VMA-231 History
To Marine Aviation the Ace of Spades symbolizes some of
the greatest exploits and some of the most outstanding names in the Corps.
It is the insignia of VMA-231 whose history virtually epitomizes the story
of Marine Aviation.
From the remnants of the Northern Bombing Group which served in
France in 1918 and transferred to old Curtis Flying Field, at Miami,
Florida in 1919, emerged, on 8 February of that year, 1st Division,
Squadron D. Before the month was over the newly activated squadron
arrived in Santo Domingo for duty with the Second Brigade where,
under various redesignations, it served until July 1924.
From Santo Domingo the squadron traveled to San Diego, California,
as VO-1M, and became the first Marine Aviation unit ever to serve
on the West Coast. It was also the oldest organized air unit in the
Marine Corps and the first aviation outfit to accompany a Marine
Expeditionary Force. During the West Coast interlude the late Major
General Ross E. Rowell, then a Major and Commanding Officer of VO-1M,
later VO-8M, concentrated on training in dive bombing tactics.
Such tactics were to prove invaluable to personnel of the squadron
in July 1927 in Nicaragua where they had been ordered the previous
February. On July 16, 1927 at the famous Battle of Ocotal ten personnel
of VO-8M came to the rescue of the beleaguered Marine garrison at
Ocotal and executed the first recorded dive bombing attack against a
n organized enemy, dispersing the insurgents and saving the garrison.
Among the first Marine aviators ever to receive the Distinguished Flying
Cross were Major Rowell and Lieutenant Hayne Boyden to whom it was
awarded for their participation in the Battle of Ocotal.
For ten years the squadron carried the designation VO-8M before
being redesignated VMS-2, which it retained until July 1941 when
it became VMSB-231. Whatever its designation it has always been
identified by the Ace of Spades which has appeared on countless
plane types from Curtiss Jennys and DH-4B Liberty Planes in 1920 to
sleek Corsairs utilized in the Marshalls in 1944 as dive bombers.
The Ace of Spades is symbolic of names like Mulcahy, Rowell,
Wodarzcyk, Munsch and Boyden in Nicaragua; it symbolizes Lofton B.
Henderson and Richard E. Fleming both of whom dived to their deaths
in crippling the Japanese fleet at Midway. It means Guadalcanal and
Major Glidden; it is reminiscent of Captain Ruben Iden who lay on
faraway Rennell Island in a grave prepared and tended by friendly
natives; it stands for a NAP named Blass. It means months of
'milk runs' in the backwash of the war in the Marshalls in 1944.
It recalls Ocotal and El Chipoto and bandits who captured two Marine
aviators in Nicaragua in 1927 and tortured them to death.
On 31 August 1962, after serving in reserve status in Akron, Ohio
and Grosse Ille, Michigan, VMA-231 was deactivated and its historic
insignia was laid in mothballs.
Today, Marine Attack Squadron-231 is outfitted with the Hawker-Siddeley
AV-8A Harrier which is the newest Marine Corps close air support aircraft.
It is a high performance, high speed jet aircraft that is uniquely capable
of vertical and short take-off and landing (V/STOL) operations. VMA-231
is the third AV-8A squadron to be formed and is a vital part of the
Marine Corps Air/Ground Team.
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