VMA-142 Flying Gators
VMA-142 Flying Gators
Courtesy of Randy Toskin |
MAG42 Det A
Courtesy of Randy Toskin |
JOIN The Skyhawks
The Squadron Duty Officer is the squadron contact point, who communicates
with former squadron members about squadron information, sea stories,
squadron pictures, scuttlebutt, and gathers information about squadron buddies.
Please contact the Squadron SDO as listed here.
The Table Of Content:
Patch:
Handle:
Aircraft:
Date Type First Received - - - - - - Type of Aircraft:
Heritage:
- 1942 - 1945
- March 1, 1942, activated at Camp Kearney, California as Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 142, Marine Aircraft Group 14, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force.
- August 1942, assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 12, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force.
- September 1942, reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force.
- October-November 1942, deployed to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, and reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force.
- August 1942, relocated to El Toro, California, and reassigned to Marine Base Defense Aircraft Group 41, Marine Fleet Air, West Coast.
- April 1944, relocated to Ewa, Territory of Hawaii, and reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 32, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force.
- Deactivated September 21, 1945.
- 1946 - 1997
- July 1, 1946, reactivated at Miami, Florida, as Marine Fighting Squadron 142 and assigned to Marine Air Detachment, Naval Air Reserve Training Unit, Naval Air Station, Miami, Florida.
- December 1946, reassigned to Marine Air Reserve Training Command, Naval Air Reserve Training Unit, Naval Air Station, Miami, Florida.
- April 1, 1949, redesignated as Marine Fighter Squadron 142, Marine Air Reserve Training Command, Naval Air Station, Miami, Florida, Naval Air Station Miami, Florida, redesignated during February 1952 as Marine Corps Air Station, Miami, Florida.
- September 1953, redesignated as Marine Fighter Squadron 142, Marine Air Reserve Training Detachment, Marine Air Reserve Training Command, Marine Corps Air Station, Miami, Florida.
- May 15, 1958, redesignated as Marine Attack Squadron 142 and relocated during March 1959, to Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida.
- January 1971, reassigned to the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force.
- December 1978, relocated to Naval Air Station, Cecil Field, Florida.
- January 1979, reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 42 Detachment, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force.
- January 1980, reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 42, Detachment A, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force.
- December 21, 1990, redesignated as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 142.
- August 1997, relocated to Naval Air Station, Atlanta, Georgia.
- Marine Aircraft Group 42 Detachment A
- 1946 --- Marine Aircraft Group 42 Detachment A, was organized as Marine Air Detachment, Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida. They were tasked to supervise, train, and support VMF-144.
- 1953 --- Redesignated Marine Air Reserve Training Detachment (MARTD).
- 1958 --- HMM-765 was activated and attached to MARTD Jax for support. This was followed later with the relocation of VMF-142 from Miami, Florida to Jacksonville.
- 1965 --- VMF-144 and VMF-142 were redesignated VMA's with the transition to the A-4 Skyhawk aircraft; the two Squadrons were merged to form VMA-142.
- 1968 --- HMM-765 was relocated to Atlanta, Georgia.
- 1962 - 1974 During the Vietnam era, no MARTD Jax units were activated. VMA-142 was held in a standby status. This era witnessed a substantial growth in the number of reserve personnel joined to VMA-142.
The numbers and experience of personnel were such that it was deemed feasible in 1977 to organize a Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron (H&MS-42 Det A) and a Marine Air Base Squadron (MABS-49 Det C). Excess VMA-142 personnel were assigned as appropriate to better utilize skill and experience.
- 1978 --- MARTD Jax and its attached reserve units relocated to Cecil Field Naval Air Station, thus becomming MARTD Cecil Field. This name was short lived due to a reorganization of the Fourth Marine Air Wing and MARTD Cecil Field was designated Marine Aircraft Group 42 Detachment A (MAG-42 Det A). The purpose of the rorganization was to fully incorporate all active duty MAG-42 Det A Maines into the table of organization of its attached units upon mobilization.
- July 1985, the MABS detachment was deactivated, and its personnel were transfered to VMA-142 and H&MS-42 Det A for training. H&MS-42 Det A was redsignated as Marine Avation Logistics Squadron 42 Detachment A (MALS-42 Det A) in 1988, while VMA-142 was redesignated in 1990 as VMFA-142 upon replacement of the A-4 Skyhawk with the current F/A-18 Hornet aircraft.
- August 1997, MAG-42 Det A, MALS-42 Det A, and VMFA-142 relocated to Naval Air Station, Atlanta, Georgia. Thus ending a 50 year history in the state of Florida.
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Commanders:
Home Ports:
- Date - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Location:
- 1970's - - - - - - - - - - - - - NAS Jacksonville
- 1970's - - - - - - - - - - - - - NAS Cecil Field
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Air Wings:
Date - - - - - - - - - - - - Tail code - - - - - - - Air Wing
- 1970's - - - - - - MB - - - - - VMA-142 and MAG-42
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Deployments:
Departure & Return - - - - - - - - Air Wing - Carrier - Aircraft - - Area of Operations:
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Photograph Albums:
Squadron Photograph Album
Squadron Off-Duty Album (empty)
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Events:
- Participated in the following World War II Campaigns:
- Guadalcanal
- Southern Solomons
- Luzon
- Southern Philippines
- VMA-142 and MAG-42 Det A moved cross-town from NAS Jacksonville to NAS Cecil Field in the late 1970's.
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Awards:
Sources of information:
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