South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command (SCAT) was a joint command of U.S.

military logistics Military logistics is the discipline of planning and carrying out the movement, supply, and maintenance of military forces. In its most comprehensive sense, it is those aspects or military operations that deal with: * Design, development, Milita ...

units in the Pacific Ocean theater of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. It contributed notably to the success of U.S. forces in the campaigns on

Guadalcanal Guadalcanal (; indigenous name: ''Isatabu'') is the principal island in Guadalcanal Province of Solomon Islands, located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, northeast of Australia. It is the largest island in the Solomons by area and the second- ...

(1942–1943),

New Georgia New Georgia, with an area of , is the largest of the islands in Western Province (Solomon Islands), Western Province, Solomon Islands, and the List of islands by area, 203rd-largest island in the world. Since July 1978, the island has been par ...

(1943), and Bougainville (1943–1945), as well as the Allied air campaign against

Rabaul Rabaul () is a township in the East New Britain province of Papua New Guinea, on the island of New Britain. It lies about to the east of the island of New Guinea. Rabaul was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province ...

History

The organization of SCAT was a response to developments on

, following the initial deployment of Marine Aircraft Group 25 in September 1942, comprising the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

transport squadron VMJ-253 and Headquarters Squadron MAG-25, which were joined by the 13th Troop Carrier Squadron,

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

(USAAF). SCAT was formally organized around MAG-25 in late November 1942 at the direction of Vice Admiral Aubrey Fitch, and by the end of the Guadalcanal campaign it included VMJ-152 and SMS-25 of the Marine Corps and the USAAF 801st Medical Air Evacuation Squadron. In 1943 SCAT was joined by VMJ-153 and the USAAF 403rd Troop Carrier Group (including the 64th Troop Carrier Squadron and 63rd Troop Carrier Squadron). SCAT provided rapid transport of personnel and cargo, including munitions, food, replacement parts, and medical supplies, to and from forward areas. On rearward flights SCAT frequently provided

aeromedical evacuation Aeromedical evacuation (AE) is the use of military transport aircraft to carry wounded personnel. The first recorded British ambulance flight took place in 1917 in the Sinai Peninsula some 30 miles south of El Arish when a Royal Aircraft ...

of wounded or sick personnel. Aircraft typically included a

flight nurse A flight nurse is a registered nurse specializing in the field of providing comprehensive pre-hospital, emergency critical care, and hospital care to a vast scope of patients. The care of these patients is generally provided during aeromedical ...

, corpsman, or flight surgeon as part of the crew. SCAT was dissolved as its Army Air Forces troop carrier units departed in July 1944, although the Marines adopted the organizational title Solomons Combat Air Transport Command and continued to utilize the "SCAT" acronym. MAG-25, including the attached 13th Troop Carrier Squadron, was awarded the Distinguished Unit Citation as part of the

1st Marine Division The 1st Marine Division (1st MARDIV) is a Marine (military), Marine Division (military), division of the United States Marine Corps headquartered at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It is the ground combat element of the I Marine E ...

(Reinforced) for the Guadalcanal campaign. SCAT received a

Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy and United States Coast Guard unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy A navy, naval force, military m ...

for its operations in the South Pacific from December 1942 to July 1944. The nickname "Flying Boxcars" was widely used for the Douglas R4D aircraft flown by Marine Corps units in SCAT, predating its attachment to the post-war

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar The Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (Navy and Marine Corps designation R4Q) is an American military transport aircraft developed from the World War II-era Fairchild C-82 Packet, designed to carry cargo, personnel, Litter (rescue basket), litte ...

(R4Q) aircraft.

Personnel

Notable persons who had been associated with SCAT include: *

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 until Resignation of Richard Nixon, his resignation in 1974. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican ...

, 37th President of the United States, who served as officer-in-charge of SCAT forward detachments at Bougainville and Green Island while assigned to Headquarters Squadron-25. * David Douglas Duncan, photographer, who covered SCAT while assigned to VMD-154.David Douglas Duncan Archive, Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin, accessed a

2 August 2006: includes a photo of Duncan taken by Richard Nixon * William K. Lanman, executive officer of VMJ-153 and then MAG-25, who became a millionaire benefactor of

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701, Yale is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Stat ...

Notes

References

*Armstrong, William. (2017). ''Marine Air Group 25 and SCAT (Images of Aviation)''. Arcadia. . *Page, Evelyn, ed. (1989). ''The Story of Air Evacuation, 1942-1989''. Taylor Publishing Company. *Sherrod, Robert. (1952). ''History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II''. Combat Forces Press. . *Washburne, Seth. (2011). ''The Thirsty 13th: The U.S. Army Air Forces 13th Troop Carrier Squadron, 1940 - 1945''. Thirsty 13th LLC. {{ISBN, 0615396755.

History

Personnel

See also

Notes

References

Further reading