VMF - 113 Marine Fighter Squadron 113 ( VMF - 113 ) was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps during World War II and in the Marine Forces Reserve until 1965 . Known as the " Whistling Devils " , the squadron participated in aerial combat over the Marshall Islands in 1944 and took part in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 . They were deactivated on April 30 , 1947 following the end of World War II but were reactivated in the Reserves a few years later only to be deactivated for the last time in 1965 . History . World War II . VMF - 113 was activated on January 1 , 1943 at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro as part of Marine Base Defense Air Group 41 . They were shortly given their full complement of 24 F4U Corsair s . After training for most of 1943 , the squadron set sail from San Diego on September 28 , 1943 headed for Hawaii . Upon their arrival the aircraft were sent to Marine Corps Air Station Ewa for their final round of training . In January 1944 , the squadron learned they would be participating in the reduction of the remaining Japan ese garrisons in the Marshall Islands . They soon set sail for Tarawa in the Gilbert Islands and then quickly moved to Kwajalein and finally began operating from Engebi on February 27 , 1944 as part of the 4th Base Defense Air Wing . While there they were also responsible for attacking Japanese positions in the western Caroline Islands . On March 26 , 1944 , while escorting 4 B - 25 bombers on a raid over Ponape , the squadron recorded their first enemy kills when they down 8 Japanese aircraft . In April of that year they were tasked with providing air support for the landings at Ujeland . Since the assault was unopposed the squadron quickly returned to striking Japanese targets in the Marshall Islands for the remainder of 1944 . On May 6 , 1945 , VMF - 113 landed on Ie Shima as part of Marine Aircraft Group 22 ( MAG - 22 ) to support operations during the Battle of Okinawa . The next day the squadron saw its first action since early 1944 when a mass kamikaze raid came after the US fleet assembled for the invasion of the island . The squadron moved to Okinawa in July 1945 and remained there for the remainder of the war . The squadron accounted for 20 enemy aircraft shot down during the course of their involvement in World War II . After the war , the squadron was moved to Omura on the southern Japanese Island of Kyūshū on September 20 , 1945 and stayed there until late November when they sailed for the United States . They arrived in San Diego on December 5 and were soon based out of MCAS El Toro . The squadron was deactivated on April 30 , 1947 . Reserve years . VMF - 113 was reactivated sometime after the war and was stationed at Naval Air Station Olathe , Kansas along with VMF - 215 . In 1958 they transitioned to the F9F Cougar and later to the F4D Skyray . During this time , due to an aircraft shortage in the reserves , the squadron used the same aircraft as VMF - 215 and two other U . S . Navy reserve squadrons . In 1964 , the squadron was redesignated VMF ( AW ) - 113 after its aircraft were upgraded however this did not last long as they quickly transitioned to the daytime only F8 Crusader in October 1965 and again became VMF - 113 . The squadron was deactivated on October 22 , 1965 and is still in an inactive status .