# VMFA-235

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Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 235 VMFA-235 Insignia Active 1 January 1943 – 14 June 1996 Country United States Allegiance United States of America Branch United States Marine Corps Type Attack Role Close air support Air interdiction Aerial reconnaissance Part of Deactivated Nickname "Death Angels" Mottos "Ride Nunc" "Laugh Now" Tail Code DB Engagements World War II Operation Cartwheel Battle of Bougainville Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm

Military unit

**Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 235** (VMFA-235) was a [United States Marine Corps](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps) squadron that most recently flew [F/A-18 Hornets](/source/F%2FA-18_Hornet). Known as the "Death Angels", the squadron participated in action during [World War II](/source/World_War_II), the [Vietnam War](/source/Vietnam_War), [Operation Desert Storm](/source/Operation_Desert_Storm) and was decommissioned on 14 June 1996.

## History

### World War II

Joseph McCarthy in his U.S. [Marine Corps uniform](/source/Marine_Corps_Uniforms)

The unit was commissioned on 1 January 1943 at [Marine Corps Air Station El Toro](/source/Marine_Corps_Air_Station_El_Toro), [California](/source/California) as Fixed Wing Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 235 (VMSB-235). During [World War II](/source/World_War_II) they flew the [SBD Dauntless](/source/SBD_Dauntless) and participated in [Operation Cartwheel](/source/Operation_Cartwheel), the [Battle of Bougainville](/source/Battle_of_Bougainville) and operations in and around [Rabaul](/source/Rabaul). The squadron was decommissioned on 10 November 1944.

During 8,000 hours of flying operations, the squadron had only one casualty; an aircraft [ground-looped](/source/Ground_loop_(aviation)) while landing, breaking the pilot's arm. The squadron's most notable member in this period was future senator [Joseph McCarthy](/source/Joseph_McCarthy), who served as its intelligence officer until July 1944. He participated in eleven missions as a rear gunner, leading to his later nickname of "Tail-Gunner Joe".[1]

### 1950s

[FJ-3 Furies](/source/North_American_FJ-2%2F-3_Fury) of VMF-235, 1957

The squadron was recalled to active duty in September 1950 as part of [Marine Aircraft Group 15](/source/Marine_Aircraft_Group_15) at MCAS El Toro flying the [F4U Corsair](/source/F4U_Corsair). In September 1952 they transitioned to the [F9F Panther](/source/F9F_Panther) and in March 1954 they again transitioned to the [FJ Fury](/source/FJ_Fury). In 1957 the squadron relocated to [Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort](/source/Marine_Corps_Air_Station_Beaufort).

A VMF(AW)-235 F-8E at [Da Nang Air Base](/source/Da_Nang_Air_Base), South Vietnam, in 1966

### The Vietnam War

Redesignated Fixed Wing Marine Fighter (All Weather) Squadron VMF(AW)-235 deployed to [Vietnam](/source/Vietnam) on 1 February 1966 flying the [F-8E Crusader](/source/F-8_Crusader). Between 2 February – 15 November 1966 the "Death Angels" flew over 6,000 combat sorties in support of over 22 major operations.[2] They returned to Vietnam on 15 February 1967 this time for over a year until 11 May 1968. They were the last active duty Crusader squadron. Upon leaving Vietnam, the squadron moved to [Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay](/source/Marine_Corps_Air_Station_Kaneohe_Bay). On 6 September 1968 they were redesignated Fixed Wing Marine Fighter Attack Squadron VMFA-235 and equipped with the [F-4 Phantom](/source/F-4_Phantom).

### The 1980s & 1990s

A VC-1 A-4E refueling a F-4J of VMFA-235 in 1977

Ordnance on a VMFA-235 Hornet during Operation Desert Storm, 1991.

In November 1989, VMFA-235 transitioned to the [F/A-18 Hornet](/source/F%2FA-18_Hornet). After [Iraq](/source/Iraq)’s invasion of [Kuwait](/source/Kuwait) in August 1990, the squadron was deployed to the [Shaikh Isa Air Base](/source/Shaikh_Isa_Air_Base), Bahrain, on 22 August 1990 in support of [Operation Desert Shield](/source/Gulf_War#Operation_Desert_Shield). They were the first Fighter squadron in theater, and were recognized with the "Phoenix Award", a highly prestigious Department of Defense award, for outstanding performance. During [Operation Desert Storm](/source/Operation_Desert_Storm) they flew over 2800 sorties in support of coalition forces. In March, 1990, after seven months of operations, VMFA-235 redeployed to [Marine Corps Base Hawaii](/source/Marine_Corps_Base_Hawaii).

The squadron moved to MCAS El Toro in 1994 and was attached to [Marine Aircraft Group 11](/source/Marine_Aircraft_Group_11). They moved again to [Marine Corps Air Station Miramar](/source/Marine_Corps_Air_Station_Miramar) in 1996 and were decommissioned later that year on 14 June.

## See also

- [Orson Swindle](/source/Orson_Swindle)

- [United States Marine Corps Aviation](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps_Aviation)

- [List of active United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons](/source/List_of_active_United_States_Marine_Corps_aircraft_squadrons)

- [List of decommissioned United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons](/source/List_of_decommissioned_United_States_Marine_Corps_aircraft_squadrons)

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-reeves_1-0)** Reeves, Thomas C. (1979). ["Tail Gunner Joe: Joseph R. McCarthy and the Marine Corps"](https://www.jstor.org/stable/4635350). *The Wisconsin Magazine of History*. **62** (4): 300–313. [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0043-6534](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0043-6534).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Mersky_p224_2-0)** [Mersky](#Mersky) (1983), p.224.

## References

**Bibliography**

- Crowder, Michael J. (2000). *United States Marine Corps Aviation Squadron Lineage, Insignia & History - Volume One - The Fighter Squadrons*. Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing Company. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [1-56311-926-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/1-56311-926-9).

- Mersky, Peter B. (1983). *U.S. Marine Corps Aviation - 1912 to the Present*. Nautical and Aviation Publishing Company of America. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-933852-39-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-933852-39-8).

- Rottman, Gordon L. (2002). *U.S. Marine Corps World War II Order of Battle - Ground and Air Units in the Pacific War, 1939 - 1945.’’*. Greenwood Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-313-31906-5](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-313-31906-5).

- Sherrod, Robert (1952). [*History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II*](https://archive.org/details/historyofmarinec00sher). Washington, D.C.: Combat Forces Press.

**Web**

- [VMFA-235 Homepage](https://web.archive.org/web/20010721113624/http://vmf235.com/)

- [Squadron history from ‘’www.tailhook.org’’](https://web.archive.org/web/20061230193033/http://www.tailhook.org/vmfa235.htm)

- [Photos of VMF(AW)-235 in action in Vietnam](http://www.mofak.com/usmc_photos_page_7A.htm)

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