VMA-214 Black Sheep - Squadron Page Preview
VMA-214 Black Sheep
Marine Attack Squadron 214, the Black Sheep, was commissioned at
MCAS Ewa, Hawaii, on July 1, 1942. Its history spans World War II,
Korea, Vietnam, nearly three decades of Skyhawk operations, and the
later Harrier era.
VMA-214
Black Sheep
1 July 1942
1962-1989
MCAS Yuma
Names, Heritage and Identity
The squadron was commissioned at MCAS Ewa in July 1942. The
Black Sheep identity dates from August 1943 and became inseparable
from the squadron's wartime service under Major Gregory "Pappy"
Boyington in the Central Solomons.
Boyington was shot down and captured in January 1944. VMF-214 was
subsequently re-established at MCAS Goleta, California, and later
deployed aboard USS Franklin for operations against Okinawa and
Japan. The March 1945 attack on Franklin killed 772 crew members,
including 32 Black Sheep.
Where the Black Sheep Served
VMA-214's operational history extends well beyond its famous World
War II period. In August 1950 the squadron became the first Marine
squadron to enter combat in Korea, operating from USS Boxer.
During the Skyhawk years the squadron deployed throughout the
western Pacific. Detachment N operated aboard USS Hornet in
1963-1964. Beginning in 1965, Black Sheep Skyhawks operated from
Iwakuni and Chu Lai and flew combat missions during the Vietnam War.
The squadron later continued recurring western Pacific deployments,
moved from MCAS El Toro to MCAS Yuma in September 1987, and
transitioned from the Skyhawk era to the AV-8B Harrier.
Aircraft
The Black Sheep flew the F4U Corsair during World War II and Korea,
followed by the F9F Panther, F2H-4 Banshee, FJ-4 Fury and FJ-4B Fury.
The unit designation changed to VMA-214 in 1957.
VMA-214 received the A4D-2 Skyhawk in January 1962. During roughly
twenty-seven years of Skyhawk operations, the squadron flew the
A-4B, A-4C, A-4E, A-4F and A-4M.
Awards and Recognition
- Presidential Unit Citation, 1943.
- Commandant of the Marine Corps Safety Award, 1961.
- Navy Unit Commendation with Bronze Star, 1966.
- Lawson H. M. Sanderson Award, 1982.
- Lawson H. M. Sanderson Award, 1987.
- Lawson H. M. Sanderson Award, 1997.
The History Is the People
The preserved VMA-214 record contains commanding officers,
deployments, individual events, mishaps, awards, photographs,
newspaper material and research accumulated across the squadron's
long history. That source material remains intact rather than being
discarded simply to make this presentation shorter.
Aircraft. People. Places. Squadron Life.
The VMA-214 photographic record is maintained separately so the
landing page remains readable while the photographs remain available
at useful size.
Aircraft History
Search Gabby's Histories for individual A-4 aircraft associated
with VMA-214. VMA-214 is preselected, but the Unit / Squadron
control can be changed for another search.
Gabby's Histories is an aircraft-history research source, not a
photograph archive.
Preserved Source
The original VMA-214 page remains available with the complete
accumulated record, including lineage, commanding officers,
deployments, mishaps, awards, historical documents, source
attributions and the original aircraft-assignment material.
Were you there?
Photographs, corrections, names, dates, aircraft identities and
firsthand recollections help preserve the squadron record.
Contributions should retain their source attribution so Gabby's
records, Kid's continuing research, preserved legacy material and
later contributions remain distinguishable.