 

China, where they were joined by the ground element of the 3d Brigade. Twelve days after arriving in China, VF-3M was redesignated Fighting 

Plane Squadron 10M (VF-10M) and, on 1 July 

1928, the squadron designation was changed to 

Fighting Plane Squadron 6M (VF-6M). During 

its stay in China, the squadron engaged in training, aerial photography, mapping, and reconnaissance missions around Tientsin.4

On 3 October 1928, with its mission in China completed, the squadron sailed for California, 

again on board the USS Henderson. After stops 

en route at Guam on 10 October and Honolulu 

on the 21st, the ship arrived at San Diego on 

31 October. The unit was reassigned to Aircraft 

Squadrons, West Coast Expeditionary Force, 

NAS San Diego. The squadron, now reduced to 

2 officers and 68 enlisted men, began the process 

of rebuilding and training newly designated aviators. Training consisted of familiarization, basic 

instruments, combat maneuvering, and gunnery 

proficiency flights.

In 1929, the squadron acquired a new aircraft. The plane that replaced the FB-1 was the 

newer Boeing FB-5 Hawk. The FB-5 was similar in appearance to the earlier model, but had 

a slightly larger Packard 475-horsepower engine 

that increased airspeed to 170 miles per hour. 

Shortly after receiving the new planes, the squadron officially adopted the “Red Devil” insignia. 

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

A Boeing FB-1 fighter plane, which eventually replaced the Navy’s Vought VE-7 Bluebird fighter aircraft, sits on a Marine landing strip in Tientsin, China, in 1927.
3

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

Lieutenant General Richard C. Mangrum,* however, remembers that, “The Red Devil insignia 

certainly antedated 1930. It was on the FB-1s 

and FB-5s in 1929, and my impression is that it 

dated back at least to the mid-1920s.”5 According 

to a Chief of Naval Operations letter to the commanding officer of Marine Torpedo Bombing 

Squadron 232 (VMTB-232) on 30 August 1944, 

the Red Devil design, “submitted in 1930, has a 

white field, a black border, and a bright-red flying 

devil. The field is diamond-shaped, measures 12” 

on each side and is superimposed on aluminumenameled airplane fabric.” The letter went on to 

say, “The origin and significance of ‘Red Devils’ 

is not recorded.”6 So the reason for adoption of 

this particular motif remains a mystery. Although 

the squadron’s designation changed several times 

in the years to follow, the insignia survived in its 

original form throughout the unit’s history.7

On 1 July 1930, the squadron underwent 

another change in designation, this time reverting to VF-10M, the designation it had used during its first year in China. Also in July 1930, the 

squadron received Curtiss F6C-4 Hawks, which 

replaced the FB-5s. Lieutenant General Mangrum recalls the event:

We got nine of them, second-hand from 

the Navy, in bad shape and all needing 

overhaul. Six were put into overhaul im-

*Mangrum had a distinguished career in Marine aviation. 

He was designated a naval aviator on 20 August 1929 and, 

for the next 12 years, served in a variety of Marine aviation 

billets on the West Coast and was a member of VF-6M 

in 1930. In 1942, as a major, he commanded Marine 

Scout Bombing Squadron 232 against the Japanese, and 

was awarded the Navy Cross and the Distinguished Flying 

Cross. Later during the Korean War, as a colonel, he 

commanded MAG-12. As a major general, he commanded 

both the 1st and 2d MAWs. On 1 October 1965, he 

succeeded to the title “Grey Eagle” of naval aviation, and 

was the first Marine aviator to attain this distinction. Grey 

Eagle is the earliest designated aviator on active duty in 

the Navy and Marine Corps. His final assignment in the 

Marine Corps was as Assistant Commandant from 1965–

67. LtGen Mangrum retired on 30 June 1967.

mediately by the engineering unit, and 

three were retained as flyable while the 

first six were overhauled.8

This single-seat fighter, powered by a 

410-horsepower radial engine, was not appreciably different than the FB-1s and the FB-5s. 

The pilots quickly adjusted to the F6C-4 and, by 

September, VF-10M was attached to the Army’s 

95th Pursuit Group, commanded by Major Carl 

Spaatz, [for a joint exercise] to [mimic] the defense of the San Francisco area against attacking 

carriers, [in this case] the USS Lexington (CV 2) 

and Saratoga (CV 3). General Mangrum, recalling the event, states:

The six were under the command of Bill 

McKittrick, and included Paul Putnam 

and Mike Wodarczyk and me.** We based 

at Crissy Field at the Presidio in San 

Francisco, and later at the Curtiss-Wright 

*McKittrick was promoted to major general upon retiring 

on 1 October 1951. Paul A. Putnam stayed on active duty 

until June 1956, rising to the rank of colonel; he was 

promoted to brigadier general on the retired list. Michael 

Wodarczyk was appointed as a captain in February 1942. 

He was placed on the retired list as a colonel in June 1946. 

All three had highly successful careers in Marine Corps 

aviation.

Photo courtesy of the National Museum of the Marine Corps

Marine ordnance troops stand next to a Curtiss F6C-4 Hawk 

fighter of VF-10M at NAS San Diego, California, in 1932.

*
4

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

field on San Francisco Bay, later to become the present San Francisco airport. 

Fog was over the Bay the day we arrived; 

ceiling about 400 feet. As we passed San 

Francisco waterfront heading for Crissy 

Field, Gunner Mike Wodarczyk had an 

engine failure, landed in the water off 

one of the piers. Fortunately, a freighter 

just backing out for departure put a sling 

on the tail of Mike’s plane, hoisted him 

aboard, and dropped him off at the Army’s Fort Mason en route out the Golden 

Gate. Why and how VF-10M got mixed 

up with the Army in this exercise, I don’t 

remember.9

After the exercise with the Army, the squadron returned to NAS San Diego.

By the end of June 1932, the Red Devils had 

logged nearly 2,000 hours of accident-free flying. For this accomplishment, the Major General 

Commandant, Ben H. Fuller, awarded the unit 

the Herbert H. Schiff Memorial Cup* for fiscal year 1932.10 During late 1932, the squadron 

began receiving its first F4B-4 fighters. The Red 

Devils became the second Marine Corps unit to 

be equipped with this single-engine biplane. The 

plane could take off in 440 feet, land at 63 miles 

per hour, and had a top speed of 184 miles per 

hour.

In 1933, the squadron participated in the

Los Angeles National Air Races held 1–4 July. By 

the time the races took place, the Red Devils were 

thoroughly familiar with the new machine. A 

six-man aeronautical team consisting of Captain

Vernon M. Guymon,** the commanding officer,

*The Schiff Memorial Cup was established in memory of 

Lt Herbert H. Schiff, USN, who served as an aviator in 

World War I and was killed in an aircraft accident on 11 

July 1924. This award was presented annually to a naval 

aviation squadron for outstanding performance in the area 

of aviation safety.

**Guymon served as assistant wing commander for 2d 

MAW during World War II and retired in 1949 with the 

rank of brigadier general.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress

A Marine with VF-10M stands next to a Curtiss F6C-4 at NAS San Diego on 18 August 1931.
5

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

Second Lieutenant Samuel S. Jack,* Marine Gunners Michael Wodarczyk and Albert S. Munsch, 

Gunnery Sergeant Kenneth A. Woolsey, and 

Staff Sergeant William E. Ward demonstrated to 

the Services and the nation the daring and skill 

of Marine aviators. The first day of the races also 

marked the beginning of a new mission for the 

Red Devils. “Fighting Ten” was redesignated as 

Bombing Plane Squadron 4M (VB-4M) on that 

date.

The squadron continued its normal training and familiarization routine until 14 February 1935, when the commander in chief of 

the United States Fleet assigned Aircraft Two, 

of which VB-4M was a part, to Aircraft, Battle 

Force, United States Fleet for operations. From 

29 April to 12 June, the Red Devils participated 

*Jack served during World War II on Guadalcanal, New 

Caledonia, and in the New Hebrides. During the Korean 

War, he served as chief of staff for 1st MAW and later as 

commanding general. In 1961, he retired with the rank of 

major general.

in fleet training and United States Fleet Problem 

XIV. During June, upon return from fleet training, the squadron received 16 Great Lakes BG-1 

bombers as replacements for its F4Bs. The singleengine biplane was powered by a Pratt & Whitney 750-horsepower engine, which enabled it to 

reach a speed of 206 miles per hour.

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Personnel and aircraft, including the Red Devils’ Boeing 

F4B-4 fighter planes lined up in the front row, stand ready 

for inspection at NAS San Diego in April 1933.

Photo courtesy of the National Museum of the Marine Corps

Along with its new designation, Bombing Plane Squadron 4M received BG-1 bombers in 1935. The BG-1 was built by Great 

Lakes and carried a pilot and a bombardier/gunner. It was known throughout Marine aviation as the “Bee-Gee.”
6

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

In 1936, after becoming familiar with the 

BG-1, the squadron conducted flight operations 

on board the carriers Lexington and Saratoga. On 

1 July 1937, the unit was redesignated as Marine Bombing Squadron 2 (VMB-2). In 1938, 

while embarked on board the Lexington for Fleet 

Problem XIX, VMB-2 made 187 accident-free 

landings. During the week of 23–28 May 1938, 

the Red Devils were again at sea, this time on 

board the USS Ranger (CV 4) for training and 

carrier operations. Between cruises, the squadron returned to its home base, NAS San Diego. 

During late 1940, the squadron turned in its 

BG-1s and replaced them with the new Douglas 

Photo courtesy of the National Museum of the Marine Corps

Marine ordinance troops load a bomb onto a Douglas SBD-1 Dauntless scout bomber during World War II. Marine Bombing 

Squadron 2 first received the two-seat monoplane late in 1940.

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Marine aircraft sit at MCAS Ewa, Oahu, Hawaii, in 1942. 

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 

1941, most of the Red Devils’ aircraft, which were lined up 

on the MCAS Ewa airfield, were destroyed while still on the 

ground.
7

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

SBD-1 Dauntless scout bombers. The two-seat 

monoplane was equipped with two .50-caliber 

machine guns in the nose and two .30-caliber 

guns on a flexible mount in the rear cockpit. For 

dive-bombing, one 1,000-pound bomb could be 

carried beneath the fuselage, and two 100-pound 

bombs were mounted under the wings.

World War II

On 11 January 1941, in response to the evermounting tension in the Pacific, the squadron 

moved from NAS San Diego to Marine Corps 

Air Station (MCAS) Ewa, Oahu, Hawaii,* on 

board the USS Enterprise (CV 6). On 21 January, VMB-2—with 21 officers, 116 enlisted men, 

and 20 Dauntless scout bombers—arrived in 

Hawaii and was assigned to the 2d Marine Aircraft Group (MAG-2), Fleet Marine Force. The 

unit immediately began flight operations as part 

of the islands’ defensive air patrol system. On 1 

July 1941, the squadron was redesignated Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 232 (VMSB-232) 

and on 1 August the 2d Marine Aircraft Group 

became Marine Aircraft Group 21, 2d Marine 

Aircraft Wing.

When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor 

on 7 December, the Red Devils’ 20 SBDs were 

lined up on the field at MCAS Ewa. Twenty-five 

minutes later, 9 were completely destroyed and 

10 were so badly damaged that they required major overhaul. Only one plane escaped with minor 

damage. One squadron member was killed during the attack. On Wake Island, however, where 

the Red Devils had a detachment of 25 enlisted 

Marines, the casualty count was higher. Eight 

were killed before the Japanese landed, and the 

remainder were either killed or captured while assisting in the defense of the island.11

For the next eight months, VMSB-232 remained at MCAS Ewa where it received 12 

*Hawaii was a U.S. territory until 1959 when it became 

a state. 

new SBD-3 Dauntlesses powered by larger 

1,100-horsepower engines. Then, in August 

1942, the opportunity came to avenge the attacks on Pearl Harbor and Wake Island. Assigned 

to MAG-23, the squadron embarked with its 

new SBD-3 Dauntlesses on board the escort carrier USS Long Island (CVE 1) and, on 20 August, 

landed on Guadalcanal’s 3,000-foot dirt runway 

called Henderson Field. The first combat missions were flown on 23 August. Although several 

Japanese ships were sighted, it was not until the 

25th that the squadron, now assigned to the 1st 

MAW, scored any confirmed hits. Second Lieutenant Lawrence Baldinus seriously damaged an 

enemy cruiser when he dropped a bomb on a ship 

just forward of the bridge. Two transports and a 

destroyer were also hit that day. Under the leadership of Major Mangrum, the Red Devils were in 

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Three Marine pilots with Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 232 stand before the unit’s sign at an advance South 

Pacific base, ca. 1943–44.
8

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

almost daily action against the Japanese. When 

the squadron left Guadalcanal on 13 October 

1942, Mangrum, newly promoted to lieutenant colonel, was the only pilot of the original 15 

Guadalcanal Red Devils able to walk away from 

Henderson Field. Seven pilots had been killed, 

four wounded, and the rest evacuated.12 For his 

actions at Guadalcanal, Mangrum received the 

Navy Cross and the first Distinguished Flying 

Cross awarded for the Guadalcanal campaign.

On 18 November, the squadron arrived at 

NAS San Diego and then moved to MCAS El 

Toro, California, where it remained, assigned 

to MAG-23, until it returned to the Pacific in 

July 1943. While at El Toro, the Red Devils acquired a new mission (torpedo bombing) and 

new equipment (the Grumman TBF-1 Avenger). 

This 1,600-horsepower aircraft carried a threeman crew: pilot, radio operator-undergunner, 

and rear-gunner. In addition to five machine 

guns, the plane carried one 2,000-pound naval 

torpedo or four 500-pound bombs.

With the change in mission came yet another 

change in unit designation. On 1 June 1943, 

the squadron became Marine Torpedo Bombing 

Squadron 232 (VMTB-232). On 16 July 1943, 

the squadron embarked and sailed from NAS 

San Diego on the USS President Polk (AP 103). 

It arrived at Noumea, New Caledonia, on 2 August. The following day, some of the personnel, 

an advance party, transferred to the SS Dashing 

Wave (a civilian-manned troopship operated by 

the War Shipping Administration) and steamed 

for Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, where they 

arrived on 6 August. The main body remained 

at Noumea until the 17th and then followed to 

Espiritu Santo on board the USS Rixey (APH 3). 

It arrived there on 20 August. Thus, by September 1943, the Red Devils were back in the Pacific 

helping to knock out Japanese shipping, airfields, 

and installations on virtually every island of the 

Solomons.

Through January 1944, the unit operated 

primarily in the vicinity of Bougainville Island 

while flying from Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides, Guadalcanal, and Munda on New Georgia. 

During this period, VMTB-232 was assigned to 

MAG-24. From Bougainville, operations shifted to the New Britain Island area (Papua New 

Guinea). On 17 January, hunting was especially 

good for the Red Devils. While attacking an enemy convoy, 15 of the 18 squadron TBFs hit targets. Navy and Marine Corps squadrons sank five 

ships and downed 17 Japanese fighters.13

From May to October 1944, the Red Devils 

flew from fields throughout the Solomons. From 

the New Hebrides in the south to Emirau in the 

north, the squadron, then assigned to MAG11, sought out enemy targets. In November, 

the unit moved to Falalop Island, Ulithi Atoll, 

in the Caroline Islands and, on 1 January 1945, 

VMTB-232 supported the U.S. Army invasion 

of Fais Island in the Carolines. Until April 1945, 

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

LtGen Richard C. Mangrum commanded VMF-232 twice 

during his career, once while he was a second lieutenant in 

1930 and again during World War II in the Pacific.
9

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

the unit remained in the Ulithi area neutralizing 

Japanese-held bases, providing antisubmarine 

patrols, escorting convoys, and furnishing air defense for the fleet anchorage at Ulithi.

The next move for the Red Devils brought 

them to Okinawa on 22 April 1945, where they 

joined MAG-33 at Kadena Air Base. By the 

end of April, more than 100 missions had been 

flown. The cost to the squadron was two aircraft 

and crews lost to enemy action. While most of 

the glory of flying over Okinawa was achieved 

by the fighters, First Lieutenant Fred F. Folino 

in an Avenger shot down an enemy plane with 

air-to-ground rockets the night of 17 May, putting the Red Devils in the scoring column for 

aircraft kills. The squadron then began making 

regular runs against the enemy airfields and installations in Japan and continued pounding the 

enemy until 15 August when hostilities ceased. 

The Red Devils flew antisubmarine patrol and 

convoy missions until departing for the United 

States on 31 October.

During its participation in operations 

throughout the Pacific, VMTB-232 lost 49 men 

and 17 aircraft, of which 29 Marines and 8 aircraft were directly attributable to enemy action. 

On 16 November, the squadron—one of the few 

to earn two Presidential Unit Citations—arrived 

at NAS San Diego, was decommissioned, and the 

Red Devil insignia was shelved. But it would be 

only a temporary interruption.

Reactivation

The Red Devils were reactivated in the Marine 

Corps Reserve as Marine Fighter Squadron 232 

(VMF-232) on 3 June 1948 at Naval Air Station 

New York at Floyd Bennett Field, once more becoming a fighter squadron after a 15-year lapse. 

In July 1949, the 41 officers and 113 enlisted men 

of VMF-232, under the command of Captain 

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Weary VMTB-232 aircrews walk away from their Grumman TBF-1 Avengers upon arrival at Kadena Airfield, Okinawa, in 

April 1945.
10

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

Thomas S. Ferdinand, participated in Reserve 

training at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina. 

All flying at this time had to be done in aircraft 

belonging to other squadrons, because it was not 

until the unit returned to New York that it began 

receiving Grumman F6F-5 Hellcats. The fighter 

was armed with six .50-caliber machine guns 

(three in each wing) and could carry two 5-inch 

rocket pods with either two 1,000-pound bombs 

or external fuel tanks. The aircraft, credited with 

downing 5,155 Japanese planes, could climb at 

a rate of 3,000 feet per minute and had a service 

ceiling of 37,000 feet.14

For the next year, the squadron’s efforts were 

directed toward building the unit into a combatready force. As a result of these efforts, VMF-232 

won the Willard “Jesse” Reed Trophy for 1949. 

This award was presented annually to the squadron at Floyd Bennett Field that had the highest 

scores throughout the year for attendance, aircraft availability, maneuver performance, inspections, and rifle and pistol competition. Until the 

middle of September 1950, VMF-232 remained 

in Reserve status, conducting organized drills one 

weekend each month, in addition to an annual 

two-week summer training maneuver.

On 18 September 1950, after the outbreak of 

the Korean War, VMF-232 was alerted for active 

duty and 12 days later was ordered to MAG-15, 

3d MAW, at MCAS El Toro. The squadron was 

airlifted and arrived at its new duty station on 

1 October. Eight days later, Lieutenant Colonel 

Joseph A. Gray assumed command of the Red 

Devils. On 14 October, the squadron received 

the first delivery of nine Chance Vought F4U4B Corsairs. This single-seat fighter had a turbosupercharged 2,400-horsepower engine—about 

400-horsepower more than the previous models—and was used by several land- and carrierbased squadrons. The F4U-4B had four 20mm 

cannons (two in each wing) and could be armed 

with two 1,000-pound bombs or eight 5-inch, 

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

The single-seat Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat fighter was equipped with a 2,000-horsepower engine and could reach speeds of more 

than 400 mph.
11

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

air-to-ground rockets. This fighter could reach 

speeds in excess of 450 miles per hour, climb at 

4,800 feet per minute, and had a service ceiling 

of 41,400 feet.15

Intensive training soon began in air-to-air 

gunnery, strafing, dive, glide, low-level bombing, 

rocket firing, close air support, night familiarization, instruments, tactics, and navigation. Several 

squadron members also received instruction in air

intelligence, air spotting, and chemical warfare.

On 9 December, all pilots, aircraft, and necessary enlisted personnel departed for the Naval 

Auxiliary Air Station (NAAS) El Centro, California, for field carrier landing practice. The following week the squadron flew to Pensacola, 

Florida, where the Red Devils joined the pilots of 

VMF-235 for carrier qualifications on board the 

light fleet aircraft carrier USS Wright (CVL 49). 

On 23 December 1950, VMF-232 returned to 

MCAS El Toro.

During the first six months of 1951, the unit 

participated in extensive specialized problems, 

exercises, and training. By the latter part of April, 

nearly all the original aviators and 40 percent of 

the enlisted Marines in the squadron had been 

detached and were sent overseas in various drafts 

of Air Fleet Marine Force Pacific. In May, the 

possibility of deployment on board a carrier off 

Korea caused all squadron activities to be directed 

toward this type of duty. Consequently, all aviators either qualified or requalified on board the 

escort carrier USS Rendova (CVE 114) between 

29 May and 2 June 1951. During that period, 

the VMF-232 pilots made 212 landings with 

only one accident; a Corsair was damaged when 

it struck the ship’s landing barrier. Then, from 11 

to 15 June, the squadron provided air support 

and combat air patrols during a landing exercise 

conducted in the San Clemente, California area.

In spite of the fact that 20 more pilots were 

drafted for combat duty during July, the squadron flew 725 hours during the month. In August, all phases of training were intensified and, 

in October, the Red Devils flew 1,054 hours, the 

highest monthly total since the squadron ceased 

combat operations in 1945.

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

VMF-232 received its first Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair on 14 October 1950.
12

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

During November and December 1951, 

unit training included napalm delivery and night 

rocket firing. Unfortunately, the training routine was interrupted on 14 December by a fatal mid-air collision involving Captains William

Javoronok and Gay Jones. The following month, 

First Lieutenant William A. Poe nearly became 

another statistic. While flying low in search of 

a simulated target in Silver Creek Canyon, approximately eight miles from Pickel Meadows, 

California, he found himself hemmed in on three 

sides by mountain peaks thousands of feet high. 

Unable to reverse course, he tried to climb over 

an 11,000-foot-high ridge directly ahead. While 

nearly stalled, the plane struck the ridge about 20 

feet from the top. The aircraft was destroyed, but 

Lieutenant Poe escaped uninjured.16

For the first half of 1952, VMF-232 remained at MCAS El Toro conducting training. 

In February and March, the squadron flew both 

day and night missions in support of 3d Marine 

Division training at Camp Pendleton. During 

April and May, 29 pilots and 94 enlisted men 

went to NAAS El Centro for ordnance training 

preparatory to being transferred overseas.

On 27 August 1952, flight operations were 

secured and the unit’s Corsairs were ferried to 

the overhaul and repair facility to be readied for

a shipboard voyage to Hawaii. A week later, the 

squadron’s personnel and equipment were airlifted to NAS Alameda, California, where they were 

loaded on board the attack transport USS President Jackson (APA 18). The Red Devils arrived at 

Pearl Harbor on 9 September 1952 and reported 

to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, where they were 

assigned to MAG-13 for six months temporary 

duty. Six days later, flight operations began. The 

first scheduled training was four days of carrier 

landings on board the attack carrier USS Oriskany (CV 34). The normal routine was interrupted 

briefly in September when Captain Howard W. 

Ligon’s Corsair caught fire during flight. Unable 

to extinguish the blaze, Captain Ligon was forced 

to bail out over the ocean. Within five minutes 

after landing offshore from Kaneohe Bay, a fishing boat picked up the uninjured pilot and returned him to shore.

The Jet Age

In March 1953, VMF-232 was homeward 

bound. It departed MCAS Kaneohe Bay on 5 

March and arrived at MCAS El Toro six days 

later. During that month, the Red Devils received their first jet fighters, the Grumman F9F2 Panther. The changeover from Corsairs to the 

single-seat F9F with its 5,750-pound thrust Pratt 

& Whitney engine virtually halted all flight operations. During most of April, 10 Panthers were 

on hand, but availability was low because of inexperienced crews as well as a paucity of spare parts. 

However, by the end of the month, 90 percent of 

the pilots had received familiarization flights, and 

a two-week course of instruction for mechanics 

contributed to the maintenance effort. In July, 

just when things seemed to be going well for the 

squadron, misfortune plagued the unit. On the 

13th, Second Lieutenant John J. Dipasqua was 

killed when his aircraft crashed on takeoff. Additionally, nine F9F-2s were grounded for maintenance during the first 20 days of July, which 

greatly reduced the training effort.17

August 1953 was spent preparing for the 

Red Devils’ second six-month tour at MCAS 

Kaneohe Bay. On the 14th, an advance echelon 

composed of 3 officers and 20 enlisted men left 

for Hawaii. The remainder of the squadron departed NAS San Diego on 21 September. Effective 4 January 1954, homeport for VMF-232 was 

changed from MCAS El Toro to MCAS Kaneohe 

Bay, where the unit was assigned to MAG-13.

The squadron’s F9F-2s were replaced with 

Grumman F9F-5 Panther jets, which provided an additional 500 pounds of thrust. This 

jet was followed by the North American FJ-2 

Fury, a swept-wing, carrier-capable fighter that 

first arrived in the Marine Corps inventory in 

1954. Cono R. Borrelli, who was assigned to 
13

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

the VMFA-232 from 1954 to 1955 as a second 

lieutenant and Fury pilot, related that “Granted, 

the [North American] FJ-2 [Fury] was only in 

the Marine Corps inventory for a few years, but 

it was actually the first aircraft flown by Marine 

squadrons that would exceed Mach 1. We were 

the first supersonic Marines. On our fourth and 

final familiarization flight in the FJ-2, we flew 

through Mach 1 and when we landed were given 

our ‘mach busters’ lapel pin by the North American technical representatives.”18

The Red Devils remained in Hawaii for the 

next eight years, the only excursion from the islands being a cruise to the Western Pacific. The 

squadron departed Hawaii on 8 September 1958 

and deployed to NAS Atsugi, Japan,* where the 

unit was on board the aircraft carrier USS Bennington (CVS 20) from 17 September to 15 November. While deployed on board the carrier, the 

squadron participated in operations in the Gulf 

of Taiwan during the Communist bombardment 

*NAS Atsugi became Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi in 

1971.

of Quemoy (or Kinmen) and Matsu Islands. 

The Red Devils flew combat air patrol missions 

as directed by U.S. Command, Taiwan Defense 

Command until relieved by VMF-451. The unit 

returned to NAF Atsugi, where it remained until 

it departed for MCAS Kaneohe Bay on 15 March 

1959.19

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

VMF-232 received its first jet fighter, the Grumman F9F-2 Panther, in 1953. The plane had a Pratt & Whitney engine, which 

produced 5,750 pounds of thrust and enabled the Panther to reach speeds up to 650 mph. This is an early F9F-2 prototype and 

did not have the wing-tip tanks common on later production models.

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress

VMFA-232 flew the FJ-2 Fury, made by North American, 

from MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, in the mid-1950s.
14

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

In early 1962, the squadron transitioned 

from the FJ-4 to the new Chance Vought F8U2N Crusader, later redesignated the F-8D. While 

both the Fury and the Crusader were singleengine, swept-wing fighters, the 16,000-pound 

thrust engine with afterburner of the F-8D far 

exceeded the performance capabilities of the 

Fury with its 7,800-pound thrust engine. Although both aircraft were equipped with four 

20mm cannons, the Crusader could carry four 

Sidewinder, heat-seeking, air-to-air missiles while 

the FJ-4 could only carry two. Additionally, the 

improved radar and autopilot system of the Crusader enabled it to perform as an all-weather interceptor.20

On 12 June 1962, VMF-232 embarked on 

board the Oriskany and operational control of 

the squadron shifted to Carrier Air Group 16 

(CAG-16). The carrier departed Pearl Harbor on 

25 June and arrived in the Philippines on 8 July. 

While at NAS Cubi Point, Philippines, an F-8D 

was lost when the engine flamed out during a test 

flight. The pilot safely ejected, and the squadron 

completed the cruise without further accidents.21

In July, because of the tension between the 

Netherlands and Indonesia, the carrier steamed 

toward New Guinea. The alert was canceled, 

however, and the ship resumed its normal schedule. The carrier then conducted antiair warfare 

exercises during which the squadron flew numerous combat air patrol missions. The Oriskany

developed mechanical difficulties, and for five 

weeks the squadron operated from NAS Atsugi 

while the ship underwent repairs.22

After additional in-port time at U.S. Naval 

Base Subic Bay, Philippines, in October and November, the carrier departed for Hawaii arriving 

on 11 December 1962. The Red Devils were then 

assigned to MAG-13, 1st Marine Brigade, where 

they remained for the next four years.

Photo courtesy of VMFA-232

A VMF-232 F-8 Crusader made by Chance Vought sits on the flight deck of the USS Oriskany (CV 34) in 1962 during a 

Western Pacific cruise.
15

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

Combat and the Far East

On 1 March 1965, VMF-232 became Marine

All-Weather Fighter Squadron 232 (VMF[AW]-

232). As a result of the intensification of operations in Southeast Asia, the squadron left Hawaii 

for MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, arriving there on 2 

September 1966, a year and a half after the first 

fixed-wing squadrons had been committed to 

combat operations in Vietnam. During the next 

two months, the unit, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Nicholas M. Trapnell Jr., moved 

in increments to Da Nang Air Base, Republic 

of Vietnam (RVN). By December, the last of 

the Red Devils had arrived at Da Nang and the 

squadron was assigned to MAG-11.

The squadron, flying the newer F-8E Crusader which it received in August 1966, began full 

combat operations in December. The F-8E was 

similar to the F-8D but with higher-performance 

radar which, being mounted in the nose section, 

changed the appearance slightly. By the end of 

the month, VMF(AW)-232 had flown 571 sorties while delivering 418 tons of ordnance to enemy targets; four aircraft had received hits, and 

the Red Devil pilots had become familiar with 

the I and II Corps area as well as portions of the 

area north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

During the first four months of 1967, 19 

more F-8Es were hit. In most cases, the damage 

was caused by a single small-arms round and was 

easily repaired. Most importantly, no pilots were 

injured. But in May and June, the Red Devils 

were not quite as fortunate. On 4 May, Major 

Edward F. Townley’s jet was hit as it circled over 

a suspected enemy position. Soon the fighter was 

heading seaward trailing fire and smoke. Major 

Townley ejected and was recovered uninjured.23

On the 19th, the first Red Devil was killed in

action and the squadron lost its second aircraft.

While flying a direct air support mission, Captain Harold J. Hellbach reported receiving fire 

over the target area. As the pilot turned toward 

the sea, the jet suddenly pitched nose up and 

then entered a dive, exploding when it hit the 

ground about six miles fromthe target area.24 On 

21 June, Major Charles L.Cronkrite, who transferred from 232 to the group staff and continued 

flying with the Red Devils,was killed. After experiencing mechanical difficulties, Major Cronkrite 

ejected and “it was suspected that the pilot was 

unconscious when he hit the water.” July was a 

better month in that no onewas killed or injured, 

but one aircraft was lost on the 2d when Major 

Bruce A. Martin ejected after his plane was hit. 

Two other F-8s were destroyed on 15 July as the 

result of an enemy rocket attack on Da Nang. 

August marked the last month of the unit’s combat tour, and on the 30th, when the last plane

landed, the Red Devils had amassed totals of 

5,785 sorties, 7,273 flight hours, and 6,271 tons 

of ordnance expended.

Under the leadership of Major Melvin H. 

Sautter, the final preparations were made for the 

trans-Pacific flight to MCAS El Toro. The squadron, upon arrival in California on 1 September 1967, was assigned to MAG-33 and Major 

Norbert F. Schnippel Jr. became the commanding officer. After transferring most of the squadron veterans and joining several new personnel, 

the unit began rebuilding. On 8 September, 

VMF(AW)-232 was redesignated Marine Fighter 

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

On 1 March 1965, VMF-232, which was assigned the F-8E 

Crusader all-weather interceptor, became Marine All-Weather Fighter Squadron 232.
16

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

Attack Squadron 232 (VMFA-232). The rejuvenated squadron began receiving McDonnell 

F-4J Phantom II aircraft on 19 September and 

immediately began intensive training in preparation for its return to Vietnam. The Phantom, 

designated primarily as a fighter/interceptor, also 

possessed a full ground attack capability. It required the addition of another crew member, a 

naval flight officer who was employed as a radar 

intercept officer (RIO). The Phantom, with its 

two 17,000-pound thrust engines, was capable of 

flying at twice the speed of sound and could carry 

approximately 16,000 pounds of ordnance.25

From a modest beginning of 13 hours flown in 

October, the squadron flew 83 hours in November and 188 hours in December. From January

1968 to March 1969, the Red Devils conducted 

training at MCAS El Toro; MCAS Yuma, Arizona; and NAAS Fallon, Nevada. After an operational readiness inspection held the first week 

in March, the Red Devils were prepared for the 

return flight to Vietnam. On 17 March 1969, the 

advance party left for Chu Lai, Vietnam, and arrived two days later. The main body departed El 

Toro on 25 March and arrived on 27 March. The 

flight transit of the Pacific for the squadron’s 15 

aircraft plus 3 Navy F-4J’s started on 20 March. 

En route stops were made at Kaneohe Bay, Wake 

Island, Guam, and Cubi Point. By 31 March, the 

last of the squadron’s aircraft arrived at Chu Lai.

For the next five months, VMFA-232 supported Marine operations in Vietnam as part of 

MAG-13. During that tour, two aircraft were 

lost, but none of the crew members were injured. 

The squadron accumulated more than 3,000 

combat sorties and flew nearly 3,600 combat 

hours. On 4 September 1969, the commanding 

officer, Lieutenant Colonel Ralph J. Sorensen, 

led a two-plane flight on the unit’s last combat 

mission. Three days later, VMFA-232 redeployed 

Photo by SSgt Dub Allen, official U.S. Marine Corps photo

A VMFA-232 F-4J jet sits outside the Red Devils’ maintenance hangar at Nam Phong Airbase, also known as the “Rose Garden.”
17

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

to MCAS Iwakuni and was assigned to MAG-15, 

9th Marine Amphibious Brigade (9th MAB). On 

8 November, the squadron was reassigned to the 

1st MAW, retaining its assignment to MAG-15.

With the exception of training deployments 

to Naha Airbase, Okinawa, and NAS Cubi Point, 

the squadron remained with MAG-15 in Japan 

until April 1972. On 5 April, the 1st MAW received a warning order from Fleet Marine Force 

Pacific to be prepared to deploy two fixed-wing 

tactical aircraft squadrons to Vietnam.* The decision was made to deploy two F-4 units, VMFA115 and VMFA-232, based at MCAS Iwakuni. 

On the morning of 6 April, the Joint Chiefs of 

Staff issued an execute order for the two squadrons and by noon the first flights were airborne. 

While en route, an operational mishap resulted 

in the loss of a Red Devil plane. Both the pilot, 

First Lieutenant Jeffrey F. Weed, and the RIO, 

Captain Elber A. Highers Jr., were killed. The 

total time required for the deployment of MAG15 (Fwd) with 12 F-4Bs from VMFA-115, 15 

F-4Js from VMFA-232, and support elements 

from Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 

15 and Marine Air Base Squadron 15 was two 

days. The rapid response of Marine aviation units 

was noted by all levels of command, including 

the president of the United States.26

Due to the temporary status of the Marine forces in Vietnam, “COMSEVENTHFLT 

[Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet] directed that operational control of MAG-15 (Fwd) be retained 

by the 1st MAW, with missions assigned by

ComUSMACV [Commander, U.S. Military 

Assistance Command, Vietnam] air component commander (Seventh Air Force) through 

the 366th Tactical Fighter Wing located at Da 

Nang.”27 On 9 April, after all crews had received a 

*In 1969, the Marine Corps began reducing its strength in 

Vietnam and, in June 1971, the last Marine tactical aircraft 

squadron was redeployed to Japan. The return of Marine 

air to Vietnam came in response to the Easter Offensive 

in 1972.

briefing from the U.S. Air Force, the Red Devils’ 

commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Joe L. 

Gregorcyk, led the first Marine combat mission.

On 20 June, MAG-15 (Fwd) moved to the 

Royal Thai Air Base, Nam Phong, Thailand, 

which became known to all Marines as the “Rose 

Garden.” The Red Devils immediately began 

flight operations supporting South Vietnamese 

ground forces in the northern and central parts 

of RVN, as well as flying missions into Laos and 

North Vietnam.28 Between 2 August and 30 November 1972, VMFA-232 lost three Phantoms 

and two crew members. One pilot, First Lieutenant Sam G. Cordova, was lost in North Vietnam 

and a RIO, Captain Donald C. Breuer, was lost 

in Laos. Both officers were listed as missing in action, but Breuer has since been declared as killed 

in action. For the next 11 months, the squadron operated without the loss of an aircraft or a 

crew member. Finally, on 1 September 1973, the 

squadron’s third combat tour in Southeast Asia 

ended.

Photo by SSgt Dub Allen, courtesy of Capt John F. Luhmann

An F-4 Phantom loaded with bombs and flown by Capt John 

F. Luhmann with RIO 1stLt Sherman A. Poling takes fuel 

from a Marine Lockheed KC-130 Hercules tanker while on a 

mission out of Nam Phong Air Base, Thailand, in November 

1972.
18

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

On 1 September 1973, the last Red Devil left 

Nam Phong and the Indochina War and made 

NAS Cubi Point, Philippines, its home for the 

next two-and-a-half months. While at Cubi 

Point, VMFA-232 took part in a missile exercise conducted to qualify air crewmen with the 

Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles. From 13 to 20 

November, the squadron moved 209 short tons 

of equipment in C-130 aircraft and established 

itself at MCAS Iwakuni.

For VMFA-232, success or achievement was 

no longer measured in terms of bomb damage 

assessments, targets destroyed, and 100-mission 

crew members, but rather in readiness, training posture, and inspection results. By the end 

of June 1974, the squadron was ready to settle 

down to the routine of peacetime flying, but not 

before accepting the Robert M. Hanson Award 

for fiscal year 1974, which distinguished the unit 

as the most outstanding fighter squadron in the 

Marine Corps. During the period for which the 

squadron won the award, it was under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel James M. Mead and 

then-Major Frederick J. Schober.

Phantoms Fight the Cold War

On 1 September 1975, VMFA-232 celebrated its 

50th birthday.* Commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Robert L. Daniels, the Red Devils remained 

in the Western Pacific, flying from MCAS 

Iwakuni as a 1st MAW squadron until October 

1977. Then, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Frank J. Horak Jr., the squadron 

moved to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, and 

became part of MAG-24. This marked the first 

time the squadron had been based in the United 

States since 1969. A large turnover in personnel 

occurred as Marines left the squadron for other 

assignments and new Marines joined. Shortly 

afterward, VMFA-232 pilots flew the squadron’s 

McDonnell Douglas F-4J Phantom II aircraft to 

NAS North Island, California, to replace them 

with an improved variant of the F-4J fitted with 

smokeless engines. VMFA-232 continued to fly 

Phantoms from MCAS Kaneohe Bay until 1989.

The Red Devils conducted a spectrum of 

training missions in Hawaii, which was an excellent place for building combat skills. There 

were restricted areas or “working areas” for airto-air training just off the coast where the Phantom crews could “go tactical” within minutes of 

takeoff. Here they practiced air-to-air intercepts 

under the control and direction of Marine Air 

Control Squadron 2. They also often practiced 

air combat maneuvering, or dogfighting, with 

other Hawaii-based tactical jet units, such as 

those of the Hawaii Air National Guard, the 

*Unless otherwise noted, information comes from the 

squadron command chronologies archived at the Gray 

Research Center, Quantico, VA.

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo

Marines based at Nam Phong Air Base nicknamed it the 

Rose Garden based on the Marine recruiting poster shown 

here. The austere and often surreal conditions at the base 

inspired the moniker.
19

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

U.S. Air Force, or the U.S. Navy, and with units 

temporarily deployed to Hawaii, such as carrierdeployed U.S. Navy Grumman F-14 Tomcat 

fighter squadrons. MAG-24 and the 3d Marine 

Regiment were organic units of the 1st Marine 

Brigade. This made Kaneohe Bay the only Marine Corps base where air and ground units were 

jointly based and under a common commander. 

This embodied the air-ground team concept and 

facilitated air-ground training and an air-ground 

cultural mix. Air-to-ground training was conducted at the Army’s Pohakuloa Training Area 

on the island of Hawaii, which included close air 

support training for 3d Marine units. Additionally, live missile shoots were conducted off the 

coast of Oahu under the guidance and control of 

the Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands, on the island of Kauai.

Within a year of returning to Hawaii, VMFA232 was back in the Western Pacific. This time for 

only six months as part of the unit deployment 

program (UDP), a rotational system the Marine 

Corps had recently instituted. While deployed to 

the Western Pacific, the squadron was based at 

MCAS Iwakuni and temporarily became a part 

of the 1st MAW. For the next eight years, VMFA232, while flying the F-4 Phantom, executed six 

UDPs, rotating to the Western Pacific for six 

months with a year at Kaneohe Bay in between. 

Valuable training and a demanding operational 

environment was part of each Western Pacific deployment.

The trans-Pacific flight required to reach 

Japan had to be carefully planned and choreographed in conjunction with support agencies, 

such as Marine or Air Force refueling squadrons, 

and normally required three days to complete. 

To make the flight, squadrons normally divided 

their complement of aircraft into two six-plane 

cells, with the second cell taking off approxiOfficial U.S. Marine Corps photo

A row of McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms sit on the runway at MCAS Kaneohe Bay. The Red Devils first flew Phantoms in 

September 1967.
20

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

mately within an hour of the first. The first day’s 

flight from Hawaii would end at Wake Island or, 

occasionally, Midway Island. The second day the 

squadron flew to Guam, and the final day the 

squadron flew to MCAS Iwakuni.

Once settled in MCAS Iwakuni, a typical 

UDP deployment included operational training 

at various locations in the Western Pacific, including South Korea, Okinawa, and the Philippines. One particularly demanding but beneficial 

exercise was Cope Thunder, a U.S. Air Force–

administered, air-to-air exercise in the Philippine 

Islands. In Cope Thunder, fighter crews engaged 

in aerial combat against fighter aircraft of the Air 

Force or Navy in a variety of real-world type scenarios. Team Spirit, a multiservice/multinational 

amphibious exercise in South Korea was another 

demanding exercise. Marine squadrons deployed 

to Yechon Air Base, South Korea, operating in 

expeditionary conditions for only a few days or 

for as long as two weeks. In Team Spirit exercises, 

the squadron flew a gamut of missions: air-to-air 

sorties in the air defense role and ground attack 

sorties providing close air support for Coalition 

ground forces. The training in the Western Pacific was robust and challenging for everyone 

involved, including aircrews and the squadron 

Marines who maintained the jets and performed 

the behind-the-scenes tasks required to meet the 

demanding flight schedule.

Deployments to the U.S. mainland during the 

squadron’s year “at home” between Western Pacific 

deployments added another layer of realistic training. MCAS Yuma in Arizona was usually home 

base during these deployments. The squadron 

availed itself of the facilities, ranges, and working

areas around Yuma for air-to-ground sorties,

air-to-air sorties, and low-level training. One especially helpful facility was the air combat maneuvering range. Its state-of-the-art display provided 

Photo courtesy of VMFA-232

A Red Devil F-4J sits on the ramp at NAS Cubi Point, Philippines, in 1975. The squadron made regular deployments to Cubi 

Point after the Vietnam War and while it participated in the unit deployment program as a Phantom squadron from 1978 to 

1986.
21

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

a digital readout of the flight paths and weapons 

employment for each aircraft in the fight. This 

took the guesswork out of mission debriefings. 

While in the United States, the squadron also 

participated in electronic warfare training on 

the Echo Range at China Lake, California. The 

squadron’s mainland U.S. deployment was often 

topped off by flying in the Air Force’s dynamic 

Red Flag air combat exercise conducted out of 

Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

Throughout the years, individual members of 

the Red Devils gained graduate-level air tactics 

instruction as they worked through the Marine 

Aviation Weapons and Tactics Squadron 1 syllabus to become air combat tactics instructors or 

weapons and tactics instructors. Selected pilots 

and RIOs also attended the Naval Fighter Weapons School program (popularly known as “Top 

Gun”) for advanced air combat training at NAS 

Miramar, San Diego, California.*

VMFA-232 maintained an excellent record 

of safe flying. By mid-1979, VMFA-232 had 

flown more than five years without a major accident. This record ended, however, on 23 November 1979 when the F-4 Phantom piloted by 

First Lieutenant Stephen C. Hastings and RIO 

Captain Steven R. Sammet crashed into the 

ocean near San Diego, resulting in the loss of 

both crewmen and the aircraft.

Although the Marine Corps’ new fighter, the 

McDonnell Douglas F/A-18A Hornet, entered 

*In 1996, Top Gun merged with the Strike Fighter Tactics 

Instructor Program that was established at NAS Fallon, 

Nevada.

Photo by Fred H. Allison

A Marine F-4J Phantom turns belly up over the patchwork farmland near MCAS Yuma, Arizona, ca. 1979. The training 

ranges around Yuma proved to be an excellent site for tactical aviation training for VMFA-232.
22

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

service in 1983, the Red Devils continued to fly 

the F-4 throughout the 1980s. The last Phantom II UDP for the Red Devils occurred from 

April to October 1986 under the command of 

Lieutenant Colonel William L. Nyland.* Highlights of this deployment included participation 

*Nyland was the first Marine naval flight officer to obtain 

the rank of general. After serving in a number of squadron 

and staff assignments and command of VMFA-232, in July 

1990 he assumed command of Marine Aviation Training 

Support Group 21 in Pensacola, Florida. Nyland advanced 

to the rank of major general on 2 July 1997 and assumed 

duties as the deputy commanding general of II Marine 

Expeditionary Force. He then commanded 2d MAW from 

July 1998 to June 2000. After advancement to lieutenant 

general, he became the deputy commandant for programs 

and resources at Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps followed 

by assignment as deputy commandant for aviation. He was 

promoted to general on 4 September 2002 and assumed 

duties as the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps 

on 10 September 2002. He retired from active duty on 1 

November 2005.

in a Cope Thunder exercise, supporting a Boeing B-52 Stratofortress minelaying exercise, and 

conducting air-to-air combat training against Air 

Force McDonnell Douglas F-15 Eagles at Kadena 

Air Base on Okinawa. After returning to MCAS 

Kaneohe Bay, Nyland turned the squadron over 

to his friend, Lieutenant Colonel George C. Tullos, in a change of command ceremony on 2 July 

1987. In October, Tullos led the squadron on its 

final F-4 deployment to the mainland. For one 

last time, aircrews put the Phantom through 

its paces in training at Yuma, El Toro, and Red 

Flag. At Red Flag, VMFA-232 played the unusual role—for Marines—of being the blue force 

(friendly) bombers for the exercise. On 28 November 1988, the last VMFA-232 F-4S Phantom 

II was transferred to the Smithsonian National 

Air and Space Museum at the Steven F. UdvarHazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia, where it remains on display.

In early 1989, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Victor A. Simpson, the squadron 

began the transition to the F/A-18. Pilots went 

to Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 

101 to learn to fly the Hornet, and maintenance 

Marines went to NAS Lemoore, California, to 

learn to repair it. The F/A-18’s fly-by-wire, digital radar and weapons system and tremendous 

maneuvering capabilities were awe-inspiring to 

pilots, and maintenance troops were amazed at 

the Hornet’s reliability and ease of maintenance. 

By 12 June 1989, the Red Devils had a full complement of 12 Hornets and, in April 1990, the 

squadron flew a record number of hours for an 

F/A-18 squadron: 870.2 hours. They would not 

have to wait long to employ their new aircraft in 

actual combat.

Operations Desert Shield

and Desert Storm

With Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, 

the Red Devils began to prepare for war. In DePhoto by MSgt Jim Varhegyi, USAF,

courtesy of Defense Imagery

Gen William L. Nyland, Assistant Commandant of the 

Marine Corps in 2002–5, testifies before the Senate Armed 

Services Committee in 2004. As a lieutenant colonel, Nyland 

commanded VMFA-232 from 1985 to 1987.
23

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

cember, they were ordered to deploy to Bahrain and join MAG-11, 3d MAW, in support of

Operation Desert Shield. On 10 December, 

Lieutenant Colonel Simpson and VMFA-232 

departed MCAS Kaneohe Bay and headed east, 

bound for the Persian Gulf. The squadron arrived 

at Shaikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain six days later, 

and four days after that they began flying combat air patrols (CAPs) over the northern Persian 

Gulf. These day-and-night CAPs continued until 

the onset of Operation Desert Storm, which began on 17 January 1991 with massive Coalition 

air strikes.

The Red Devils had aircraft in all five waves 

of the first day’s strikes. Leading from the front, 

Lieutenant Colonel Simpson flew in the first mission, which launched shortly after midnight. On 

his wing was Captain Donald A. Ulsh. Their mission was suppression of the Iraqi electronic air defense system in order to protect a 30-plane strike 

on Shaibah Air Base near Basrah, Iraq. Throughout this mission, pilots aggressively “yanked and 

banked” their aircraft to avoid antiaircraft fire 

consisting of both artillery and surface-to-air 

missiles. Thankfully, the antiaircraft fire was not 

guided because the Iraqi guidance systems for 

their antiaircraft weapons had been neutralized 

by Northrup Grumman EA-6B Prowler electronic warfare aircraft. Near the target, Simpson 

and Ulsh fired AGM-88 high-speed antiradiation 

missiles (HARMs) at Roland (a French-made antiaircraft missile) and SA-6 (a Russian-produced 

antiaircraft missile) sites, which had effectively 

covered the strike aircraft bombers.

Also participating in the opening strike of the 

air campaign were a division of VMFA-232 pilots, including Major Robert W. Elflein and his 

wingman Captain Craig F. Benson and an Air 

Photo by Sgt Jeff Wright, courtesy of Defense Imagery

A McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet strike fighter of VMFA-232 taxies on a runway before takeoff for a mission in support 

of Operation Desert Storm.
24

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

Force exchange pilot, Major Joseph Sokol Jr., and 

his wingman, Captain Alan W. Kubiak. To protect strike aircraft, this division flew a MIG sweep 

and air defense suppression mission, during 

which they fired HARMs at Soviet-made SA-3 

surface-to-air missile sites near Tallil in Iraq. Later that first day, Major John D. Dewitt Jr. served 

as mission commander for a short-notice, add-on 

mission. It included a 22-plane strike package on 

SA-2 (a Russian-made antiaircraft missile) sites. 

Dewitt’s division included Captains William J. 

Harkin, Gerald R. Temple, and John T. Powell 

Jr. This mission was flown in challenging weather 

and faced heavy antiaircraft fire, including SA-6 

launches. Despite these challenges, this mission 

was a success according to the unit’s command 

chronology: “By the end of day one, all Red Devil pilots were ‘combat veterans’ having delivered 

ordnance on the enemy and survived the enemy’s 

anti-aircraft fire.”29

For the next month, the squadron flew 

around-the-clock combat missions as part of 

Operation Desert Storm. The Red Devils flew 

strikes into Iraq on strategic targets, as well as 

strikes targeting the Iraqi military in Kuwait. The 

latter were particularly important for shaping the 

battlefield on which the I Marine Expeditionary 

Force (I MEF) would eventually fight. Targets hit 

by Red Devil pilots included hangars at Shaibah 

Air Base, command and control centers at Tallil, 

train yards and a refinery at al-Bashar, a train yard 

at al-Zubayr, and an ammunition storage facility 

south of Kuwait International Airport. The direct 

hit on the latter target produced massive secondary explosions estimated to be in the 1.8-megaton range.

In late January, the Red Devils focused on 

striking Iraq’s elite Republican Guard Hammurabi and Medina Armored Divisions.

30 From 17 

January to the end of the month, VMFA-232 piPhoto by TSgt Paul J. Page, USAF, courtesy of Defense Imagery

The Red Devils relocated to Shaikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain in December 1990 to support Operation Desert Storm.
25

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

lots flew 224 combat sorties in 456 hours, dropping 42 MK84 2,000-pound bombs, 169 MK83 

1,000-pound bombs, 25 MK82 500-pound 

bombs and 80 MK20 Rockeye cluster bombs 

and firing 48 HARMs. Once the ground war 

commenced on 24 February, the Red Devils provided both close and deep air support for Marine 

battalions. While Red Devil pilots hammered the 

enemy, Red Devil ground crews and maintenance 

personnel ensured that aircraft were available, 

with the squadron averaging a 90 percent fullmission capable status through January 1991. 31*

With the war’s end, VMFA-232 returned 

to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, retracing their flight to 

war with overnight stops at Rota, Spain; MCAS 

Beaufort, South Carolina; and MCAS El Toro. 

Families waited on the flight line as the Red

*This means that 90 percent of the squadron’s aircraft were 

available to fly with all systems working.

Devils’ Hornets pulled onto the VMFA-232 

ramp and squadron Marines debarked from 

transport aircraft.

F/A-18 Hornet

Peacetime Training

After Operation Desert Storm, the squadron resumed peacetime tactical training that included 

routine Western Pacific deployments. In February 

1993, the Red Devils were once again deployed 

to the Pacific. Although similar to previous Western Pacific deployments, this one included the 

new training destinations of Guam and Thailand, which were necessitated by the return of 

American facilities in the Philippines to the Filipino government in 1992. In Guam, VMFA-232 

participated in joint exercise Tandem Thrust. 

From Guam, they flew to Utapao, Thailand, 

Photo by PH2 John Gay, USN, courtesy of Defense Imagery

A ground crew member steps down from the cockpit of a VMFA-232 F/A-18C Hornet aircraft after conducting a preflight check 

during Tandem Thrust 93 in Guam.
26

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

where the Red Devils flew in a joint air-ground 

exercise with U.S. Air Force Fairchild Republic 

A-10 Thunderbolt units, supporting an amphibious assault conducted by U.S. and Thai Marines. 

Afterward, VMFA-232 flew to Korat, Thailand, 

for participation in the Cope Tiger 93 exercise. 

Cope Tiger sorties included close air support and 

air-to-air combat as part of a large joint air force 

that included Thai and U.S. Air Force aircraft. 

Training in Guam and Thailand aptly compensated for the loss of Philippine-based training. 

By May 1993, VMFA-232 reached an important 

safety milestone: flying 50,000 hours over 13 

years without a major accident.

After returning to MCAS Kaneohe Bay in 

early August 1993, VMFA-232 experienced a 

major relocation to MCAS El Toro and became 

part of MAG-11. In a sense, it was a return 

home, as VMFA-232 had been based at El Toro 

26 years earlier. Basing at MCAS El Toro gave 

the squadron easy access to the training ranges 

nearby, such as those near NAF El Centro and 

the Marine Corps bases at Twentynine Palms, 

California, and Yuma, Arizona. Within weeks, 

the Red Devils participated in a MAG-11 bombing competition at Hill Air Force Base in Utah. 

While at Hill, the unit also practiced special 

weapons delivery, which included firing AGM65 Mavericks and AGM-62 Walleyes, both precision air-to-ground missiles. Later, they supported 

the 11th Marine Regiment with close air support 

in a live-fire exercise. This was followed with defensive air combat tactics training with a General 

Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon squadron of the 

Arizona Air National Guard.

In December 1993, the squadron deployed 

to MCAS Yuma for Operation Scorpion Wind, a 

sophisticated Marine Air-Ground Task Force exercise that rehearsed close air support tactics and 

special weapons employment. Scorpion Wind 

also included air combat against Marine McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harriers and Northrop 

F-5 Tiger IIs from VMFT-401, as well as U.S. 

Air Force F-15 Eagles and F-16 Fighting Falcons. 

One training mission that demonstrated the 

Hornet’s long-range capabilities included an air 

strike flown in July 1994 from MCAS El Toro to 

Fort Smith, Arkansas, by a division of VMFA232 pilots. Led by Captain Gary A. Kling and 

relying on Marine Lockheed KC-130 Hercules 

refueling aircraft to cover the 2,000 miles to the 

target, the Marine pilots successfully conducted 

the simulated air strike while besting in mock air 

combat the U.S. Air Force F-16s that defended 

the target.

Although based at MCAS El Toro, the Red 

Devils remained part of the UDP rotation. In 

August 1994, under the command of Lieutenant 

Colonel Robert M. Knutzen, the squadron deployed once again to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. The 

Red Devils commenced an aggressive training 

schedule, including simulated close air support 

for 2d Battalion, 3d Marine Regiment, at Camp 

Fuji, Japan, and participation in a large force

exercise in South Korea in conjunction with the 

U.S. Air Force’s 18th Wing. A detachment of 

Red Devil Marines also deployed to the Japanese 

air base at Misawa and participated in air-to-air 

training against U.S. Air Force jets of the 432d 

Wing. During the Misawa deployment, VMFA232 provided static aircraft displays for air shows 

at Tsuiki, MCAS Futenma, and Hyakuri in Japan. They also practiced bombing on the Ripsaw

Range north of Misawa. Simultaneously, a detachment of Red Devils deployed to Kadena Air 

Base where they simulated combat with Air Force 

F-15s and F-16s of the 18th Wing. During this 

deployment, Red Devil pilots also engaged in a 

live-fire missile shoot. In December, a detachment

of VMFA-232 Marines and jets operated from 

Osan Air Base, Republic of Korea, in support of 

Beach Crest 95, a command and control exercise. To support these far-flung exercises meant 

that squadron Marines and jets were at Iwakuni, 

Osan, Kadena, and Misawa simultaneously.

The Red Devils returned to MCAS El Toro 

in February 1995. Awaiting them was yet another major move, this time to MCAS Miramar 
27

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

on the northern outskirts of San Diego, California. Miramar had begun as a Marine Corps base 

in World War II, but it became a Navy base in 

1947 after the opening of MCAS El Toro. The 

Marines returned to Miramar after the 1993 Base 

Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) 

decision to close MCAS El Toro. Navy squadrons 

stationed at the base were moved to NAS Fallon. MCAS Miramar proved to be advantageous 

for training because civilian air traffic was less 

dense and it was closer to the working areas to 

the east. Besides local training, VMFA-232 deployed eight aircraft to Holloman Air Force Base 

in New Mexico, where the Red Devils flew in 

simulated air combat against German F-4 Phantom IIs. Another significant training deployment 

followed when VMFA-232 flew 10 Hornets and 

a detachment of Marines to Nellis Air Force Base 

to support the U.S. Air Force’s Fighter Weapons 

School. In this training, VMFA-232 pilots flew 

in large force missions comprising more than 70 

aircraft. In Operation Longshot, also conducted 

at Nellis, the Red Devils played the role of aggressors. As an aggressor pilot, Captain Christopher M. McCarthy defeated three U.S. Air Force 

F-15s in air combat and made simulated gun 

runs on a B-52.

In 1995, the squadron placed extra emphasis on night operations with pilots learning to 

employ night-vision goggles. That same year, 

VMFA-232 supported an enhanced combined 

arms exercise at Twentynine Palms during which 

they dropped 170,000 pounds of ordnance and 

flew sorties wearing level-four mission-oriented 

protective posture gear. This was a protective suit 

to be worn when the threat of chemical, nuclear, 

or biological attack was high. Pilots essentially 

had to fly encapsulated in a bulky protective suit. 

In November, a squadron change of command 

passed the leadership role to Lieutenant Colonel 

Photo by TSgt James E. Lotz, USAF

An F/A-18C Hornet aircraft from VMFA-232 taxies in front of a Republic of Singapore Air Force A-4SU Skyhawk aircraft at 

Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand, for a mission in support of Exercise Cope Tiger 02.
28

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

Jeffrey L. Olson. With four full squadron deployments, concentrated night tactical flying, and a 

major relocation, 1995 had been particularly active. The squadron had also successfully completed a Marine Corps Combat Readiness Evaluation 

and a commanding general’s inspection. This was 

done safely as the Red Devils surpassed 70,000 

hours of safe flying. Their safe and high-tempo 

operational flying were recognized by the receipt 

of the Chief of Naval Operations Aviation Safety 

Award for 1995 and the prestigious Robert M. 

Hanson award for the outstanding Marine fighter attack squadron for 1996.

In February 1996, VMFA-232 departed for 

another six-month UDP in the Western Pacific. Besides the usual deployments to Korea and 

Kadena, the Red Devils also trained in Australia for the first time. This followed a deployment 

to Thailand in April for participation in Cobra 

Gold, an expansive joint Thai and U.S. exercise. 

At the conclusion of Cobra Gold, VMFA-232 

flew to Darwin, Australia, and flew in Operation 

Southern Frontier. Australia provided for more 

aggressive air-to-ground training as the Australian ranges were larger and less restrictive regarding employing live ordnance than those in Japan 

or Korea. The Red Devils returned to MCAS Miramar in late August.

Throughout the remainder of the 1990s, 

VMFA-232 continued to prepare for combat using realistic training in the United States as well 

as the Western Pacific. They also trained safely as 

indicated by the squadron’s receipt of the Chief 

of Naval Operations Aviation Safety Award five 

times between 1995 and 2000. At the time, they 

did not realize that this training was preparing 

Red Devil aviators and troops for a decade of 

conflict that would break out when terrorists 

flew commercial airliners into the World Trade 

Center and the Pentagon on 11 September 2001. 

Another attack using a third airliner was diverted 

away from its target by heroic passengers but resulted in the airliner crashing into the Pennsylvania countryside.

Onset of the Global War

on Terrorism and

Operation Iraqi Freedom I

On 7 and 8 September 2001, VMFA-232 departed MCAS Miramar bound for MCAS 

Iwakuni for what was to be another routine 

Western Pacific deployment. While in transit, 

the terrorist attacks in New York City, Pennsylvania, and on the Pentagon occurred. The deployment was halted temporarily at Wake Island until 

plans were developed in light of the heightened 

threat of global terrorism. The Red Devils would 

play an active part in Operation Noble Eagle, 

the defense of the homeland, which included 

U.S.-friendly states, nations, and territories in 

the Pacific. Upon reaching MCAS Iwakuni, the 

Red Devils, now under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Edward G. Hackett, redeployed 

immediately to Guam. Once there, VMFA-232 

flew 24-hour combat air patrols with their F/A18s loaded with live weapons. The Red Devils 

also executed 1st MAW’s theater engagement 

plan, which again was the protection of friendly 

nations in the Pacific and Southeast Asia. This 

required long overwater flights to far-flung locations, including Yap, Palau, the Philippines, Iwo 

Jima, the Marianas, Thailand, Malaysia, and Brunei. In so doing, VMFA-232 logged more than 

18,000 miles of open-ocean flying, often without 

navigational aids. During this demanding Western Pacific deployment, VMFA-232 passed the 

90,000-hour safe flying mark. In early February 

2002, the squadron returned to MCAS Iwakuni 

from Guam, but not before they participated in 

another Cope Tiger exercise in Thailand. In midMarch 2002, the Red Devils returned home to 

MCAS Miramar.

With combat operations occurring in Afghanistan and the United States planning a global war on terrorism, training took on increased 

urgency and significance for the squadron. The 

focus was now on air-to-ground operations and 
29

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

deep air strikes. New pilots completed the combat wingman syllabus (advanced combat training 

at the squadron level), while seasoned pilots received advanced training through air combat tactics instructor training or in the Top Gun course 

that now took place at NAS Fallon. The Red 

Devils also participated in three combined arms 

exercises in 2002. Late in 2002, the Red Devils 

were alerted of a possible wartime deployment to 

Kuwait for operations against Iraq.

The deployment became official in early January 2003. On 28 January, VMFA-232, now commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Michael H. Burt, 

departed MCAS Miramar and flew into Kuwait 

by way of MCAS Beaufort and Moron, Spain. 

Arriving at al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait on 1 February, squadron pilots soon began flying Operation Southern Watch missions. Southern Watch 

had been an ongoing operation since the end of 

Desert Storm. These missions entailed flying over 

the no-fly portions of Iraq to ensure that there 

were no Iraqi aircraft operating in these zones 

and to monitor the Iraqi command and control 

and antiaircraft defense systems to ensure that 

they were not being operated. From 8 February 

to 19 March, the Red Devils flew 197 Operation 

Southern Watch sorties. Al-Jaber, an air base that 

many Marine aviators had bombed in Operation 

Desert Storm, was now home base for Marine 

fixed-wing aircraft. Living and working facilities were still under construction when VMFA232 arrived. Marines set up their own tents and 

Photo by Maj Jonathan E. Curtis, courtesy of LtCol Byron D. Sullivan

VMFA-232 commanding officer LtCol Michael H. Burt flies his F/A-18 Hornet over Baghdad, Iraq, during Operation Iraqi 

Freedom I.
30

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

scrounged for wood to build furniture. Squadron 

Marines built a ready room from plywood and 

boards and appropriately painted the entire thing 

red.32 In short order, VMFA-232 logistics and 

supply Marines had provided for a clean, orderly, 

and well-maintained tent city.

On 20 March 2003, Operation Iraqi Freedom I began. The Red Devils flew in the earliest 

missions, providing close and deep air support 

for the advancing infantry columns. Precise close 

air support was imperative as ground force Marines slugged it out in the urban centers of anNasiriyah and Baghdad. The operational tempo 

was high, and operations went 24 hours a day. 

Pilots took off, contacted an air controller, and 

deployed ordnance, usually without delay. In the 

last 11 days of March alone, VMFA-232 pilots 

dropped 200 tons of ordnance and participated 

in the destruction of the Iraqi 11th, 14th, 18th, 

and 51st Divisions; the 6th and 10th Armored Divisions; and the Baghdad and al-Nida Divisions 

of the Republican Guard. This dynamic combat 

tempo was supported by a maintenance effort 

that produced combat capable aircraft at a 93.3 

percent rate.33 After the fall of Baghdad on 10 

April, the Coalition’s emphasis shifted to security 

and stabilization. A concomitant shift of mission type occurred for tactical aviation. Missions 

changed from fast-paced air-to-ground strikes to 

combat air patrols or on-call close air support. 

Combat operations for the Red Devils ended in 

late April, and the squadron returned to MCAS 

Miramar, arriving on 5 May.

Official U.S. Marine Corps photo, courtesy of Maj Dustin J. Byrum

VMFA-232 Marines gather for a squadron photo in front of a destroyed hangar at al-Jaber Air Base in Kuwait where the 

squadron was based during Operation Iraqi Freedom I in 2003. The hangar had been bombed during Operation Desert Storm 

in 1991 and never repaired.
31

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

Carrier Operations

with the U.S. Navy

Soon after returning to MCAS Miramar, a radical operational shift occurred for VMFA-232. 

The Red Devils were notified that they would be 

assigned to a U.S. Navy carrier air wing as part 

of the Marine/Navy tactical air integration agreement.*

 Until carrier workups began, the ongoing 

war on terrorism shaped training. Increased emphasis was now on night operations, low-altitude 

training, and ground attack emphasizing preci-

*Originally, 10 Marine F/A-18 squadrons were to be 

committed to the tactical integration program. As of 2012, 

this had not occurred due to the changing requirements of 

the Global War on Terrorism.

sion ordnance delivery, all of which reflected the 

reality of combat operations. Realistic training 

was also dangerous. Captain John T. Berger was 

killed on 22 July 2003 while flying a nighttime 

close air support training mission at Twentynine 

Palms.

Training for the upcoming carrier cruise began in May 2004, a year prior to the actual event. 

In June, a detachment of aircraft and Marines 

participated at NAS Fallon in the Strike Fighter 

Advanced Readiness Program. Marines in the 

Red Devil maintenance department coordinated 

with their Navy counterparts to meet possibly 

the most challenging aspect of integrating a Marine squadron into a carrier air wing: conducting aircraft maintenance in the carrier’s tight 

confines and in harmony with its fast-paced and 

closely timed cyclic operations. On 23 July 2004, 

Lieutenant Colonel Burt passed the command of 

VMFA-232 to Lieutenant Colonel Douglas S. 

Kurth.

It had been 46 years since a Red Devil landed 

on a carrier when, on 23 August 2004, Major 

Rhett J. Vranish landed on the USS Abraham 

Lincoln (CVN 72) during VMFA-232’s initial atsea training period. Another training period occurred in November, this time on board the USS 

Nimitz (CVN 68), with Carrier Air Wing 11 

(CVW-11).** Following a Thanksgiving break at 

MCAS Miramar, the squadron spent another atsea period on the Nimitz for a composite training unit exercise, which focused on long-range 

strikes, day-long close air support events, and 

sorties in support of the carrier strike group. In 

an evaluation of mission readiness, conducted by 

Carrier Group 1, the Red Devils were noted to 

have performed “magnificently during the evaluation’s most difficult phase, surge operations and 

the final battle problem.”34 Carrier workups intensified into 2005 with a CVW-11 deployment 

to NAS Fallon. A final at-sea period took place 

*The USS Lincoln had been called to make an emergency 

surge deployment.

Official Department of Defense photo

MajGen James F. Amos commanded 3d MAW during Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and 2004. Amos was also a 

pilot in VMFA-232 in 1973–75. 

*
32

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

in March for a joint task force exercise. Before 

the cruise began, officers redesigned the squadron ready room on the Nimitz with a Red Devil/

Marine Corps motif. This included replacing the 

floor tile with red and black tile featuring a Red 

Devil figure in the center and affixing camouflage 

netting to the ceiling.35 On 7 May, VMFA-232 

came under the operational control of CVW-11 

and sailed on board the Nimitz to the Western 

Pacific and into the Arabian Sea.

By mid-July 2005, the Nimitz had entered 

the Arabian Gulf. On 15 July 2005, Colonel 

Kurth led the Red Devils’ first mission over Iraq. 

As the war had devolved into sectarian violence, 

Coalition forces were involved in counterinsurgency operations, and actual ordnance employment was a rarity. Red Devil pilots nevertheless 

dealt with enemy threats by making low and fast 

flyovers, using their jet noise to deter troublemakers. Other missions included armed reconnaissance, counter-mortar operations, and convoy 

escorts. The flights were long, from four to six 

hours, which required three aerial refuelings. The 

heat, which approached 120 degrees Fahrenheit 

at times, and high humidity made working conditions brutal for Marines involved in flight deck 

operations or aircraft maintenance. Nevertheless, 

Marine maintenance crews ensured that jets were 

available for combat operations and logged a 95 

percent Iraqi Freedom sortie completion rate.

On 21 September, the Nimitz turned toward 

home. Nearing India and departing the U.S. 

Central Command’s area of responsibility (Fifth 

Fleet) for the Seventh Fleet’s area of responsibility, VMFA-232 pilots flew in Operation Malabar. 

This was a multinational exercise that included 

military components from India, Japan, Australia,

and Singapore. The exercise involved air combat 

training against Indian Navy, British Aerospace 

Sea Harrier FRS-51s. Flight operations continued as the Nimitz sailed toward Australia. Landing a fighter jet at night was always a challenge, 

but it was especially challenging on 4 October 

when surging, storm-tossed waves caused the 

Nimitz’s flight deck to pitch approximately 25 

feet. Good airmanship, however, ensured that all 

CVW-11 pilots—the only airborne Red Devil 

was Captain Justin W. Knox—landed safely. It 

took more than three hours to recover all the 

aircraft, an evolution that normally would take 

25 minutes, because pilots had to make multiple 

landing attempts.36

After a four-day shore liberty period in Perth, 

Australia, the Nimitz pressed eastward. Stopping in Hawaii, the squadron embarked their 

“tigers”—their families and friends—for a “tiger 

cruise” back to California. On 7 November 2005, 

the 10 Red Devil F/A-18s roared off the Nimitz 

flight deck and flew into MCAS Miramar.37

With the cruise over, the squadron resumed 

land-based operational training from MCAS Miramar, anticipating another cruise in about 16 

months. The Red Devils once again received the 

Chief of Naval Operations Aviation Safety Award 

for 2004. In February 2006, the squadron’s 80th 

anniversary was marked belatedly with a reunion 

of former members and a series of commemorative activities. Former squadron commander, 

Photo courtesy of Maj Dustin J. Byrum

VMFA-232 officers show off their red party suits during the 

squadron’s traditional Focs’le Follies party while in Guam 

during the 2005 cruise aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN 68).
33

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

and then-Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Nyland, served as the guest 

speaker at a formal ball. In March and April, the 

squadron was detached to MCAS Yuma for six 

weeks to support weapons and tactics instructor 

training. In May, Lieutenant Colonel Hunter H. 

Hobson became the new commanding officer, 

or “Head Devil.” The squadron also received a 

“new” complement of aircraft: 12 F/A-18A+ 

models transferred from various Marine squadrons. These jets were actually some of the oldest 

Hornets in the Marine Corps inventory, certainly 

older than the F/A-18Cs that they had just given 

up. Inspections and maintenance work was conducted systematically and thoroughly to groom 

the aircraft for future flight operations. In the latter half of 2006, VMFA-232 began carrier workups again for a scheduled cruise commencing in 

April 2007, once again aboard the Nimitz and 

part of CVW-11.

After getting underway, the ship hastened to 

the Indian Ocean to support Operation Enduring Freedom. Once on station in the North Arabian Sea, VMFA-232 and CVW-11 began flying 

combat missions over Afghanistan. Nontraditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; convoy escort; road reconnaissance; close 

air support; and show-of-force were typical of the 

missions flown. The nontraditional reconnaissance mission was facilitated by linking the Hornet’s advanced targeting forward-looking infrared 

(ATFLIR) pod (this guides precision weapons 

and provides magnified imagery of ground terrain to pilots) with the ROVER III system used 

by forward air controllers (FACs). This linkage 

gave the FAC the same video imagery that the pilot saw, thus ensuring more effective and precise 

air support. To minimize collateral damage and 

the chance of a “blue on blue” event (a friendly 

fire incident), only precision-guided bombs were 

Photo courtesy of VMFA-232

VMFA-232 Marines and sailors assemble for a group photo taken 24 October 2005 aboard the Nimitz just weeks before the 

squadron resumed land-based operational training at MCAS Miramar.
34

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

used and/or strafing with the Hornet’s 20mm 

cannon. The missions were long, more than six 

hours in many cases, and routinely required three 

aerial refuelings.38 During this period, maintenance Marines kept the squadron’s jets flying, 

challenged by the demands of combat and carrier 

operations and the advanced age of their jets.39*

Later in the cruise, the Nimitz sailed into the 

Arabian Sea to support Operation Iraqi Freedom. Over Iraq, VMFA-232 supported ground 

counterinsurgency operations with close air support and reconnaissance escort sorties. In one 

*Statistics reveal that squadron maintenance troops 

invested three-times (56.1 maintenance hours per flight 

hour) the maintenance man-hours per flight hour than did 

the typical F/A-18 squadrons in order to meet operational 

requirements.

especially noteworthy mission, Captains Cedar 

L. Hinton and Russell G. Gogan dropped two 

GBU-31** joint direct attack munitions each on 

preplanned targets.40

On 22 July, the Nimitz set sail for its home 

port in California. On the return cruise, CVW11 participated in the expansive naval exercise 

Valiant Shield near Guam. Part of this training 

involved a sinking exercise in which a decommissioned Navy destroyer was the target for bombing practice. Colonel Hobson dropped an MK82 

(500-pound) bomb at the ship’s waterline that 

ended the exercise by sending the destroyer to 

the bottom. This was a big disappointment for 

the Air Force B-52 crew that had flown from the 

United States with the specific mission of sinking 

*The GBU-31 is a 2,000-pound precision-guided bomb.

Photo by MC 3d Class Eduardo Zaragoza, USN

Assigned to VMFA-232, LCpl Ryan Adair loads a GBU-38 bomb onto an F/A-18B Hornet on the flight deck of the USS 

Nimitz in the Arabian Gulf on 9 May 2007. 

*
35

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

the ship. The Nimitz then sailed to India to support Exercise Malabar, the first one held outside 

the Indian Ocean, before turning toward home. 

VMFA-232 finally arrived back at MCAS Miramar on 29 October 2007.

In less than two months, however, the Red 

Devils were preparing for another cruise, this 

time a surge deployment to commence in January 2008. From mid-November until that time, 

with breaks only for Thanksgiving and Christmas, the squadron conducted carrier workups, 

a daunting challenge with their old jets and the 

new personnel who had joined the squadron.

On 24 January 2008, just four months after the previous cruise ended, VMFA-232 began 

its third carrier cruise. This cruise, which was 

again aboard the Nimitz with CVW-11, was to 

the Western Pacific for five months. While in the 

Western Pacific, the Red Devils participated in 

Operation Foal Eagle 2008, a joint exercise with 

the Republic of Korea. In incredibly cold and 

snowy conditions, Red Devil pilots flew close air 

support and counter-air sorties. While operating 

off South Korea’s coast, Majors Michael C. Nesbitt and Travis S. Kelley twice intercepted Russian Tupolev Tu-95 Bear bombers that ventured 

too near the Nimitz carrier group. Following 

Foal Eagle, the Nimitz sailed to Okinawa, where 

Photo by MC Seaman Jake Berenguer, USN

U.S. Navy sailors direct an F/A-18A Hornet assigned to VMFA-232 on the flight deck of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier 

USS Nimitz in the Indian Ocean on 15 May 2007.

Photo courtesy of LtCol Travis S. Kelley

A Red Devil escorts a Russian Tupolev Tu-95 Bear bomber 

during the squadron’s 2008 Western Pacific deployment. It 

was not uncommon for the Marine fighter squadrons operating in the Western Pacific to intercept Russian Bear bombers 

that prowled the Pacific east of Russia.
36

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

Red Devil pilots conducted air-to-ground training, which included dropping live BLU-111s (a 

steel-encased 500-pound bomb) and GBU-12s 

(a 500-pound joint direct attack munition) on 

Okino-Daito-Jima Island. The Nimitz sailed 

homeward in May, and the squadron was back in 

Miramar in early June. Soon afterward, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew D. Feringa relieved Lieutenant Colonel Hobson as squadron commander.

The squadron went into a rebuilding process in 

the latter half of 2008, receiving a complement 

of truly “newer” variants of the F/A-18, as well as 

new personnel.

Operation Enduring Freedom

In preparing for a 2010 deployment to Afghanistan, VMFA-232 trained in air-ground integration tactics by participating in the realistic

training scenarios implicit with Operation Scorpion Fire, Mojave Viper, and Enhanced Mojave 

Viper. For Mojave Viper the squadron lived and 

flew in expeditionary conditions from the airfield 

at Twentynine Palms, California. VMFA-232 also 

provided close air support training for the Marine 

Special Operations Battalion at the Expeditionary Warfare Training Group, Pacific in San Diego. The squadron expended 250,000 pounds of 

ordnance in the latter half of 2009 in training for 

their upcoming Afghanistan deployment. Pilots 

also trained for night operations, selected pilots 

attended weapons and tactics instructor training 

and the Top Gun course, and others trained to 

earn air combat tactics instructor qualifications. 

Captains Daniel W. Thompson and Christopher 

P. Allain obtained a new qualification for singleseat F/A-18 pilots, forward air controller (airborne).41 Finally, in anticipation of deployment 

to Afghanistan, two F/A-18D Hornets, the twoPhoto by MC 3d Class Eduardo Zaragoza, USN

Assigned to VMFA-232, Marines clean an F/A-18A Hornet on the flight deck aboard the USS Nimitz, operating as part of the 

U.S. Seventh Fleet and conducting combined training exercises with the USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) Carrier Strike Group in the 

Western Pacific on 28 March 2008.
37

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

seat variant of the Hornet, and their crews were 

added to the squadron. This aircraft carried the 

advanced tactical aerial reconnaissance system, 

which provided aerial photography to support air 

and ground operations. The F/A-18D’s two-man 

crews were also specialized in airborne control of 

air strikes, which would be particularly valuable 

in Operation Enduring Freedom.

On 15 May 2010, VMFA-232, now commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Daniel L. Shipley,

set out for Afghanistan, a journey that required 

four flight legs spanning nearly 10 days. Kandahar, Afghanistan, had an extremely busy airfield, 

with a spectrum of nations represented. Officers 

and Marines lived in a trailer-park type arrangement of metal vans, called “cans.” The various 

nations’ military contingents each had their own 

dining facilities, which allowed an assortment of 

ethnic cuisine to choose from when the Marines 

went “out to eat.” Commercial fast food was also 

available. Yet in this seemingly benign environment, enemy rockets regularly impacted the airfield.42

The combat missions Red Devil pilots flew 

included nontraditional intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance missions, counter-improvised explosive device missions, and close air

support. Ordnance employment was frequent.*

Red Devil pilots strafed and bombed the enemy, 

often in close proximity to friendly troops.43

*The command chronology showed the intensity of combat 

operations during this period: On 5 September, a VMFA232 pilot strafed in support of a Georgian Battalion as they 

broke contact with Taliban fighters. The same day, a section 

of Red Devil F/A-18s, while supporting the 1st Recon 

Battalion, dropped a GBU-38 (a 500-pound guided bomb) 

on a Taliban position and followed up with gun runs. On 

8 September, a Red Devil pilot strafed enemy trenches 

and neutralized enemy fire directed at 2d Battalion, 9th 

Marines. The same day, near Kajaki Dam, a section of Red 

Devils dropped ordnance and obliterated enemy positions 

that had taken a Marine artillery unit under fire. On 9 

September, a Red Devil pilot neutralized Taliban fighters 

who had been firing rocket propelled grenades at 2d 

Battalion, 9th Marines.

Combat operations went on 24 hours per day, 

and night close air support, including strafing, 

was not uncommon. The Hornets were allowed 

to descend to a lower altitude for strafing runs 

when enemy troops were plainly visible. This harkened back to the earlier days of close air support, 

not the modern era of high altitude bomb drops.

In one example of extremely close air support, one section of Red Devils, using the 

squadron call-sign of “Stoic,” checked in with a

forward air controller who, in describing his 

unit’s situation, called for a 500-pound bomb to 

be dropped close to the Marines’ position and inside the bomb’s documented safety limit. After 

taking the necessary precautions, the lead pilot 

released the bomb. It smashed into and obliterated the Taliban position. The close proximity of 

the bomb blast resulted in a rain of debris that 

fell on the infantry Marines. After that, when 

the Red Devils reported in for a close air support 

mission, forward air controllers often concluded 

the mission brief with, “make it rain, Stoic,” or 

“bring the rain.”44 A battery commander in the 

3d Battalion, 12th Marines, affirmed the quality of VMFA-232’s air support by writing, “On 

many occasions, we found ourselves facing a tenacious enemy intent on destroying us. However, 

we always knew that whatever the situation, we 

could count on Stoic to arrive and bring some 

pain [to the enemy].”45 Stoic was often specifically requested by ground commanders and FACs 

for air support.

Red Devil maintenance Marines provided 

combat-ready Hornets to meet the squadron’s requirements. As the combat deployment neared 

its end in November, Red Devil maintainers averaged 87.3 percent fully mission capable jets. 

The Operation Enduring Freedom deployment 

had been successful. The squadron met all its 

mission requirements and, more importantly, the 

squadron had the opportunity to fly its core mission—supporting Marines in combat. The Red 

Devils once again received the Robert M. Hanson Award for their 2010 performance.
38

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

Into the Next 100 Years

After returning from Afghanistan to MCAS Miramar in early November 2010, the Red Devils 

resumed training, anticipating a return to combat. On a historical note, the Red Devils participated in a March 2011 flyover in San Diego to 

commemorate U.S. naval aviation’s 100th anniversary. The Red Devils also deployed to NAS Key 

West, Florida, to hone their air-to-air skills. During the two-week deployment, the unit fought 

dissimilar adversaries in a range of scenarios and, 

at times, in an electronic warfare environment 

with British Hawker Hunter subsonic jet aircraft 

providing electronic jamming. On 17 June 2011, 

Lieutenant Colonel Travis S. Kelley took command of the squadron. He led the squadron in 

preparing not for a combat deployment but a dePhoto by Sgt Deanne Hurla, courtesy of Defense Imagery

A VMFA-232 F/A-18D Hornet receives fuel from a Lockheed KC-130J Hercules from Marine Aerial Refueler Transport 

Squadron 352 on 5 October 2010 over Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The Red Devils provided air support for Marines and 

Coalition troops of the International Security Assistance Forces.

Photo courtesy of LtCol Daniel L. Shipley

Members of India Battery, 3d Battalion, 12th Marines, display a plaque created for VMFA-232 in appreciation of the 

unit’s close air support during a deployment to Afghanistan 

for Operation Enduring Freedom in 2010. The “39” and 

“5” represent the number of each type of bomb dropped by 

VMFA-232 aircraft during the deployment. The plaque now 

hangs in the Red Devil ready room.
39

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

ployment to the Western Pacific, which was to 

commence 13 March 2012.

Instead of transiting the Pacific in two separate groups or cells, the Red Devils flew in a 

single 12-plane package. Their route took them 

through Hawaii, to Wake Island, and then to 

MCAS Iwakuni with U.S. Air Force Boeing

KC-135 Stratotankers and McDonnell Douglas KC-10 Extenders providing aerial refueling. 

As a testament to the squadron’s superior maintenance, all 12 Hornets arrived in Iwakuni together. No aircraft had broken down during the 

trans-Pacific transit, a very common occurrence 

in squadrons flying long distances.

This deployment, as was characteristic of 

all the Western Pacific deployments, provided 

challenging training. Unlike a carrier deployment or a deployment into combat, these deployments enhanced aviators’ proficiency and 

combat readiness by exercising all the mission 

sets of the F/A-18s. The Red Devils deployed 

to Guam along with the other two MAG-12

Hornet squadrons—VMFA(AW)-121 and 242—

for five weeks of realistic combat training. Led by 

MAG-12 commanding officer Colonel Christopher J. Mahoney, training provided search-coordinated armed reconnaissance/armed reconnaissance flights, including in an urban scenario. A 

72-hour surge operation was also flown in which 

each squadron flew more than 100 flight hours. 

Another major training evolution occurred in 

the Australian outback when the Red Devils deployed to Royal Australian Air Force Base Tindal 

for six weeks and trained with Australia’s No. 75 

Photo courtesy of Maj Dustin J. Byrum

Maj Travis S. Kelley flies over the Australian coast in an F/A-18 Hornet during the Red Devils’ Western Pacific deployment in 

2012.
40

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

Squadron. Pilots were able to maximize the airto-ground training opportunities afforded by the 

fabulous training ranges and targets available in 

Tindal’s isolated setting.46 Slightly more than six 

months after arriving at MCAS Iwakuni, the Red 

Devils returned home to MCAS Miramar, flying three legs across the Pacific. As in the flight 

to Australia, there were no maintenance breakdowns and all 12 Red Devil Hornets taxied onto 

their flight line at Miramar together for a homecoming celebration.

A short time later, on 7 December 2012, 

Lieutenant Colonel Kelley turned over command to Lieutenant Colonel Byron D. Sullivan. 

Sullivan and the Red Devils rolled into 2013 intent on carrying forward the Red Devil legacy of 

superior performance. Commissioned in 1925 as 

the Marine Corps’ oldest tactical squadron, the 

Red Devils approached their 88th year of flying. 

The squadron had started with biplanes and lofting bombs out the cockpit and now offered supersonic jets and dropping laser or GPS-guided 

bombs. On the horizon, the Red Devils anticipated employing the next generation fighter, the 

Lockheed-Martin F-35B Lightning II, or Joint 

Strike Fighter. As with each new generation of 

tactical aircraft the squadron had flown, advanced technology and tactics allowed improved 

air support. The same will hold true when the 

Red Devils fly the F-35 into the next century 

of Marine aviation as it continues its mission of 

providing air support for Marine infantry units.
41

Early Developments

Unless otherwise noted, the material in this section is 

derived from VMTB-232 Unit History Files (History 

Division, Reference Branch, Quantico, VA), hereafter 

VMTB-232 UnitHistFile; and from comments on the 

draft manuscript contained in the VMFA-232 Comment 

File (History Division, Reference Branch, Quantico, VA), 

hereafter VMFA-232 CommFile.

1. Maj Edwin H. Brainard, “Marine Aviation—A Lecture,” 

Marine Corps Gazette 11, no. 3 (September 1926): 192.

2. All biographical data on general officers comes from the 

biographical file at History Division, Reference Branch, 

Quantico, VA.

3. Robert Sherrod, History of Marine Corps Aviation in 

World War II (Washington: Combat Force Press, 1952), 

27–28, hereafter Sherrod, Aviation.

4. “History of Aircraft Squadrons, W. C. E. F.,” VMTB232 UnitHistFile.

5. LtGen Richard C. Mangrum, comments on draft MS, 

6 February 1978, VMFA-232 CommFile, hereafter Mangrum comments.

6. CNO ltr to CO VMTB-232, Subj: Squadron Insignia, 

30 August 1944, VMFA-232 HistFile.

7. “History of VMTB-232 Squadron Insignia,” VMTB232 UnitHistFile.

8. Mangrum comments.

9. Ibid.

10. Capt F. P. Mulcahy, “Marine Corps Winners of the 

Herbert Schiff Memorial Trophy,” Marine Corps Gazette 

18, no. 1 (February 1934): 28–29.

World War II

Unless otherwise noted, the material in this section is derived from VMSB-232 War Diaries, July 1941–November 

1945, and from VMSB-232 muster rolls for the same period. All materials located in National Archives and Records 

Administration.

11. VMSB-232 muster rolls, December 1941.

12. Sherrod, Aviation, 96.

13. Ibid., 196.

Reactivation

Unless otherwise noted, the material in this section is derived from the VMFA-232 War Diaries, June 1948–March 

1953, National Archives and Records Administration and 

from VMFA-232 HistFile.

14. Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft 1945–46, compiled and 

edited by Leonard Bridgman (New York: McMillian Co., 

1946), 259c, hereafter, Jane’s Aircraft, 1946.

15. Ibid., 218c–219c.

16. VMFA-232 HistFile.

The Jet Age

Unless otherwise noted, the material in this section is derived from the VMFA-232 HistFile, the Flight Jacket, the 

base newspaper of MCAS El Toro, California, and The 

Windward Marine, the base newspaper of MCAS Kaneohe 

Bay, Hawaii.

17. VMFA-232 HistFile.

18. Cono R. Borrelli, e-mail to author, 22 April 2014, author’s files, History Division, Quantico, VA.

19. VMF-232 unit diary, September 1958–March 1959, 

National Archives and Records Administration.

20. Jane’s Aircraft, 1961–62, 235.

21. Marine Fighter Squadron 232—1962 WestPac Cruise

Report, 8 December 1962, cited in VMFA-232 HistFile. 

22. Ibid.

Combat and the Far East

Unless otherwise noted, the material in this section is derived from the VMF(AW)-232 Command Chronologies, 

March 1965–August 1967, and from VMFA-232 Command Chronologies, September 1967–December 1976, 

hereafter VMFA-232 ComdC. All materials located in National Archives and Records Administration.

Notes

The principal source materials used in preparation of this history are held by, or are obtainable from, the History Division, 

Reference Branch, Quantico, VA. One of the most important files in this group is VMFA-232 Squadron History File, 

hereafter VMFA-232 HistFile. It should be noted that this reference file contains information from early years before the 

squadron received the VMFA designation as well as later materials.
42

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

23. U.S. Naval Safety Center, Aircraft Accident Printout 

for USMC Aircraft in Combat Environment (July 1963–

January 1973).

24. Ibid.

25. Jane’s Aircraft, 1966–67, 284.

26. FMFPac, “Operations of U.S. Marine Forces in Vietnam,” April 1972.

27. Ibid.

28. MAG-15 Command Chronology, April–June 1972.

Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm

29. VMFA-232 ComdC, January 1991 (Gray Research 

Center, Quantico, VA), Part 2, 1–2.

30. Ibid., Part 2, 2.

31. Ibid., Part 2.

Onset of the Global War on Terrorism

and Operation Iraqi Freedom I

32. Maj Dustin J. Byrum, intvw with Fred Allison, 30 April 

2013, digital recording (Oral History Collection, Gray Research Center, Quantico, VA), hereafter Byrum intvw. 

33. VMFA-232 ComdC, 1 January–31 March 2003 (Gray 

Research Center, Quantico, VA), Part 2, 4–5.

Carrier Operations with the U.S. Navy

34. VMFA-232 ComdC, 1 July–31 December 2004 (Gray 

Research Center, Quantico, VA), Part 2, 1–3. 

35. Byrum intvw.

36. Ibid.

37. VMFA-232 ComdC, 1 July–31December 2005 (Gray 

Research Center, Quantico, VA), Part 2, 3–6.

38. LtCol Simon M. Doran, intvw with Fred Allison, 25 

April 2013, digital recording (Oral History Collection, 

Gray Research Center, Quantico, VA).

39. VMFA-232 ComdC, 1 January–30 June 2007 (Gray 

Research Center, Quantico, VA), Part 2, 3–6. 

40. Ibid.; VMFA-232 ComdC, 1 July–31 December 2007 

(Gray Research Center, Quantico, VA), Part 2, 5–10, 18.

Operation Enduring Freedom

41. VMFA-232 ComdC, 1 July–31 December 2008 (Gray 

Research Center, Quantico, VA), Part 2, 4–13.

42. LtCol Travis S. Kelley, intvw with Fred Allison, 16 May 

2013, digital recording (Oral History Collection, Gray Research Center, Quantico, VA), hereafter Kelley intvw.

43. VMFA-232 ComdC, 1–30 September 2010 (Gray Research Center, Quantico, VA), Part 2, 4.

44. LtCol Daniel L. Shipley, intvw with Fred Allison, 24 

June 2013, digital recording (Oral History Collection, 

Gray Research Center, Quantico, VA); Kelley intvw.

45. LtCol Daniel L. Shipley, e-mail to author, 23 April 

2014, author’s files, History Division, Quantico, VA. The 

email includes the letter sent from Capt Richard Stinnett, 

Battery Commander, 1/11 I Btry to VMFA-232 dtd 18 

November 2010 and contains the quote referenced.

Into the Next 100 Years

46. Kelley intvw.
43

 Appendix A

CHRONOLOGY

1 September 1925 Activated at NAS San Diego, California, as Division 1,

Fighting Plane Squadron 3M, 2d Aviation Group

September 1926 Reassigned to Aircraft Squadrons, West Coast Expeditionary 

Force

April–June 1927 Deployed to Hsin Ho, China, and reassigned to Aircraft 

Squadrons, 3d Brigade

25 June 1927 Redesignated as Fighting Plane Squadron 10M (VF-10M)

1 July 1928 Redesignated as VF-6M

September–October 1928 Relocated to NAS San Diego and reassigned to Aircraft 

Squadrons, West Coast Expeditionary Force

1 July 1930 Redesignated as VF-10M

1 July 1933 Redesignated as Bombing Plane Squadron 4M (VB-4M)

1 July 1937 Redesignated as Marine Bombing Squadron 2 (VMB-2)

January 1941 Deployed to Pearl Harbor and assigned to 2d Marine Aircraft 

Group

1 July 1941 Designated as Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 232 (VMSB232)

August 1941 Reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 21 (MAG-21), 2d Marine Aircraft Wing (2d MAW)

December 1941–August 1945 Participated in the following WWII Campaigns:

Pearl Harbor

Guadalcanal

New Georgia

Bougainville

Bismarck Archipelago 

Northern Solomon

Okinawa

1 June 1943 Redesignated as Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 232 

(VMTB-232)

November 1945 Relocated to NAS San Diego

16 November 1945 Deactivated
44

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

3 June 1948 Reactivated at Floyd Bennett Field, New York, as Marine 

Fighter Squadron 232 (VMF-232), Marine Air Detachment, 

Marine Air Reserve Training Command

1 April 1949 Redesignated as VMF-232

October 1950 Relocated to MCAS El Toro, California, and reassigned to 

MAG-15, Aircraft, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific

August–September 1952 Relocated to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, and reassigned to 

MAG-13

March 1953 Relocated to MCAS El Toro, and reassigned to MAG-15

September 1953 Relocated to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, and reassigned to MAG-13

February 1958 MAG-13 reassigned to 1st Marine Brigade

September–October 1958 MAG-13 relocated to NAS Atsugi, Japan

February–March 1959 MAG-13 relocated to MCAS Kaneohe Bay

June–December 1962 VMFA-232 at sea in the Western Pacific with the Seventh 

Fleet

1 March 1965 Redesignated as Marine All-Weather Fighter Squadron

232 (VMF[AW]-232)

May 1965 Detached from MAG-13

2 September 1966 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan

September 1966–September 1967 Relocated to Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam, and reassigned to 

MAG-11, 1st MAW

1 September 1967 Relocated to the United States and assigned to MAG-33,

3d MAW, at MCAS El Toro

9 September 1967 Redesignated as VMFA-232

27 March 1969 Relocated to Chu Lai, Vietnam, and reassigned to MAG-13, 

1st MAW

7 September 1969 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni and assigned to MAG-15,

9th Marine Amphibious Brigade (9th MAB)

8 November 1969 Reassigned to MAG-15, 1st MAW

6 April 1972 Relocated to Da Nang

20 June 1972 Relocated to Royal Thai Air Base Nam Phong, Thailand

1 September 1973 Relocated to NAS Cubi Point, Philippines

14 November 1973 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni

17 December 1973 Relocated to NAF Naha, Okinawa, Japan

12 February 1974 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni
Appendix A • Chronology

45

7 October 1977 Relocate to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, MAG-24,

1st Marine Brigade

28 September 1978 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni, MAG-15, 1st MAW

30 March 1979 Relocated to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, MAG-24,

1st Marine Brigade

4 April 1980 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni, MAG-15, 1st MAW

11 October 1980 Relocated to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, MAG-24,

1st Marine Brigade

9 September 1981 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni, MAG-15, 1st MAW

20 March 1982 Relocated to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, MAG-24,

1st Marine Brigade

6 March 1983 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni, MAG-15, 1st MAW

7 October 1983 Relocated to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, MAG-24,

1st Marine Brigade

5 October 1984 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni, MAG-15, 1st MAW

3 April 1985 Relocated to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, MAG-24,

1st Marine Brigade

7 April 1986 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni, MAG-15, 1st MAW

15 October 1986 Relocated to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, MAG-15,

1st Marine Brigade

January–June 1989 Unit transitions to McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet

aircraft

16 December 1990 Relocated to Shaikh Isa Air Base, Bahrain, MAG-11,

3d MAW

6 April 1991 Relocated to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, MAG-24,

1st Marine Brigade

6 August 1991 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni, MAG-12, 1st MAW

8 February 1992 Relocated to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, MAG-24,

1st Marine Brigade

10 February 1993 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni, MAG-12, 1st MAW

27 July 1993 Relocated to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, MAG-24,

1st Marine Brigade

6 August 1993 Relocated to MCAS El Toro, MAG-11, 3d MAW

7 August 1994 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni, MAG-12, 1st MAW

10 February 1995 Relocated to MCAS El Toro, MAG-11, 3d MAW

15 February 1995 Relocated to MCAS Miramar, California, MAG-11,

3d MAW

6 February 1996 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni, MAG-12, 1st MAW
46

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

14 August 1996 Relocated to MCAS Miramar, MAG-11, 3d MAW

30 June 1997 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni, MAG-12, 1st MAW

9 January 1998 Relocated to MCAS Miramar, MAG-11, 3d MAW

15 September 1999 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni, MAG-12, 1st MAW

19 March 2000 Relocated to MCAS Miramar, MAG-11, 3d MAW

14 September 2001 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni, MAG-12, 1st MAW

18 September 2001 Relocated to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, MAG-12,

1st MAW

February 2002 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni, MAG-12, 1st MAW

16 March 2002 Relocated to MCAS Miramar, MAG-11, 3d MAW

1 February 2003 Relocated to al-Jaber Air Base, Kuwait, MAG-11, 3d MAW

5 May 2003 Relocated to MCAS Miramar, MAG-11, 3d MAW

7 May 2005 Relocated to USS Nimitz (CVN 68), Carrier Air Wing 11 

(CVW-11), Carrier Strike Group 11 (CSG-11)

7 November 2005 Relocated to MCAS Miramar, MAG-11, 3d MAW

2 April 2007 Relocated to the Nimitz, CVW-11, CSG-11

30 September 2007 Relocated to MCAS Miramar, MAG-11, 3d MAW

24 January 2008 Relocated to the Nimitz, CVW-11, CSG-11

2 June 2008 Relocated to MCAS Miramar, MAG-11, 3d MAW

25 May 2010 Relocated to Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, 3d MAW 

(Fwd), I MEF

2 December 2010 Relocated to MCAS Miramar, MAG-11, 3d MAW

13 March 2012 Relocated to MCAS Iwakuni, MAG-12, 1st MAW

27 September 2012 Relocated to MCAS Miramar, MAG-11, 3d MAW
47

Appendix B

COMMANDING OFFICERS

2dLt Clayton C. Jerome...................................................................................1–19 September 1925

1stLt William J. Wallace................................................................. 20 September–6 November 1925

Capt Harry H. Shepherd...................................................................7 November–1 December 1925

2dLt Clayton C. Jerome........................................................................2 December–11 March 1926

Capt Harold D. Campbell....................................................................................12–17 March 1926

Capt Francis P. Mulcahy.................................................................................18 March–3 June 1926

1stLt William J. Wallace...........................................................................4 June–14 November 1926

2dLt Frank H. Lamson-Scribner ...................................................15 November–15 December 1926

1stLt William J. Wallace............................................................ 16 December 1926–31 August 1928

1stLt Arthur H. Page Jr. .....................................................................1 September–31 October 1928

1stLt Clayton C. Jerome..................................................................1 November 1928–30 June 1930 

1stLt Stanley E. Ridderhof .........................................................................................1–14 July 1930

2dLt Samuel S. Jack ..................................................................................... 15 July–31 August 1930

2dLt Richard C. Mangrum ..............................................................................1–22 September 1930

2dLt Elvin B. Ryan...........................................................................23 September–14 October 1930

1stLt Vernon M. Guymon................................................................ 15 October–15 December 1931

1stLt Calvin R. Freeman .......................................................... 16 December 1931–27 January 1932

Capt Vernon M. Guymon............................................................. 28 January 1932–13 August 1933

1stLt Lawrence T. Burke................................................................ 14 August 1933–5 February 1934

1stLt Allen C. Koonce........................................................................................ 6–15 February 1934

Capt Vernon M. Guymon................................................................................ 16–22 February 1934

1stLt Allen C. Koonce........................................................................... 23 February–31 March 1934

1stLt Albert D. Cooley............................................................................... 1 April–31 October 1934

1stLt Stanley E. Ridderhof .............................................................1 November 1934–23 April 1935

1stLt William G. Manley ........................................................................... 24 April–12 August 1935
48

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

Capt Vernon M. Guymon.................................................................. 13 August 1935–14 May 1937

Capt Edward L. Pugh.............................................................................................. 15–28 May 1937

Capt Frank D. Weir .............................................................................. 29 May 1937–30 April 1938

Capt Hayne D. Boyden....................................................................... 1 May 1938–24 January 1940

Capt Pierson E. Conradt.............................................................................. 25 January–4 June 1940

Capt Ward E. Dickey ................................................................................................ 5–30 June 1940

Maj Ira L. Kimes.................................................................................... 1 July 1940–6 January 1942

Maj Richard C. Mangrum................................................................... 7 January–31 December 1942

1stLt Henry W. Hise............................................................................... 1 January–5 February 1943

Capt Rolland F. Smith...................................................................... 6 February 1943–14 April 1944

1stLt Charles R. Ryan ............................................................................................ 15–25 April 1944

Maj Menard Doswell III................................................................... 26 April 1944–19 January 1945

Maj Allen L. Feldmeier......................................................................20 January–16 November 1945

UNIT INACTIVE........................................................................17 November 1945–31 May 1948

Capt Thomas S. Ferdinand................................................................... 1 June 1948–8 October 1950

LtCol Joseph A. Gray ................................................................... 9 October 1950–31 October 1951

Maj Frank H. Presley........................................................................................1–30 November 1951

LtCol Robert C. Hammond Jr. ....................................................1 December 1951–23 March 1953

LtCol Robert R. Burns.........................................................................24 March 1953–31 July 1954

LtCol Donald D. Blue..........................................................................1 August–22 November 1954

LtCol William M. Watkins Jr. ........................................................23 November 1954–18 July 1955

Maj Edward R. Agnew............................................................................... 19 July–14 October 1955

Maj Stephen G. Warren.............................................................15 October 1955–2 September 1956

Maj Emmett O. Anglin Jr................................................................3 September 1956–10 May 1957

LtCol Jay W. Hubbard ..................................................................... 11 May 1957–18 October 1958

LtCol Louis H. Steman ................................................................ 19 October 1958–19 August 1960

LtCol Robert R. Peebles.............................................................. 20 August 1960–8 December 1961

LtCol Douglas D. Petty Jr. ............................................................. 9 December 1961–30 April 1963

LtCol Jack R. Sloan.................................................................................... 1 May 1963–8 May 1964
Appendix B • Commanding Officers

49

LtCol Harrel K. Jobe............................................................................... 9 May 1964–30 April 1965

Maj Gerard M. Kieswetter.................................................................................. 1 May–31 July 1965

LtCol Nicholas M. Trapnell Jr. .......................................................... 1 August 1965–22 March 1967

Maj Melvin H. Sautter............................................................................. 23 March–31 August 1967

Maj Norbert F. Schnippel Jr. ..............................................................1 September–31 October 1967

LtCol Walter P. Hutchins ............................................................1 November 1967–11 August 1969

LtCol Ralph J. Sorensen.................................................................... 12 August 1969–3 March 1970

LtCol Robert E. Solliday ..........................................................................4 March–14 October 1970

LtCol Joseph S. Rosenthal.............................................................. 15 October 1970–5 August 1971

LtCol Joe L. Gregorcyk .......................................................................... 6 August 1971–9 May 1972

LtCol Edward R. Maag ............................................................................10 May–8 September 1972

LtCol Rodney O. Lawrence............................................................9 September 1972–19 April 1973

LtCol James M. Mead........................................................................ 20 April 1973–15 March 1974

Maj Frederick J. Schober...............................................................................16 March–19 July 1974

Maj Jack B. Hammond .................................................................................. 20 July–6 August 1974

LtCol Warren A. Ferdinand.................................................................. 7 August 1974–30 June 1976

LtCol Robert L. Daniels............................................................................ 1 July 1975–10 June 1976

LtCol Albert K. Charlton................................................................... 11 June 1976–6 October 1977

LtCol Frank J. Horak Jr........................................................................ 7 October 1977–4 May 1979

Maj L. A. Stults................................................................................... 5 May 1979–10 January 1980

LtCol Kevin P. O’Mara...................................................................... 11 January 1980–26 May 1982

LtCol Augustus Fitch III .......................................................................27 May 1982–1 March 1984

LtCol Barry V. Banks .............................................................................2 March 1984–23 July 1985

LtCol William L. Nyland ...........................................................................24 July 1985–1 July 1987 

LtCol George C. Tullos ............................................................................... 2 July 1987–9 June 1989 

LtCol Victor A. Simpson........................................................................ 10 June 1989–16 May 1991

LtCol Mark R. Mitchell ........................................................................... 17 May 1991–1 May 1992

LtCol James E. Cartwright....................................................................... 2 May–10 December 1992

LtCol David F. Gould ................................................................... 11 December 1992–10 June 1994
50

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

LtCol Robert M. Knutzen.............................................................11 June 1994–17 November 1995

LtCol Jeffrey L. Olson..................................................................18 November 1995–6 March 1997

LtCol Charles F. Mitchell ............................................................ 7 March 1997–11 September 1998 

LtCol William J. Miles.................................................................12 September 1998–20 April 2000 

LtCol Terrance A. Gould....................................................................... 21 April 2000–29 June 2001

LtCol Edward G. Hackett............................................................. 30 June 2001–13 December 2002

LtCol Michael H. Burt................................................................... 14 December 2002–23 July 2004

LtCol Douglas S. Kurth .......................................................................... 24 July 2004–26 May 2006

LtCol Hunter H. Hobson ...................................................................... 27 May 2006–20 June 2008

LtCol Matthew D. Feringa................................................................ 21 June 2008–15 January 2010

LtCol Daniel L. Shipley .................................................................... 16 January 2010–17 June 2011

LtCol Travis S. Kelley...................................................................... 18 June 2011–7 December 2012

LtCol Byron D. Sullivan ................................................................. 8 December 2012–27 June 2014
51

Appendix C

HONORS

PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION STREAMER

WITH THREE BRONZE STARS

Solomons, 24 August–13 October 1942

Okinawa, 4 April–30 June 1945

Vietnam, 15 November 1966–13 September 1967

Iraq, 21 March–24 April 2003

NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION STREAMER

WITH THREE BRONZE STARS

Vietnam, 27 March–7 September 1969

Vietnam, 21 June–31 December 1972

Southwest Asia, 14 August 1990–16 April 1991

Afghanistan, May–November 2010

MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION STREAMER

WITH ONE SILVER AND ONE BRONZE STAR

2 January 1985–15 October 1986

1 June 1989–30 June 1990

1 December 1992–31 May 1994

1 May 1995–30 April 1996

1 July 1999–30 June 2000

9 August 2000–6 May 2002

YANGTZE SERVICE STREAMER

Shanghai, 13 June–21 October 1927
52

History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 232

MARINE CORPS EXPEDITIONARY STREAMER

China, 22 October 1927–3 October 1928

AMERICAN DEFENSE SERVICE STREAMER

WITH ONE BRONZE STAR

Hawaii, 8 September 1939–7 December 1941

ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN STREAMER

WITH ONE SILVER AND THREE BRONZE STARS

Pearl Harbor-Midway, 7 December 1941

Capture and defense of Guadalcanal, 20 August–2 November 1942

Cape Esperance, 11–12 October 1942

New Georgia, 23 September–16 October 1943

Bismarck Archipelago, 20 January–1 May 1944

Northern Solomons, 2 May–19 June 1944

Okinawa, 1 April–30 June 1945

WORLD WAR II VICTORY STREAMER

7 December 1941–16 November 1945

NAVY OCCUPATION SERVICE STREAMER

WITH ASIA CLASP

Okinawa, 2 September–31 October 1945

NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE STREAMER

WITH THREE BRONZE STARS

18 September 1950–27 July 1954

1 January 1961–15 August 1974

2 August 1990–30 November 1995

11 September 2001–TBD
Appendix C • Honors

53

VIETNAM SERVICE STREAMER

WITH ONE SILVER STAR

Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase II, 15 November 1966–31 May 1967

Vietnamese Counteroffensive Phase III, 1 June–13 September 1967

Tet 69/Counteroffensive, 31 March–8 June 1969

Vietnam, Summer–Fall 1969, 9 June–7 September 1969

Vietnam, Cease-Fire Campaign, 6 April 1972–28 January 1973

SOUTHWEST ASIA SERVICE STREAMER

WITH TWO BRONZE STARS

2 August 1990–16 January 1991

17 January 1991–11 April 1991

AFGHANISTAN CAMPAIGN STREAMER

WITH TWO BRONZE STARS

Consolidation II, May 2007

Consolidation III, May–November 2010

IRAQ CAMPAIGN STREAMER

WITH TWO BRONZE STARS

Iraqi Governance, May–November 2005

Iraqi Surge, June–July 2007

GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM EXPEDITIONARY STREAMER

February–May 2003

GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM SERVICE STREAMER

11 September 2001–TBD

VIETNAM CROSS OF GALLANTRY WITH PALM STREAMER

15 November 1966–7 September 1969