VMA-121

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Squadron Photograph Album Squadron Off-Duty Album

The Squadron Duty Officer (SDO), is the unit's contact point. They maintain unit rosters, help old friends link up, coordinate with unit reunions, and gather unit information. The SDO List.
The Association is particularly interested in your Skyhawk related information and photos, but will gladly accept information about all eras of the unit. e-Mail the Association Webmaster.
AND we welcome "anyone with an interest" in the Skyhawk to JOIN The Skyhawk Association.


Drawn by Bud Southworth
Courtesy of John Resnowski

Source unknown
Drawn by Bud Southworth


Patch
Handle
Heritage
Home Ports
  • After WWII: NAS Glenview, IL.
  • 1951: MCAS El Tore, CA.
  • 1957: MCAS El Toro, CA.
  • 1969: MCAS Cherry Point, NC.
  • AUG 1994: MCAS Miramar, CA.

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Air Wings
  • 1941-4x: Western Pacific
  • 01 DEC 1966 to 03 JUN 1967: assigned to MAG-12
  • 04JUN67 to 04SEP67 redeployed to Iwakuni Japan
  • 05 SEP 1967 to 31 JAN 1968 assigned to MAG-12
  • Nov 1966 to Oct 1967: VK - MCAS Chulai

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Deployments
  • 1941-4x: Western Pacific WWII
  • 1951 to 1957: Pyongtaek, ROK
  • 1958: NAS Cecil Field (Cuban Missile Crisis)
  • 1959 to 1960: WestPac
  • 1960 to 1961: WestPac
  • Nov 1966 to Oct 1967: MCAS Chu Lai
  • 199x: Desert Storm

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Aircraft
Commanding Officers
  • 24 JUN 1941: Major S.S. JACK
  • 01 MAR 1942: Captain L.K. DAVIS
  • 17 DEC 1942: 1st Lt. W.F. WILSON
  • 13 MAR 1943: Major D.K. YOST
  • 27 MAR 1943: Major J.N. RENNER
  • 15 MAY 1943: Captain R.E. BRUCE
  • 24 AUG 1943: 1st Lt. H.O. DEFRIES
  • 25 OCT 1943: Captain O.B. NELSON
  • 02 DEC 1943: Major W.J. MEYER
  • 26 MAY 1945: Major C.B. WELSH
  • 13 JUN 1945: Major R. TUCKER
  • 01 AUG 1945: 1st Lt. R.M. LOUGHERY
  • 01 JUL 1946: Major R.S. INGRAM
  • 20 JAN 1948: Major R.L. BRYSON
  • 20 APR 1951: Lt.Col. A.N. GORDON
  • 19 NOV 1951: Major F.P. BARKER
  • 01 DEC 1951: Lt. Col. P.B. MAY
  • 15 MAR 1952: Lt. Col. W.A. HOUSTON
  • 20 JUN 1952: Lt. Col. P.L. CRAWFORD
  • 11 SEP 1952: Lt. Col. W.M. CARGILL
  • 07 DEC 1952: Lt. Col. R.M. GURZENGA
  • 01 MAR 1953: Lt. Col. J.E. HUGHES
  • 21 APR 1953: Major R.L. BRAUN
  • 16 JUN 1953: Lt. Col. H.B. PENNE
  • 01 JAN 1954: Lt. Col. M.E. FLATER
  • 31 MAR 1954: Lt. Col. V.H. HUDGINS
  • 04 JUL 1954: Major E.K. GRISWOLD
  • 23 JUL 1954: Lt. Col. L.E. BONISKE
  • 13 JUN 1955: Lt. Col. W.H. RANKIN
  • 01 MAY 1956: Lt. Col. E.J. DOYLE
  • 01 SEP 1956: Major P.C. DELONG
  • 23 SEP 1956: Lt. Col. E.J. DOYLE
  • 02 OCT 1956: Major P.C. DELONG
  • 12 OCT 1956: Major L.F. CHILDERS
  • 02 DEC 1956: Major R.C. DELONG
  • 22 APR 1957: Lt. Col. E.W KELLY
  • 11 JUL 1957: Major W.D. WILCOX
  • 16 NOV 1957: Lt. Col. W.G. JOHNSON
  • 23 SEP 1958: Major J.E. DAVIS
  • 10 OCT 1958: Lt. Col. T.J. SAXON JR
  • 28 MAY 1960: Lt. Col. W.L. TRAYNOR
  • 05 APR 1961: Lt. Col. R.E. NELSON
  • 10 APR 1961: Lt. Col. R.F. SHIELDS
  • 17 APR 1962: Lt. Col. L.M. MCKLESON
  • 19 APR 1963: Lt. Col. W.E. SPARLING
  • 00 MAR 1965: Lt. Col. H.G. ROBINSON
  • 13 MAY 1966: Lt. Col. D.R. STIVER
  • 17 MAR 1967: Major F.G. DAWSON (acting)
  • 31 MAR 1967: Lt. Col. J.H. MCGEE
  • 25 SEP 1967: Lt. Col. R.J. KERN
  • 11 MAR 1968: Lt. Col. W.D. SHIPPEN
  • 16 OCT 1968: Lt. Col. D.A. LERPS
  • 14 FEB 1969: Lt. Col. E.E. JACOBSON JR.
  • 03 JUN 1970: Lt. Col. T.P BAKER
  • 11 JUN 1971: Lt. Col. E.A. BIRZER
  • 14 JUN 1972: Lt. Col. M.T. FOUNTAIN JR.
  • 13 JUN 1973: Major G.A. DAVIS
  • 25 JUL 1974: Lt. Col. B.G. RUTLEDGE
  • 05 AUG 1975: Lt. Col. E.P. CARROLL
  • 18 NOV 1976: Lt. Col. J.P. FAULKNER
  • 12 JUN 1978: Major W.T. ADAMS
  • 31 AUG 1979: Lt. Col. N.E. EBLERT
  • 25 NOV 1980: Lt. Col. J.M. WAGNER
  • 15 APR 1982: Lt. Col. J.W. RIPPY
  • 21 JUN 1983: Lt. Col. S.M. DAY
  • 26 OCT 1984: Lt. Col. W.R. MCPHERSON
  • 29 JUL 1986: Lt. Col. N.J. WESTON
  • 01 APR 1988: Lt. Col. P.G. JACOBS
  • 08 DEC 1989: Lt. Col. G.E. ADCOCK
  • 24 SEP 1990: Lt. Col. S.F. MUGG
  • 24 JAN 1992: Lt. Col. M.R. HUMBERD
  • 01 JUL 1993: Lt. Col. D.J. BORJE
  • 16 NOV 1994: Lt. Col. P.R. MORIARTY
  • 29 MAR 1996: Lt. Col. W.C. MACAK
  • 19 SEP 1997: Lt. Col. R.A. SIEGEL
  • 19 MAY 1999: Lt. Col. M.L. SAWYERS
  • 20 APR 2001: Lt. Col. D.C. MYERS
  • 11 OCT 2002: Lt. Col. M. SHIHADEH
  • 25 JUN 2004: Lt. Col. F.A. RICHIE
  • 27 JAN 2006: Lt. Col. J.A. CRAF
  • 07 DEC 2007 Lt. Col. M.T. PALMER
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Events
  • Green Knights participated in combat operations as charter members of the "Cactus Air Force" in the Battle of Guadalcanal. The squadron flew from bases at Espirito Santo Island, Turtle Bay, Bougainville, and Emirau. The Squadron produced 14 Fighter Aces including Major Joseph J. Foss (Medal of Honor).

  • Upon moving to NAS Glenview, IL after WWII, the unit was changed to VMA-121.

  • 1958: First Marine squadron to be fully qualified in special weapons delivery.

  • First Marine squadron to win both the CNO Safety Award and the Commandant's Efficiency Trophy.

  • Deployed WestPac 1959 - 1960.

  • 1960: Two VMA-121 pilots lost off the USS Coral Sea during training. Capt. Maitland, lost to a bad cat shot and Lt. Elder who never returned to the ship same time period. I received the information via snail mail in the form of emails thru the director of the Marine Corps University and others. I was a plan captain and on deck when Capt. Maitland was lost.
    Gunny Rav USMC (Ret.)

  • Replaced VMA-211 at Chu Lia, Vietnam in July of 1966 per Sgt. Tom Pulliam.
    After six months of combat operations, the Squadron rotated back to Iwakuni, Japan and Naha Air Base, Okinawa before returning to Chu-Lai for another combat tour in 1968.
    Sorties flown = 18,471
    Hours flown = 21,036.5
    Ordanance delivered = 23,533.41 tons
    * data does not include Feb 67 or 1-15 OCT 68
    5MByte PDF file of 1967-68 Nam Cruise

  • MAG 12:
  • 25 NOV 1966: lost in combat was Capt C.N. Williams, 25 Nov ¹66, A-4E BuNo 151123 while flying with VMA-223 as part of VMA-121 advanced party.

  • 06 JAN 1967: Capt. Adams, flying A-4E BuNO 150036 was shot down. Capt. Adams was recovered.

  • 14 JAN 1967: Capt. Frye, flying A-4E BuNO 150106 was shot down. Capt. Frye was recovered.

  • 27 FEB 1967: lost in combat was Capt H.J. Alwan, while flying A-4E BuNo 152051.

  • 11 MAY 1967: Capt. G.R. Romano flying A-4E 150011 was Wounded In Action and recovered.

  • 30 MAY 1967: lost in combat was 1stLt. Michael Walter Thoennes, while flying A-4E BuNo 150032.

  • 28 AUG 1967: lost in combat was Maj. C.F. Wallace, in A-4E BuNo 150038 flying with VMA-211 as part of VMA-121 advanced party.

  • 05 MAY 1968: 1st Lt. Aiton flying A-4E BuNo 151105 was shot down. Aiton was recovered.

  • 09 MAY 1968: Maj. Tyrell flying A-4E BuNo 152092 was shot down. Maj. Tyrell was recovered.

  • 09 JUN 1968: lost in combat was 1stLt. Walter Schmidt, flying A-4E BuNo 151080.

  • 22 JUN 1968: Maj. Ingraham was Wounded In Action, was able to land at Da nang.

  • 27 JUL 1968: lost in combat was Maj. Don Campbell, flying A-4E BuNo 151143.

  • 26 SEP 1968: lost in combat was Capt. Dale Luster, flying A-4E BuNo 150094 (2nd tour, 372 missions).

  • 01 OCT 1968: 1st Lt. Bob Coop flying A-4E BuNo 151159 was involved in an aborted takeoff at Chu Lai. Aircraft was lost, but Coop escaped the burning a/c.

  • Embarked on Ticonderoga, Ranger, and Coral Sea.

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Awards

Sources
  • Bill "Jigger" Egen
  • Masaaki Hayakawa
  • W. L. "Moose" Tranor, Colonel, USMC (Ret.)
  • John Resnowski
  • Gunny Rav USMC (Ret.) [William D. Ravgiala, Jr.]

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