VMA-214 Black Sheep

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Courtesy of Jimmie Little
VMA-214 DET N
USS HORNET CVS 12
1963 - 1964
Courtesy of R. H.

Patch
  • 07 AUG 1943 to present: Black Sheep
    Most versions were the black shield of illegitimacy, the bar sinister, a black sheep superimposed, surrounded by a circle of twelve stars, and crowned with the image of their aircraft, the F4U-1 Corsair.

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Handle
Heritage
Home Ports
  • 1942: MCAS Ewa, Hawaii.
  • 29 JAN 1944: MCAS Goleta, Santa Barbara CA.
  • APR 1945: MCAS El Centro CA.
  • OCT 1945: MCAS El Toro CA.
  • MAY 1965: Air Station Iwakuni Japan
  • APR 1967: MCAS El Toro CA
  • SEP 1987: MCAS Yuma AZ

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Air Wings
  • 1953: MAG-13
  • MAY 1965: WE - MAG-12 in Iwakuni Japan
  • APR 1967: MAG-33 in El Toro CA
    DEC 1970: MAG-13

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Deployments
  • 1942-45: Western Pacific WWII
  • Post WWII:
  • 194x USS Rendova CVE-114
  • 194x USS USS Baroko CVE-115
  • 194x USS USS Badoeng Straight CVE-116
  • 194x USS USS Boxer CV-21
  • AUG 1950-52 Korea
  • 1950 USS USS Boxer CV-21
  • 1963: Viet Nam
  • 1963-64 - CVSG 57 - CVS 12 - A-4B - Southeast Asia
  • JUN 1965 - FEB 1966 - MCAS Chu Lai Vietnam
  • APR 1966 - Apr 1967 - MCAS Chu Lai Vietnam
  • OCT 1991: Iwakuni Japan
  • DEC 1993: U.S.S. Peleliu LHA-5
  • OCT 1994: Detachment deployment on U.S.S. Essex LHD-2.
  • APR 1996: Detachment on U.S.S. Tarawa LHA-1
  • 1997: Black Sheep Detachment on the U.S.S. Peleliu LHA-5.
  • 1998-99: VMA-214 deployment on U.S.S. Boxer LHD-4.
  • 2000-2001: detachments to Iwakuni Japan and aboard the U.S.S. Tarawa LHA-1.


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Aircraft
Commanding Officers
  • July 1, 1942: Captain C. W. SOMMERS
  • July 21, 1942: Captain G. F. Britt
  • June 9, 1943: Major H. A. ELLIS JR
  • July 12, 1943: Major W. A. PACE
  • August 7, 1943: Captain J. R. BURNETT
  • September 7, 1943 to January 3, 1944: Major G. R. Boyington
  • February 9, 1944: 2nd Lieutenant R. R. TILTON
  • March 1, 1944: Major W. H. McPHERSON
  • April 10, 1944: Major S. R. BAILEY
  • June 11, 1945: Major J. W. MERRITT
  • July 1, 1945: Lieutenant R. J. McDONNELL
  • August 1, 1945: Major G. L. HOLLOWELL
  • November 1, 1945: Major T. W. FURLOW
  • March 7, 1946: Major S. GIER
  • March 20, 1946: Major H. A. PETERS
  • April 15, 1947: Major D. H. SAPP
  • November 19, 1948: Major S. G. CORTELYOU
  • July 16, 1949: Lieutenant Colonel H. A. YORK
  • July 8, 1950: Lieutenant Colonel W. E. LISCHEID (KIA)
  • November 1, 1950: Major W. M. LUNDIN
  • January 1, 1951: Lieutenant Colonel J. A. FEELY JR
  • May 16, 1951: Lieutenant Colonel J. W. POINDEXTER
  • November 4, 1951: Major C. M. KUNZ
  • December 4, 1951: Lieutenant Colonel C. C. LEE
  • March 11, 1952: Major M. C. GREGORY
  • April 9, 1952: Lieutenant Colonel M. M. COOK JR
  • June 3, 1953: Lieutenant Colonel W. J. CARR JR
  • December 15, 1953: Lieutenant Colonel J. T. McDANIEL JR
  • March 10, 1954: Lieutenant Colonel A. S. WALKER
  • October 26, 1954: Lieutenant Colonel R. F. FLAHERTY
  • March 23, 1955: Lieutenant Colonel H. M. TURNER
  • December 2, 1955: Lieutenant Colonel A. N. NEHF
  • November 5, 1957: Lieutenant Colonel J. F. BOLT
  • August 15, 1959: Lieutenant Colonel R. BAIRD
  • January 10, 1961: Major H. D. HUFFSTUTTER
  • July 29, 1961: Major G. KUPRASH
  • December 15, 1961: Lieutenant Colonel R. WULLANE
  • January 8, 1963: Lieutenant Colonel E. B. LONG
  • October 9, 1963: Lieutenant Colonel O. E. HOWE JR
  • July 11, 1964: Lieutenant Colonel K. O'KEEFE
  • April 2, 1966: Lieutenant Colonel D. L. DAVIS
  • June 9, 1966: Lieutenant Colonel R. D. WALLACE
  • December 1, 1966: Major R. E. HEMMINGWAY
  • April 1, 1967: Lieutenant Colonel D. D. PARISH
  • April 4, 1968: Lieutenant Colonel J. J. WENT
  • January 29, 1969: Lieutenant Colonel W. R. SMITH
  • February 4, 1970: Lieutenant Colonel R. J. REID
  • June 5, 1971: Lieutenant Colonel J. J. McCARTHY
  • August 15, 1972: Lieutenant Colonel D. F. NEWTON
  • July 10, 1973: Lieutenant Colonel C. L. DAVIS
  • June 15, 1974: Lieutenant Colonel R. H. ALLEY
  • August 16, 1975: Lieutenant Colonel J. R. THOMPSON
  • August 26, 1976: Lieutenant Colonel D. C. FITZGERALD
  • August 4, 1978: Lieutenant Colonel J. L. UNDERWOOD
  • May 4, 1979: Lieutenant Colonel P. B. WYRICK
  • December 20, 1980: Lieutenant Colonel E. E. HASTINGS
  • July 16, 1982: Lieutenant Colonel J. P. OPPENHUIZEN
  • December 10, 1983: Lieutenant Colonel J. D. JEWELL
  • November 23, 1985: Lieutenant Colonel N. N. KIRBY
  • August 29, 1987: Lieutenant Colonel T. R. CARSTENS
  • July 6, 1989: Lieutenant Colonel R. M. STROMBERG
  • August 3, 1990: Lieutenant Colonel R. V. DELONEY
  • July 16, 1992: Lieutenant Colonel H. J. COBLE
  • May 26, 1994: Lieutenant Colonel M. J. KELLY
  • April 26, 1996: Lieutenant Colonel R. S. SIDERS
  • October 25, 1997: Lieutenant Colonel D. H. TIERNEY
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Events
  • 01 JUL 1942: VMA-214 was commissioned at Station Ewa, Oahu Hawaii. They were de-commissioned after their combat tour. They were know as the "Swashbucklers".


  • 07 AUG 1943: The orginial "Black Sheep" of twenty seven men led by Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington formed a new VMF-214 at Espiritu Santo in the Western Pacific. Major Boyington had recently returned from a year's tour with the American Vounteer Group (aka "Flying Tigers") in China.


  • 08 JAN 1944: Commanding officer Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington is shot down and captured by the Japanese.


  • 13 JAn 1944: VMF-214's combat tour ends and the unit is dis-established.


  • 29 JAN 1944: VMF-214 is re-established at MCAS Goleta, Santa Barbara CA.


  • 04 FEB 1945: VMF-214 deploys aboard the U.S.S. Franklin, CV-13 to the Western Pacific for combat operations against Okinawa and Japan.


  • 19 MAR 1945: A Japanese Bomber strikes CV-13 and the resulting fire kills 772 crew members, including 32 Black Sheep. This ended the unit's involvment in WWII.


  • APR 1945: VMF-214 are relocated to MCAS El Centro CA.

  • OCT 1945: VMF-214 relocated to MCAS El Toro CA.

  • 1945-5x: VMF-214 deploys aboard U.S.S. Rendova (CVE-114), U.S.S. Baroko (CVE-115), U.S.S. Badoeng Straight (CVE-116), and the U.S.S. Boxer (CV-21).

  • AUG 1950: VMF-214 is the first Marine Squadron to see combat in Korea. They were flying from the U.S.S. Boxer, CV-21.

  • 1952: VMF-214 gave up their Corsairs for their first jets, the F9F Panther.

  • 1953: The Panthers gave way to the F2H-4 All Weather Banshee.

  • 31 DEC 1956: VMF-214 is re-designated VMF-21(AW), for "All Weather".

  • FEB 1957: The Black Sheep become the first Marine Squadron to be qualified in the delivery of "Special Weapons" aka "Nukes".

  • 09 JUL 1957: The Black Sheep's unit designation VMF is changed to VMA.
  • MAR 1958: VMA-214 get new aircraft, the FJ-4 Fury.

  • JAN 1958: VMA-214 again gets new aircraft, the FJ-4B.

  • 23 JAN 1962: VMA-214 receive the A4D-2 Skyhawk. They were to fly Skyhawks for the next 27 years.

  • MAY 1965: The Black Sheep were Assigned to Marine Air Group 12 and relocated to Iwakuni Japan.

  • 21 JUN 1965: The first division of Black Sheep Skyhawks fly into Chu Lai, Republic of Vietnam utilizing a new 4,000 foot Marine "SATS" runway.

  • FEB 1966: VMA-214 is rotated out of Vietnam.

  • 28 MAR 1966 - Captain Jack D. Rothwell:
    VMA-214 MAG-13 1stMAW FMFPAC. Capt. Rothwell was stationed in Da Nang in March, 1966 when he was sent TDY to the Philippines for training. His A-4 crashed during night ordnance delivery in the Cubic Bay area on March 28 and he did not survive. Posthumously promoted to the rank of Major.
    Jim Rothwell

  • APR 1966: the Black Sheep return to Chu Lai in force. The unit won the Navy Unit Commendation w/ Bronze Star for their efforts.

  • Post APR 1967: VMA-214 returns to MCAS El Toro CA and is assigned to MAG-33. Their new mission is to train pilots for Vietnam comat tours.

  • SEP 1987: VMA-214 is relocated to MCAS Yuma AZ.

  • JUN 1989: The Black Sheep became the first Marine Squadron to fly the AV8B Harrier.

  • OCT 1991: Twenty Black Sheep Harriers deply to Iwakuni Japan.

  • JUL 1993: VMA-214 deploys Harriers to 29 Palms CA for a "Night Sytems" operation.

  • DEC 1993 to JUL 1994: Deployment aboard the U.S.S. Peleliu LHA-5.

  • OCT 1994: a Black Sheep Detachment deploys aboard the U.S.S. Essex LHD-2.

  • APR 1996: deployment on the U.S.S. Tarawa LHA-1. The participated in "Operation Southern Watch" and "Operaton Desert Strike"

  • 1997: Black Sheep Detachment on the U.S.S. Peleliu LHA-5.

  • 1998-99: VMA-214 deployment on U.S.S. Boxer LHD-4. They participated in "Operaton Desert Fox".

  • 2000-2001: detachments to Iwakuni Japan and aboard the U.S.S. Tarawa LHA-1.


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Awards
  • Presidential Unit Citation" 1943

  • CMC Safety Award: 29 AUG 1961

  • Navy Unit Commendation: With Bronze Star - 1966

  • Lawson H.M Sanderson Award
    (Attack Squadron of the Year): OCT 1982, 17 OCT 1987, AUG 1997

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Sources
  • Bill Cline
  • Lloyd Gailey
  • Takafumi Hiroe
  • Jim Larkin
  • Fred Lewis
  • Roberta Lowe
  • Terry McGinnis
  • Rusty Williams
  • Bill Cline
  • John Street
  • Hans Vogelpohl
  • Hal Widener
  • Robert H. Melville Jr.

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