page_title: VMA-214
section_title: Late 1950s–early 1960s
hierarchical_section_title: VMA-214 / History / Late 1950s–early 1960s
caption_attribution_description: Four U.S. Marine Corps Douglas A-4M Skyhawk of Marine Attack Squadron 214 (VMA-214) "Black Sheep" in flight.
context_page_description: Marine Attack Squadron 214 is a United States Marine Corps fighter squadron consisting of AV-8B Harrier jets. The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona and is under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 13 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
  The squadron is best known as the Black Sheep of World War II fame and for one of its commanding officers, Colonel Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, whose memoirs also inspired the 1970s television show Baa Baa Black Sheep, later syndicated as Black Sheep Squadron, which dramatized the squadron's exploits during the war.
context_section_description: Shortly before the close of hostilities in Korea, VMF-214 returned to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. Here they exchanged their Corsairs for F9F Panther jets and began another training program. In the spring of 1953, the Black Sheep traded their F9s for new F2H-4 Banshees, and headed for the Hawaiian Islands. Upon their arrival, they became part of Marine Aircraft Group 13 and the First Marine Brigade.
  In January 1956, the Black Sheep again received the order to "get ready." This time, the circumstances were less demanding. In the ensuing fifteen months, the Black Sheep covered all aspects of Marine aviation. On December 31, 1956, the squadron was redesignated Marine All Weather Fighter Squadron-214, flying the Banshee. The buildup included instrument flying, bombing, rocketry, strafing, air-to-air gunnery, field carrier landing practice, high and low altitude special weapon drops, and carrier qualifications. VMF(AW)-214 became the first Marine squadron to be qualified in special weapons delivery, in February 1957.
  The period between Korea and Vietnam saw several significant changes for the Black Sheep. VMF was changed to VMA on July 9, 1957, designating the Squadron as "attack" rather than "fighter". In March 1958, the Black Sheep transitioned to the FJ-4 Fury. VMA-214 and VMF-212 became the first squadrons to deploy flying their aircraft across the Pacific. Another aircraft change occurred in January 1959, when the Black Sheep changed over to the newer FJ-4B.
  In the FJ-4B Fury jets, the squadron logged over 27,000 hours as an attack squadron. This included a stretch with over 20,000 accident-free flight hours. The Black Sheep were awarded, on August 29, 1961, the CMC safety award for the "most outstanding safety record" achieved among attack squadrons throughout the Marine Corps.
  On January 23, 1962, the Black Sheep replaced the FJ-4B Fury with the A-4B Skyhawk. This began a 27-year association between the Black Sheep and follow-on versions of the Skyhawk. In the fall of 1963, VMA-214 was selected as the first Marine Corps squadron to provide a detachment ("N") to deploy on a Westpac cruise aboard USS Hornet. The detachment was assigned to intercept Soviet Tupolev Tu-95 "Bear" and Tupolev Tu-16 "Badger" aircraft flying toward the anti-submarine naval task force in the Sea of Japan.  They returned home to MCAS Kaneohe Bay in April 1964.
caption: A division of A-4M Skyhawks from VMA-214 in the 1970s
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