VMFAT - 501 Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 ( VMFAT - 501 ) is a newly reactivated training squadron in the United States Marine Corps that will eventually consist of 20 F - 35B Lightning II aircraft and will serve as the Fleet Replacement Squadron . Known as the " Warlords , " the squadron will be based at Eglin Air Force Base , Florida and will fall administratively under Marine Aircraft Group 31 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing , but operationally under the U . S . Air Force ' s 33d Fighter Wing . The squadron has assumed the lineage of VMFA - 451 which was originally known as the “ Blue Devils ” and saw action during World War II and Operation Desert Storm . They were decommissioned on January 31 , 1997 . History . World War II . Marine Fighting Squadron 451 ( VMF - 451 ) was activated on February 15 , 1944 at Marine Corps Air Station Mojave , California . The " Blue Devils " were one of 32 squadrons that trained at the base , and were collectively known as the " Mojave Marines " . Equipped with the Chance - Vought F4U - 1D Corsair , they spent nearly a year training for carrier - based operations under the command of Major Henry A . Ellis Jr . , who remained the Commanding Officer for 17 months . The squadron moved on board on 24 January 1945 , along with VF - 84 and VMF - 221 . This was the first fast - carrier deployment with three Corsair squadrons . As a new member of CVG - 84 , collectively known as the " Wolf Gang " , CV - 17 sailed westward across the Pacific . They flew their first combat sorties on February 16 , against targets near Tokyo . The " Blue Devils " scored their first kill during the initial combat mission , but also suffered their first casualty . Lieutenant Forrest P . Brown was shot down by anti - aircraft fire , and was last seen floating in the water . On 18 March , they focused their fury on Kyushu , destroying the Myazaki and Omura air fields and bagging another kill . On April 3 , the " Blue Devils " had a field day in knocking down 11 Japanese planes , and on 12 April , they brought down 16 kamikazes . Major Archie Donahue , the XO , shot down three Vals and two Zekes , thus becoming the first carrier - based Marine " ace - in - a - day " and adding to the nine previous kills that he scored with VMF - 112 in 1943 . 11 May was pivotal for VMF - 451 and the other " Wolf Gang " members of Bunker Hill . It started on a positive note , as First Lieutenant J . S . Norris Jr . shot down a Zeke near Amami , bringing VMF - 451 ’ s score to 34 confirmed kills . At 1005 hours , Bunker Hill was struck by two kamikazes , each carrying a bomb that was released prior to impact . Bunker Hill immediately began to burn and the smoke attracted more kamikazes . However , none of the suicide planes were able to penetrate the flak , and Bunker Hill was spared any more hits . The flames were eventually extinguished and CV - 17 limped back to Ulithi , then Pearl Harbor , and finally arrived for battle - damage repair at Puget Sound , Washington , on 3 June 1945 . VMF - 451 rejoined the ground echelon at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro to remain until the end of the war . They earned a Presidential Unit Citation for their efforts in the Japan , Bonins and Ryukyus campaigns , and were deactivated on 10 September 1945 . 1950s . On 1 July 1946 , the " Fightin ’ Phillies " were reactivated as a reserve unit at Naval Air Station Willow Grove , Pennsylvania , equipped with the Grumman F6F - 5 Hellcat . They remained as a reserve squadron until hostilities broke out in Korea . On 1 March 1951 , the unit was recalled to active duty and equipped with the Grumman F9F - 2 Panther . VMF - 451 was relocated to MCAS El Toro , and periodically deployed to Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay , Hawaii . In October 1954 , VMF - 451 upgraded to the North American FJ - 2 Fury , and adopted the name " Warlords " , redesigning their unit insignia to feature a jet punching through a Carling beer label and sporting the motif , " Vini , Vici " meaning " we conquered some wine " as opposed to " Veni , Vici " which means " I came , I conquered " . On October 20 , the " Warlords " craned their Furys on board , along with the " Death Angels " of VMF - 235 , to deploy to NAF Atsugi , Japan . In 1956 , VMF - 451 became the first Marine squadron to receive the upgraded FJ - 4 Fury . The following year , the tailcode AM was changed to VM . In June 1957 , the " Death Rattlers " of VMF - 323 relieved them at Atsugi , and took possession of their airplanes . The " Warlords " then returned to MCAS El Toro and claimed VMF - 323 ’ s aircraft , remaining there until September 15 , 1958 , when they relieved VMF - 323 at Ping Tung , North Taiwan , and reclaimed their Furys . The " Warlords " were on station at the end of the Taiwan Straits crisis and returned with their FJ - 4s to MCAS El Toro in November 1959 after brief carrier qualifications on board . 1960s & 1970s . While at MCAS El Toro , VMF - 451 upgraded from the FJ - 4 Fury to the supersonic Vought F8U - 2 Crusader , flying the day fighter for 18 months before upgrading once again to the F8U - 2N all - weather variant , and were redesignated Marine Fighter Squadron ( All Weather ) 451 ( VMF ( AW ) - 451 ) . On January 4 , 1962 , the squadron deployed to Naval Air Station Atsugi , but instead of being packed aboard a carrier for a 45 - day journey , the " Warlords " became the first squadron to make use of the new KC - 130 Hercules for air - to - air refuelling as they flew their aircraft to Japan , arriving seven days later . The " Warlords " remained in the Far East until February 1 , 1963 , when they were ordered to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort , South Carolina . On 24 August , VMF ( AW ) - 451 , with the AJ tailcode , deployed aboard for a Mediterranean cruise , before returning to MCAS Beaufort on April 7 , 1966 . On February 1 , 1968 , the " Warlords " turned in their Crusaders in favor of the McDonnell Douglas F - 4J Phantom II . With the new aircraft came the new designation , " Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 451 " ( VMFA - 451 ) . In July 1976 , the squadron was slated to return to their former home , USS " Forrestal " , with their Phantoms painted in bicentennial markings and sporting Carrier Air Wing 17 ' s " AA " tailcode . However , the Med cruise was cancelled and the unit returned to MCAS Beaufort . 1980s & 1990s . In 1984 , VMFA - 451 set a safety record of 29 , 000 accident - free hours in the Phantom . After 21 years in the venerable " Rhino " , and led by Alfred Cunningham award winner Lieutenant Colonel T . D . Seder , the " Warlords " exchanged their McDonnell Douglas F - 4S Phantom II for the F / A - 18 Hornet in September 1987 . In May 1989 , the squadron again sailed with the for a Med Cruise to end an eight - year absence of Beaufort - based Marine units on carriers . During the cruise , VMFA - 451 learned it was the recipient of the 1988 Hanson award as the outstanding Marine fighter - attack squadron , as they surpassed 40 , 000 accident - free hours . The squadron returned to Beaufort in September 1989 . On 23 August 1990 , VMFA - 451 deployed to Bahrain in support of Operation Desert Shield . At 0300 on 17 January 1991 , the " Warlords " became the first Marine unit to attack Iraqi forces in Operation Desert Storm . The Commanding Officer , Lieutenant Colonel A . S . " Scotty " Dudley , led a four - plane strike as part of a larger 50 - aircraft strike force under Marine Aircraft Group 11 . The " Warlords " ended the operation with 770 combat sorties and 1 , 400 combat hours . They returned to MCAS Beaufort with all aircraft and personnel . VMFA - 451 spent the remaining six years leading up to deactivation on the East Coast , making periodic deployments that included exercises in Norway . They returned from the Western Pacific in late July 1996 , and from there , wound down a 57 - year history . The " Warlords " of VMFA - 451 were deactivated on 31 January 1997 . Reactivation as a training squadron . On April 1 , 2010 , the squadron was reactivated and redesignated as VMFAT - 501 at a ceremony at the National Museum of Naval Aviation at Naval Air Station Pensacola , Florida . The squadron serves as the F - 35B Lightning II Fleet Replacement Squadron . Stationed at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida , it falls administratively under Marine Aircraft Group 31 , but operationally under the 33d Fighter Wing , which controls all F - 35 training for the Air Force and United States Navy . The Squadron is scheduled to move to its permanent home of MCAS Beaufort in late 2013 .