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Marine Observation Squadron 7 (VMO-7) was an observation 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 ...
during 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 ...
. They were active for a year and a half during which time they saw action 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 ...
. The squadron was quickly deactivated following the end of the war.
History
VMO-7 was commissioned on December 15, 1944 atMarine Corps Base Quantico
Marine Corps Base Quantico (commonly abbreviated MCB Quantico) is a United States Marine Corps installation located near Triangle, Virginia, covering nearly of southern Prince William County, Virginia, northern Stafford County, and southe ...
, Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
. After a short period of training, the squadron moved to Marine Corps Air Station Ewa
Marine Corps Air Station Ewa (MCAS Ewa) was a United States Marine Corps air station that was located west of Pearl Harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The base was hit during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and later served as the hub for all ...
on February 27, 1945, sailing on board the British escort carrier HMS Ranee (D03)
USS ''Niantic'' (CVE-46) was a US escort carrier, that served in the Royal Navy as HMS ''Ranee'' (D03).
''Niantic'', originally given the designation AVG-46, was redesignated as ACV-46 on 20 August 1942. The ship's keel was laid down by the Se ...
. Another two months of training in Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...
saw the squadron depart Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor is an American lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. It was often visited by the naval fleet of the United States, before it was acquired from the Hawaiian Kingdom by the U.S. with the signing of the Reci ...
on April 17, 1945, and sail for Okinawa
most commonly refers to:
* Okinawa Prefecture, Japan's southernmost prefecture
* Okinawa Island, the largest island of Okinawa Prefecture
* Okinawa Islands, an island group including Okinawa itself
* Okinawa (city), the second largest city in th ...
. The squadron filtered onto the island from May 7-11 and quickly began flights spotting targets for III Amphibious Corps
III Marine Expeditionary Force (III MEF) is a formation of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps. It is forward-deployed and able to rapidly conduct operations across the spectrum from humanitarian assistance and d ...
’ artillery. During the period between June 11-22 the squadron made 271 CASEVAC
Casualty evacuation, also known as CASEVAC or by the callsign Dustoff or colloquially Dust Off, is a military term for the emergency patient evacuation of casualties from a combat zone. Casevac can be done by both ground and air. "DUSTOFF" i ...
flights from a dirt strip in Naha
is the Cities of Japan, capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 people per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). ...
taking 369 casualties back to hospitals in the rear areas. VMO-7 aircraft were engaged in combat operations on Okinawa until June 21, 1945. During the battle, the squadron flew 300 combat hours without losing a pilot or plane. The unit remained on the island for the rest of the war and was decommissioned on November 16, 1945.
Awards
* Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal with one bronze star * World War II Victory Medal
The World War II Victory Medal was a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945.
Histo ...
See also
*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 ...
* List of United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
This is a list of all of the active 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 designation.
:''To se ...
* List of decommissioned United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
While other nations have Marine corps, Marines who are aviators, only the United States Marine Corps has its own dedicated aviation arm. Most squadrons have changed names and designations many times over the years so they are listed by their fin ...
Citations
References
;Bibliography * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vmo-7 Observation7 Inactive units of the United States Marine Corps