VMA-331Photograph AlbumVMSB-331 Gunners - 1943. Tom Johnston (whose buddies have their arms across his shoulder) is top row, third from the left. The man seated behind the cowl was the head of the gunners, Frank Tackack. A Marine SBD-3 Dauntless - 1943. Marine Bombing Squadron THREE HUNDRED THIRTY-ONE SBD-3 Doodlebug "Speed-D-Bee" probably piloted by Captain Frank Wright with rear Gunner Tommy Johnston looking for something to bomb near the Marshall Islands in the central Pacific. This pair flew more than 150 combat sorties together in the Pacific war. Official Marine Corps Photograph from Elizabeth Johnston. Frank Wright with Tommy Johnston - 1943. "Speed-D-Bee" pilot Captain Frank Wright and rear Gunner Tommy Johnston after 32 missions in the Pacific at Majuro Atoll in the Marshall Island. Official Marine Corps Photograph from Elizabeth Johnston. A Marine F4U-4 Corsair. Marine Attack Squadron-331 F4U-4 Corsair piloted by Maxie Jarrell taxis down the airstrip at Roosevelt Roads Puerto Rico prior to a simulated combat mission in support of Marine ground units. The Marine aviation squadron is participating in Lant Tracx 2-54 maneuvers held in the Puerto Rican area. The Squadron is a unit of Marine Air Group - 31, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Corps Air Station, Miami, Florida. Official Marine Corps Photograph. VMA-331 "Bumblebee" Marine Corsairs - 1954. Flying over the McArthur causeway at Miami in 1954, either April 5th or 9th. Official Marine Corps Photograph. Photo "AD-5" Aircraft piloted by Captain Frank E. Sturges USMCR. VMA-331 Marine Corsairs - 1954. Flying a combat spread off the coast of Miami in 1954, either April 5th or 9th. Official Marine Corps Photograph. Photo "AD-5" Aircraft piloted by Captain Frank E. Sturges USMCR. VMA-331 "Bumblebee" Marine Corsairs - 1954. Flying a "V" formation off the coast of Miami in 1954, either April 5th or 9th. Official Marine Corps Photograph. Photo "AD-5" Aircraft piloted by Captain Frank E. Sturges USMCR. A four section Corsair Bumblebee flight - 1954. off the coast of Puerto Rico during an exercise in l954. The maintenance guys deserve all the credit for getting sixteen planes into the air at one time! Official Marine Corps Photograph. April 1954 -- The last active F-4U 'Corsair' leaves the Miami Opa-locka Marine Corps base. Col. Richard A. Beard Jr., Commanding Officer of Marine Air Group 31, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and other officers turned out to see pilot Lieutenant David Teichmann depart. Corsairs, once standard equipment for Marines and a familiar sight over Miami, now have been replaced by newer and faster jet planes. The last of the Marine Corps active Corsairs -- the "gull-wing" fighter which accounted nearly 1,400 enemy planes in the Pacific war -- was flown today from Miami to Quonset Point, Rhode Island, for service in a reserve squadron. The Navy Department announced in January, 1953, that it was accepting delivery of the last of the propeller-driven fighters, and the old planes now have been replaced by jets. Official Marine Corps Photograph. Circa 1960: Last of the ADs in the Marine Corps. Ray Powell Circa 1962: A4D-2s in training. Ray Powell Circa 1962: A4D-2s in training. Ray Powell Circa 1962: A4D-2s in training. Ray Powell MAY 1962: BuNo 142815, VL-13, parked on the ramp with JATO bottles and 18 250 pound bombs. Bob Mikesh Skyhawk A-4B - 1962. A Bob Herrman photographic study of an A-4B Skyhawk taken October 12, 1962, flying toward the practice target off Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, prior to deploying to Guantanamo, Cuba for the missile crisis. Bob was later killed in an airshow crash in California. Skyhawk A-4E BuNo. 150095 - 1964. Bob Herrman's photographic study of a November 4, 1964, section tactics flight off the USS Forrestal (CVA 59). The pilot of the VMA-331 Skyhawk was Lt. Donald E. Gough (later a TWA Captain) who, along with his wife were lost on TWA Flt 800. A-4E Skyhawks - 1964. Bob Herrman photographic study of a flight of four Skyhawks off the Forrestal on a high/low high practice strike mission into Spain in October of 1964. BuNo.150089, 150138 and 151038 aboard the Forrestal in 65-66 Photo by Tony Redman JUL 1968 Bumblebees Skyhawk BuNo 151072, VL-3, assigned to MAJ Silars as she taxies by the photographer. USAF MAC C-141A Starlifter s/n 64-0616 in the background. R.M. Hill Punch Out - 1970. Lt. Ken Heitel had a hook skip and when he added throttle he couldn't get a positive rate of climb. The Skyhawk settled slightly, and Ken punched out. Ken was picked up by the angel without injury. This happened in the fall of 1970 on the USS Independence CVA-62. Photograph from the Naval Aviation News October 1970. Nov 1972 left front view of Bumblebees Skyhawk BuNo 158150, VL-3, parked on the flight line. Gary Verver Collection May 1974 Bumblebees Skyhawks BuNo 158178, VL-12, and BuNo 158182, VL-19. Harry Gann Sept 1974 158416, VL-22, on the flight line being serviced by the ground crew. Photo by Don Spering, G. Verver collection 27 FEB 1975 Skyhawk BuNo 158415, VL-2, as she leaves the deck of the Kenendy. U.S. Navy photo 1976 BuNo 158185, VL-10. Harry Gann VMA-331 MAG-32 A-4M Skyhawks Two A-4M Skyhawks, VL 00 BuNo 158167 and VL 17 BuNo 158151, on a Nevada gunnery range unloading their rockets. Photograph from Major Fred Miclon. VMA-331 Snake-Eyes - 1978 In 1978, Douglas Tech. Rep. Harry Gann visited a VMA-331 Detachment training at Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada. The Bumble Bee detachment had come from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina for live weapons training. Harry hitched a ride in a TA Skyhawk to snap this impressive photograph of four Bumble Bee A-4M Skyhawks doing their thing. Photograph by Harry S. Gann Bumblebees Skyhawk BuNo 158415, VL-2, on on the flight line with a pair of drop tanks Dec. 1978. U.S. Navy photo, Sgt Cordova. Second shot of Bumblebees Skyhawk BuNo 158415, VL-2, on on the flight line with a pair of drop tanks Dec. 1978. U.S. Navy photo, Sgt Cordova. Dec 1978 BuNo 158167, VL-00, sitting on the flight line. U.S. Navy photo, Sgt Cordova Dec 1978 BuNo 158167, VL-00, sitting on the flight line. U.S. Navy photo, Sgt Cordova 1 May 1979 Skyhawk BuNo 160264, #2960. U.S. Navy photo, Cpl Burnett 11 May 1979 Bumblebees Skyhawk BuNo 160246, VL-6, waits to take-off as another Bumblebee A-4M prepares to land at Bogue Field. U.S. Navy photo, Cpl Burnett Sep 1979 BuNo 158180, VL-01, parked on the Pax River flight line. Photo by S.H. Miller, G. Verver collection Circa 1979 BuNo 160262, VL-000, parked on the flight line. Gary Verver Collection The Last Skyhawk - BuNo. 160264 - 1979 This in-flight color photograph photo shows the last A-4 Skyhawk built. A-4M Skyhawk BuNo. 160264 was the 2960th and last Skyhawk. This Scooter was delivered to VMA-331 in February 1979 and flew a year with these markings before reverting to standard sky gray. The Marines painted out "US Navy" on the aft avionics package and replaced it with 2nd MAW. This Bantam Bomber - BuNo. 160264 is currently with the Command Museum at MCAS Miramar (San Diego, CA). Harry S. Gann took this picture in 1979, on a pre-delivery test flight in the vicinity of Palmdale, California. APR 1980 Bumblebees Skyhawk BuNo 158180, VL-01, parked on the line. Rob Mignard MAY 1980 Skyhawk BuNo 160254, VL-4, assigned to Major Yassimini, parked on the ramp at the Crossroads of the Navy. Rob Mignard May 1980 BuNo 158180, VL-01, parked on the flight line. Note the plane captain checking the starboard intake. Gary Verver Collection May 1980 BuNo 158185, VL-28, parked beneath the hangar "think" sign. Gary Verver Collection May 1980 BuNo 160250, VL-10, parked in the hangar. Gary Verver Collection May 1980 BuNo 160262, VL-000, parked in the hangar with a pair of drop tanks next to Bumblebee Skyhawk BuNo 159415. Gary Verver Collection May 1980 BuNo 160263, VL-3, parked in the hangar. Gary Verver Collection MAY 1980: BuNo 160254, VL-4, assigned to Major Yassimini, parked on the ramp at the Crossroads of the Navy. Rob Mignard Bumblebees Skyhawk BuNo 158161, tail code VL, as she taxies by the photographer. Dr. C.A. "Sketch" Eddy 25 JUL 1981: Bumblebees Skyhawk BuNo 160243, VL-17, and BuNo 160246, VL-01 parked on the ramp. Dr. C.A. "Sketch" Eddy 25 JUL 1981: Bumblebees Skyhawk BuNo 160243, VL-17, parked on the ramp. Dr. C.A. "Sketch" Eddy 25 JUL 1981: Bumblebees Skyhawk BuNo 160243, VL-17, and BuNo 160246, VL-01 parked on the ramp. Dr. C.A. "Sketch" Eddy 18 AUG 1981: Bumblebees Skyhawk BuNo 160254, VL-14, as she taxies away from the photographer. Dr. C.A. "Sketch" Eddy 1981: Bumblebees Skyhawk BuNo 160042, VL-6, parked on the ramp and painted in the lo-vis gray on gray scheme. Unknown photographer via W. Mutza A-4M Skyhawk BuNo. 160256 - 1981. Bumblebee VL 6 check his leader in VL 16, to taxi to the NAS Atsugi, Japan, runway on February 8, 1981. Color photograph by and courtesy of Takafumi Hiroe of Yokohama, Japan. Sept 1981 BuNo 160258, VL-18, parked on the flight line next to BuNo 160253. Photo R.E. Kling, Gary Verver Collection. Jun 1982 BuNo 158180, VL-302, parked on the flight line. Gary Verver Collection BuNo 160260, VL-00, parked on the flight line. Gary Verver Collection |
