Marine All Weather Attack Squadron 242 - VMA (aw) 242

Marine All Weather Attack Squadron 242 [VMA (aw) 242] was originally activated during World War II as Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 242 on 1 July 1943 at El Centro, California. The squadron was assigned five North American SNJ trainers and three Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers as its first aircraft. A month later, a number of TBF-1's and TBM-1's were made available to the squadron. Pilots began to immediately familiarize themselves with the aircraft. However, the official training did not begin until 1 September 1943. 

The training syllabus included; glide bombing, skip bombing, torpedo tactics, both fixed and free gunnery, navigation and night flying.  Training procedures were conducted mainly over the Salton Sea and the adjacent California desert. Training was at first hampered by the lack of sufficient aircraft in flyable condition and the scarcity of spare parts. But, by the end of the first year the training program for VMTB 242 was completed.

On 27 January 1944, the squadron moved to San Diego. The very next day the squadron embarked on board the USS Kitkum Bay and sailed for Espiritu Santo arriving there on 15 February 1944. For the next two months the squadron was occupied doing work ups in preparation for its first combat operations against the Japanese.

On 11 April 1944, VMTB 242 took off from Espiritu Santo on its first combat mission, a strike at the Japanese facility at Rabaul. In addition to raids against Rabaul, strikes were made against Bougainville and Buks Passage.

After completing less than three weeks of combat operations, the squadron departed for Sydney, Australia for a week rest period. By 19 May 1944 the squadron was once again back at Espiritu Santo. On 12 June 1944 the majority of the squadron's personnel departed Espiritu Santo. After a six day stopover at Guadalcanal, the squadron arrived at Eniwetok on 21 June 1944. The squadron did however remain on board ship until 11 August 1944.

In the mean time, the flight echelon remained at Espiritu Santo until 13 August when it proceeded by air to Tinian where the rest of the squadron joined it shortly thereafter. With its transfer to Tinian in the Mariana Group, the squadrons function changed to that of a garrison force with duty consisting of routine antisubmarine patrols in the Saipan-Tinian area.

During November 1944, the squadron moved to Oahu, Territory of Hawaii in relays to participate in antisubmarine warfare exercises. After completion of the exercises, the squadron returned to the western Pacific to participate in active operations. In early March 1945, the forward echelon moved to Iwo Jima while the rear echelon remained in Tinian. The squadron carried out routine antisubmarine patrols from these two areas until the end of the war.

By November 1945 the squadron had moved to Guam and on 5 November it sailed for the United States. When VMTB 242 arrived in San Diego eighteen days later it was immediately deactivated.

Fifteen years later, on 1 October 1960, the squadron was reactivated as Marine Attack Squadron 242 at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina. Its first aircraft was the latest model of the Douglas A4D Skyhawk.

The squadron immediately embarked upon a program aimed at reaching its authorized strength. The training syllabus was designed to qualify the squadron for its mission of support to ground forces by making it become proficient in the use of high explosive ordinance, napalm, rockets and atomic weapons.

For the next several months, VMA 242 remained at Cherry Point and vicinity except for a brief deployment to Puerto Rico in 1961. In September of the following year, the squadron moved to Yuma, Arizona, for four weeks of training in conventional and special ordinance delivery.

With its return to Cherry Point, trouble over the situation in Cuba was coming to a head, VMA 242 was alerted for possible action. Within a matter of a few hours after its notification, the squadron departed Cherry Point on 23 October 1962 for NAS Key West, Florida. For over a month the squadron maintained a ready posture. After the withdrawal of Russian built offensive weapons from Cuba, the squadron returned to Cherry Point on 28 November 1962.

On 1 September 1963, the squadron moved to Camp Pendleton, California as part of a further move to the Far East. On 7 October 1963, VMA 242 established itself at its new home at Iwakuni, Japan. While in Japan the squadron, as part of its training syllabus, utilized the target areas of Ashiya and Tori Jima in Japan and Koon-Ni in South Korea for delivery of its ordinance. During its one year tour of duty in the Orient, the squadron was deployed for brief periods of time to Cubi Point, Philippine Islands; Taiwan; Osan, Korea and Okinawa for training exercises.

On 1 October 1964, the squadron was reestablished at MCAS, Cherry Point and redesignated as Marine All Weather Attack Squadron 242. Upon being welcomed back to the United States, VMA (aw) 242 became the first Marine Corps squadron to be equipped with the new Grumman A6A Intruder. This all new aircraft had the capability of providing close air support to Marines in the field under any and all weather conditions. Squadron personnel immediately began intensive training at the Naval Air Station at Oceana, Virginia in preparation for flying and maintaining the A6A Intruder.

After the intensification of the American involvement in the war in Vietnam, VMA (aw) 242 began to prepare itself for an eventual deployment to the conflict. The squadron, however, did not receive any orders for some time. It was not until October 1966, under the command of Lt. Col. Howard Wolfe, that 242 began its move to the Southeast Asian Republic of South Vietnam. Squadron personnel flew directly from Cherry Point North Carolina to Da Nang, RVN on the new Air Force C141 Starlifter. Squadron aircraft flew from Cherry Point across the continent and across the Pacific to Da Nang. On 19 October 1966 the transfer was completed and on 1 November 1966 the squadron began active combat operations against the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese.

242's initial mission was to render support to allied ground forces which included US Army, US Marine, ARVN (South Vietnamese Army) and ROK (Republic of Korea) units. In April 1967, the squadron was assigned a role in Operation Rolling Thunder involving 242 in missions deep inside North Vietnam. It was during that month that 242 sustained its first combat loss.

In addition to carrying out interdiction and bombing operations, VMA (aw) 242 flew radar reconnaissance missions over North Vietnam. The all weather system which was the heart of the A6A Intruder was utilized in all three roles.

Strikes over the North, as was the case for many American squadrons, could prove costly. During one such sortie over Haiphong, LtCol Lewis B. Abrams, CO of VMA (aw) 242 and his B/N were shot down by enemy fire. Both were listed as Missing In Action.

The squadron was directed to hit targets in Laos following the November 1968 bombing halt. An increase in the number of sorties flown in that country rose sharply in the early months of 1969. On 16 January 1969, VMA (aw) 242 reached a milestone in its history. It was on that date that 242 recorded its 10,000th combat mission in Southeast Asia. That mission was flown by the new Commanding Officer, LtCol Adnah K. Frain. Later that year on 29 September 1969 Maj Luther L Lono, the Executive Officer and his B/N were lost over Laos.

VMA (aw) 242 first arrived in the Republic of Vietnam as an A6 Intruder squadron in November 1966. From November of 1966 to February of 1967 the squadron flew three types of missions: TPQ's, close air support and Special Forces Camp support. During February of 1967, VMA (aw) 242 began flying missions in Route Package One area of North Vietnam. In May, these missions were expanded to include the Rolling Thunder areas which consisted of Route Packages Two, Three and Four. The A6's went further into North Vietnam in June of 1967 when the Deep Rolling Thunder missions began in the Route Package Five and Six area. During January of 1968 the "242" A6's expanded their operations to include interdiction missions in the Steel Tiger area of Laos.

On 31 March 1968 the Deep and Shallow Rolling Thunder missions were discontinued and the "242" A6's then concentrated all their operations in the Tally Ho Route Package One and Steel Tiger areas of Laos. November of 1968 brought an end of the bombing of North Vietnam and A6 operations were contained to the Steel Tiger Laos missions and TPQ, CAS and experimental type "beacon missions in South Vietnam. These missions continued through the early months of 1969. Later in that year the A6 beacon missions were promoted to the extent that most Marine Corps units in the Da Nang area possessed an operating Motorola Beacon and "242" began flying six Beacon missions a day. By the end of 1969 the ground units had learned to depend on the A6 all weather beacon bombing. A total of fifty beacons were being actively used in the field by Marine and Army units as well. Beacons were operating with the 101st Airborne, 1/5 Mechanized Infantry, the Americal Division and Special Forces units and all Marine Corps Battalions.

In December 1969, the "242" A6's began flying in the Commando Bolt area of Laos. Simultaneously, Barrel Roll operations began and A6's were sending fifty percent of their missions into Laos for interdiction missions. By February 1970, the squadron was flying five daily beacon, five daily Commando Bolt, one close air support and an occasional TPQ. During the month of August the Commando Bolt operations came to a close and the only remaining "out of country missions" still flown were in the southern Steel Tiger areas of Laos. September of 1970 brought an end to the missions in Laos and all operations were flown in South Vietnam only<

The unit remained based at Da Nang until 8 September 1970 when it was redeployed to the United States. 242 had completed what would be the longest tour of the war zone for an A6A squadron. That amounts to 58 months of continuous combat operations. The last combat mission was flown on 27 August 1970 by Maj Patrick J McCarthy, the squadrons Commanding Officer. The total number of combat sorties flown in Indochina by the squadron was 16,783.

Marine All Weather Attack Squadron 242 arrived at MCAS El Toro, California its new home, on 12 September 1970. Its strength continued at approximately or less than a third of what it had been in Vietnam until 1971. A gradual rebuilding program was initiated early that year. By summer, the squadron was ready to engage in simulated combat exercises. It redeployed , temporarily during the fall, to Yuma, Arizona for weapons training. Another deployment of three weeks took place in April 1972. When the unit moved to Naval Air Station, Fallon, Nevada for further training.

VMA(AW)-242  became the first A-6A squadron in the 3d MAW. After a post-Vietnam drawdown, a rebuilding program was completed and the squadron began training to a higher state of readiness. In September 1977, the squadron transitioned to the A-6E aircraft. After ten years at MCAS  El Toro, Calif., the Bats again deployed overseas to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan as part of the six-month Unit Deployment Program (UDP). During this deployment, the squadron deployed and trained in such places as the Philippines, Okinawa, Japan, and Korea.

In April 1984 and November 1985, the squadron participated in its third and fourth UDP deployments WestPac. Returning to El Toro in May 1986, the squadron was awarded the Lawson H. M. Sanderson Trophy as the Marine Corps' Attack Squadron of the Year for 1986. In April 1987, the Bats made their fifth WestPac UDP deployment. While operating in Japan, Korea, Australia and the Philippines during these UDP's, the Bats participated in such exercises as Bear Hunt, Beach Crest, and the first Cope Thunder to include night, low-level attacks. April 1988 was highlighted by a squadron deployment to Alaska to participate in exercise Amalgam Warrior. October 1988 saw VMA(AW)-242 redeploy to Iwakuni, Japan for the sixth and final WestPac UDP with the A-6E Intruder.

In August 1990, the squadron deployed as part of MAG-70 in Operation Desert Shield. Seven aircraft were flown to MCAS Cherry Point, NC, with four aircraft being transferred to VMA(AW)-224 to increase their combat effectiveness in support of Desert Storm, with the remaining three aircraft being turned over to MATVAQWINGPAC at NAS Whidbey Island, WA.

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