VMF - 111 Marine Fighting Squadron 111 ( VMF - 111 ) was a reserve fighter squadron in the United States Marine Corps . Nicknamed the “ Devil Dogs ” , the squadron was one of the first aviation squadrons in the Marine Corps and gained national attention in the 1930s as the Marine Corps show unit . The squadron fought in World War II and was later transferred to the Reserves where they fell under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 41 ( MAG - 41 ) and the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing ( 4th MAW ) while stationed at Naval Air Station Dallas , Texas . They were decommissioned on the October 22 , 1965 . History . Early years . Marine Fighting Squadron 2 ( VF - 2M ) was activated on September 1 , 1925 at Marine Corps Base Quantico , Virginia . The directive authorizing the formation of the squadron stated , " " The primary mission of this squadron will be the training and perfecting of pursuit pilots and the testing and development of pursuit aircraft . " " They were redesignated VF - 9M on July 1 , 1927 which was changed again to VF - 5M on July 1 , 1928 . Because they were located so close to Washington D . C . , the squadron became the " show unit " for Marine aviation . The squadron reverted to the previous designation of VF - 9M on August 1 , 1930 . In 1937 , after a stint aboard the USS Saratoga ( CV - 3 ) under the command of then Captain Bull Halsey , VF - 9M was again redesignated , becoming VMF - 1 . The squadron finally became VMF - 111 on July 1 , 1941 during the massive expansion of the Marine Corps that began just prior to World War II . World War II . At the time of the Attack on Pearl Harbor , VMF - 111 pilots were flying the F4F Wildcat . On March 10 , 1942 , the squadron arrived at Tafuna Airfield on Tutuila island , its new base of operations . They were the first Marine squadron to operate in Samoa . and eventually were relocated to Faleolo Airfield on Upolu Island after SeeBees completed Feleolo Airfield in July 1942 . They spent the next year as part of the Samoa Defense Garrison Area and finally transitioned to the F4U Corsair in early 1943 . The squadron remained in Samoa until 1944 , serving as a replacement pool for other squadrons engaged in the Solomon Islands Campaign . VMF - 111 left Samoa in January 1944 for the Central Pacific and participated in raids against bypassed Japanese garrisons for the rest of the war . It was during this time that the squadron , under the command of Major William E . Classen , made the first experimental bombing run with F4U Corsairs when eight of their aircraft struck heavy anti - aircraft positions on Mili Atoll with thousand pound bombs Following the war the squadron returned to the States where it was deactivated on November 26 , 1945 . Post war years . Reactivated on June 1 , 1948 as part of the Marine Air Reserve , VMF - 111 was stationed at Naval Air Station Dallas . They were recalled to active duty on July 23 , 1950 due to the Korean War but did not see any action . Instead they assumed their World War II role of training pilots . They were released from active duty in July 1953 and remained at NAS Dallas until their deactivation on October 22 , 1965 . Upon deactivation , their personnel and aircraft were turned over to VMF - 112 .