VMF-323
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Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 (VMFA-323) is an aircraft carrier-based
aviation Aviation includes the activities surrounding mechanical flight and the aircraft industry. ''Aircraft'' include fixed-wing and rotary-wing types, morphable wings, wing-less lifting bodies, as well as lighter-than-air aircraft such as h ...
squadron of 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 ...
. The squadron is equipped with the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet and is based at
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS Miramar) is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the aviation element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force. It is located in Miramar, a commu ...
,
California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
, United States. It falls under the command of
Marine Aircraft Group 11 Marine Aircraft Group 11 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar that is currently composed of two F-35C squadrons, one F-35B squadron, two F/A-18C squadrons, one fleet replacement squadron, one ...
(MAG-11) and the
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (abbreviated as 3rd MAW) is the major west coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, ...
(3rd MAW) but deploys with the U.S. Navy's Carrier Air Wing 17 (CVW-17). Their tail code is ''WS'' and their radio callsign is ''Snake''.Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323
– VFMA-323 – U.S. Marine Corps – Access Date 9 January 2023


History


World War II

VMF-323 was commissioned 1 August 1943, at
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point or MCAS Cherry Point (*) is a United States Marine Corps airfield located in Havelock, North Carolina, United States, in the eastern part of the state. It was built in 1941, and was commissioned in 1942 an ...
,
North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...
. According to oral history, the squadron got its name from three fighter pilots who killed a rattlesnake and hung its skin in the squadron's ready room. VMF-323 began training in
F4U Corsair The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft that saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contracts ...
s almost immediately for combat in the Pacific 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 ...
. On 16 December 1943, the squadron received orders to prepare to move to the west coast of the United States beginning the first week of January 1944. Much of the new squadron's training was done at Marine Corps Air Station El Centro and Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton, California. In July 1944, the ''Death Rattlers'' departed for the Pacific aboard . For the next nine months, VMF-323 flew training missions from secure island bases in the
South Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...
. On 9 April 1945, 24 aircraft from the ''Death Rattlers'' launched from the and flew into Kadena airfield in support of Operation Iceberg during the
Battle of Okinawa The , codenamed Operation Iceberg, was a major battle of the Pacific War fought on the island of Okinawa Island, Okinawa by United States Army and United States Marine Corps forces against the Imperial Japanese Army during the Pacific War, Impe ...
. Combat operations commenced the following day. Between then and the Japanese surrender in August, the ''Death Rattlers'' racked up 124 Japanese planes shot down without a single loss. The highest total of any squadron during the battle. Twelve ''Death Rattlers'' became aces. After the war, the ''Death Rattlers'' were based at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, where they conducted training exercises. It was around this time that the squadron appeared in the 1949 movie ''
Sands of Iwo Jima ''Sands of Iwo Jima'' is a 1949 war film starring John Wayne that follows a group of United States Marine Corps, United States Marines from training to the Battle of Iwo Jima during World War II. The film, which also features John Agar, Adele M ...
''.


Korean War and post-war

When the
Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
began in 1950, VMF-323 began combat operations from as part of
Marine Aircraft Group 33 Marine Aviation and Training Support Group 33 (MATSG-33) is a United States Marine Corps aviation training group that was originally established during World War II as Marine Aircraft Group 33 (MAG-33). Fighter squadrons from MAG-33 fought mos ...
(MAG-33), supporting ground forces in the
Battle of Pusan Perimeter The Battle of the Pusan Perimeter, known in Korean as the Battle of the Naktong River Defense Line (), was a large-scale battle between United Nations Command (UN) and North Korean forces lasting from August 4 to September 18, 1950. It was one ...
,
Battle of Inchon The Battle of Inchon (), also called Inchon landing, was an Amphibious warfare, amphibious invasion and a battle of the Korean War that resulted in a decisive victory and strategic reversal in favor of the United Nations Command (UN). The opera ...
,
Battle of Chosin Reservoir The Battle of Chosin Reservoir, also known as the Chosin Reservoir Campaign or the Battle of Lake Changjin (), was an important battle in the Korean War. The name "Chosin" is derived from the Japanese pronunciation "''Chōshin'', instead of th ...
and almost every other major campaign of the conflict. During action near Kosong, on 11 August 1950, a VMF-323 Corsair pilot, Captain Vivian M. Moses, became the first Marine aviator killed in Korea. Around January 1951, VMF-323 performed their likely last combat operations from the and moved with MAG-33 to Bofu Airbase in
Honshu , historically known as , is the largest of the four main islands of Japan. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the list of islands by area, seventh-largest island in the world, and the list of islands by ...
Japan. Shortly afterward in Feb 1951 VMF-323 was rebased to the K-1 airfield near
Pusan Busan (), officially Busan Metropolitan City, is South Korea's second most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.3 million as of 2024. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southe ...
. Conditions at K-1 were reportedly harsh, as the squadron was living in tents, had no furniture, and was eating K-Rations in freezing weather. In March, the squadron was transferred officially to Marine Aircraft Group 12 (MAG-12). From 20 April onward the difficult non-hard-surface runway at the K-16 airfield near
Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
was used as a
forward operating base A forward operating base (FOB) is any secured forward operational level military position, commonly a military base, that is used to support strategic goals and tactical objectives. A FOB may contain an airbase, hospital, machine shop, and othe ...
for rearming and refueling, while K-1 was used for repair and scheduled maintenance. In June 1951, VMF-323 moved briefly to Itami Air Base in
Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
Japan, and then embarked on the . The squadron replaced its F4U-4Bs with the F4U-4 when it went aboard. Combat operations were flown off the Sicily for a few months. On 20 Sep, the Death Rattlers left the Sicily for Itami, changed back to F4U-4Bs, and rebased again to K-1. On 30 Oct 1951 the squadron was rebased to the K-18 near Kangnung, and on 21 April 1952, rebased to K-6 near
Pyeongtaek Pyeongtaek (; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Located in the southwestern part of the province, Pyeongtaek was founded as a union of two districts in 1940. It was elevated to city status in 1986 and is home to a South Korean naval b ...
. The unit also took part in the
attack on the Sui-ho Dam The attack on the Sui-ho Dam was the collective name for a series of mass air attacks during the Korean War on thirteen hydroelectric generating facilities by United Nations Command air forces as part of the North Korean bombing campaign on Jun ...
in June 1952. The squadron was re-designated Marine Attack Squadron 323 (VMA-323) in June, 1952. Around this time the 24 aircraft complement was changed to include approximately half F4U-4Bs and half of the more heavily armored ground attack focused AU-1s. The ''Death Rattlers'' left Korea in July 1953. VMA-323 was the Marine fixed-wing attack squadron with the longest overseas service during the Korean War, accumulating a total of 48,677 hours of flight time since their August 1950 arrival in Korea. In total, 16 ''Death Rattlers'' were Killed In Action (the same number of losses as in WWII) and 4 became
POWs A prisoner of war (POW) is a person held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of war for a ...
. Once back home, the squadron began flying the F9F Panther and then the
F9F Cougar The Grumman F9F/F-9 Cougar is a carrier-based jet-powered fighter aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Grumman. It was developed during the early 1950s on behalf of the United States Navy (US Navy) and United S ...
, a swept-wing version of the Panther. In 1956 the squadron adopted the FJ-4 Fury, with which it deployed to the western Pacific in 1957. That year, the ''Death Rattlers'' flew armed patrols over the
Quemoy Kinmen, alternatively known as Quemoy, is a group of islands governed as a county by the Republic of China (Taiwan), only east from the city of Xiamen in Fujian, located at the southeastern coast of the People's Republic of China, from which ...
and
Matsu islands The Matsu Islands; Foochow Romanized: Mā-cū liĕk-dō̤ ( or ), officially Lienchiang County; Foochow Romanized: Lièng-gŏng-gâing (), are an archipelago of 36 islands and islets in the East China Sea governed by the Republic of China ...
to support Chinese nationalist forces. The squadron was reestablished at MCAS El Toro and received its first F8U Crusaders in the summer of 1958. it trained in 1958 and 1959 was then assigned to . In 1964, the squadron returned to MCAS Cherry Point, where they received their present designation of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 (VMFA-323). This same year, the ''Death Rattlers'' began flying the
F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber that was developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bower ...
. During the Dominican Crisis in 1965, the ''Death Rattlers'' provided air cover while American citizens were evacuated.


Vietnam War

As the United States grew closer to war in
South Vietnam South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam (RVN; , VNCH), was a country in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975. It first garnered Diplomatic recognition, international recognition in 1949 as the State of Vietnam within the ...
, the ''Death Rattlers'' deployed to
Da Nang Air Base Da Nang Air Base () (1930s–1975) (also known as Da Nang Airfield, Tourane Airfield or Tourane Air Base) was a French Air Force and later Republic of Vietnam Air Force (RVNAF) facility located in the city of Da Nang, Vietnam. During the Vietnam ...
beginning on 25 October 1965. Combat operations started the day after they arrived. The squadron lost its first aircraft a week after they arrived when the squadron's executive officer was shot down by a
surface-to-air missile A surface-to-air missile (SAM), also known as a ground-to-air missile (GTAM) or surface-to-air guided weapon (SAGW), is a missile designed to be launched from the ground or the sea to destroy aircraft or other missiles. It is one type of anti-ai ...
over
North Vietnam North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; ; VNDCCH), was a country in Southeast Asia from 1945 to 1976, with sovereignty fully recognized in 1954 Geneva Conference, 1954. A member of the communist Eastern Bloc, it o ...
. It was the only Marine F-4 felled by a SAM during the war. The squadron remained in Vietnam until 1969, flying combat sorties from Da Nang and
Chu Lai Chu Lai is a seaport, urban and industrial area in Núi Thành District, Quảng Nam Province, Vietnam. The city is served by Chu Lai International Airport. It is also the site of the Chu Lai Open Economic Zone (Vietnamese: ''Khu Kinh Tế M ...
.


1980s to 2001

The squadron embarked on its only aircraft carrier cruise in the F-4 Phantom in November 1979 aboard . After liberty stops in, Korea, Thailand, and Singapore, ''Coral Sea'' arrived in the Arabian Sea in January 1980 flying protection caps for ''Coral Sea'' and . On 24 April 1980, VMFA-323 was prepared to fly combat missions into southern Iran in support of US hostages rescue attempt
Operation Eagle Claw Operation Eagle Claw ( Persian: عملیات پنجه عقاب) was a failed U.S. Department of Defense attempt to rescue 52 embassy staff held captive by Revolutionary Iran on 24 April 1980. It was ordered by US President Jimmy Carter afte ...
with the mission to shoot down any Iranian combat aircraft that attempted to take off. When Operation Eagle Claw failed, VMFA-323 F-4s flew missions around the clock until all US support ships had exited the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The squadron was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for its service. The squadron arrived back at Subic Bay, RP after 102 straight days at sea. On 14 September 1982, VMFA-323 transitioned to its current aircraft, the F/A-18 Hornet. In October 1985, the squadron deployed again aboard ''Coral Sea'', this time to the
Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...
. In spring of 1986 during
freedom of navigation Freedom of navigation (FON) is a principle of law of the sea that ships flying the flag of any sovereign state shall not suffer interference from other states when in international waters, apart from the exceptions provided for in international ...
exercises held in international waters and airspace off the coast of Libya. On 15 April 1986, the squadron provided SAM suppression and fighter
Combat Air Patrol Combat air patrol (CAP) is a type of flying mission for fighter aircraft. A combat air patrol is an aircraft patrol provided over an objective area, over the force protected, over the critical area of a combat zone, or over an air defense area, ...
(CAP) sorties during
Operation El Dorado Canyon The United States Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps carried out air strikes, code-named Operation El Dorado Canyon, against Libya on 15 April 1986 in retaliation for the West Berlin discotheque bombing ten days earlier, which U.S. President Ron ...
. In 1994, 1995, 1997, 1999, and 2001 the ''Death Rattlers'' flew missions in support of
Operation Southern Watch Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from August 1992 to March 2003. United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of moni ...
.


Global War on Terrorism

On 2 November 2002, VMFA-323 deployed aboard as part of
CVW-2 Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2) is a United States Navy aircraft carrier air wing based at Naval Air Station Lemoore. The air wing is currently attached to the aircraft carrier . Subordinate units CVW-2 consists of 8 squadrons and 1 detachment (V ...
to conduct
Operation Southern Watch Operation Southern Watch was an air-centric military operation conducted by the United States Department of Defense from August 1992 to March 2003. United States Central Command's Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) had the mission of moni ...
. While on this deployment, the Death Rattlers transitioned from Operation Southern Watch to
Operation Iraqi Freedom The Iraq War (), also referred to as the Second Gulf War, was a prolonged conflict in Iraq lasting from 2003 to 2011. It began with the invasion by a United States-led coalition, which resulted in the overthrow of the Ba'athist governm ...
conducting sorties into Baghdad on the first night of the war. On 2 May 2005, two
F/A-18 The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is an all-weather supersonic, twinjet, twin-engine, carrier-based aircraft, carrier-capable, Multirole combat aircraft, multirole combat aircraft, designed as both a Fighter aircraft, fighter and attack airc ...
C Hornet fighter jets from VMFA-323, BuNo 164721 and BuNo 164732, collided over south-central Iraq, during a sortie from , killing the
executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer ...
and a junior officer. With the deactivation of VMFAT-101 on 1 October 2023, the Death Rattlers took over the training responsibilities with a Fleet Replacement detachment for until FY2027. In accordance with the 2025 Aviation Plan, VMFA-323 is to begin transitioning to the
F-35C Lightning II The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II is an American family of single-seat, single-engine, supersonic stealth strike fighters. A multirole combat aircraft designed for both air superiority and strike missions, it also has electronic ...
in FY2029 and complete the transition no later than FY2030.


Squadron aces


Miscellaneous Information

* An F-4N Phantom painted with VMFA-323 squadron markings can be seen on the flight deck of the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum. *
Jerry Coleman Gerald Francis Coleman (September 14, 1924 – January 5, 2014) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) second baseman for the New York Yankees and manager of the San Diego Padres for one year. Coleman was named the rookie of the year in 19 ...
, then second baseman for the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
, flew with VMA-323 during the Korean War.Condon ''Corsair to Panthers'', p. 41.


See also

*
List of active United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons This is a list of all of the active Squadron (aviation), squadrons that exist in the United States Marine Corps, sorted by type. Most squadrons have changed names and designations many times over the years, so they are listed by their current de ...
*
United States Marine Corps Aviation The United States Marine Corps Aviation (USMCA) is the aircraft arm of the United States Marine Corps. Aviation units within the Marine Corps are assigned to support the Marine Air-Ground Task Force, as the aviation combat element, by providi ...
* CVW-17


Citations

:


References


Bibliography

* Chapin, John C. ''Fire Brigade: U.S. Marines in the Pusan Perimeter''. Washington, D.C.: Marine Corps Historical Center, 2000. * * Pitzl, Gerald R. ''A History of Marine fighter Attack Squadron 323''. Washington, D.C.: Marine Corps Historical Center, 1987. * * * Wolf, William. ''Death Rattlers: Marine Squadron VMF-323 over Okinawa''. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing, 1999. .


External links

*
323 Death Rattlers

VMFA: Death Rattlers Afloat
- ''Naval Aviation News'' (July–August 2003)
Oral history interview with Alfred Palombizio, a member of the "Death Rattlers" during World War II
from the Veterans History Project at Central Connecticut State University
A History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323: By Gerald R. Pitzl, 1987
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vmfa-323 Fighter attack squadrons of the United States Marine Corps FS0323 1980’s to 2000’s VMFA 323 was awarded a Meritorious Unit Citation. Not a Presidential Unit Citation for APRIL 24-25 1980 Iranian Hostage Rescue