VMFA-333
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| Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 333 | |
|---|---|
 VMFA-333 Insignia |
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| Active | August 1, 1943 – November 1, 1945 August 1, 1952 - March 31, 1992 |
| Country | United States |
| Branch | USMC |
| Type | Attack |
| Role | Close air support Air interdiction Aerial reconnaissance |
| Part of | Deactivated |
| Nickname | “Fighting Shamrocks" ”Trip Trey” |
| Battles/wars | World War II Vietnam War Operation Desert Storm |
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 333 (VMFA-333) was a United States Marine Corps fighter squadron consisting of F/A-18 Hornets . Known as the "Fighting Shamrocks" and “Trip Trey”, the squadron participated in action during World War II, the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm The squadron’s aircraft were easily recognizable by the row of three shamrocks painted on the vertical stabilizers of their aircraft. They were decommissioned on March 31, 1992.
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[edit] History
[edit] World War II
Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 333 (VMSB-333) was activated August 1, 1943 as at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. In April of 1944, a portion of the squadron was sent to Boca Chica, Florida for anti-submarine training and upon their return departed for San Diego, and three weeks after that, Hawaii. The squadron was transferred to Midway Island in July 1944 and began flying anti-submarine patrols in their SBD Dauntless bombers. They were redesignated Marine Fighter Bomber Squadron 333 (VMBF-333) on October 14, 1944 and transitioned to the F4U Corsair.
The squadron reverted to VMSB-333 on December 20, 1944 and was transferred back to Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii for the remainder of the war. They were deactivated on November 1, 1945.
[edit] 1950s
They were reactivated on August 1, 1952 as Marine Attack Squadron 333 (VMA-333) and located at Marine Corps Air Station Miami and equipped with the Grumman F6F Hellcat. The Hellcats were quickly replaced with Corsairs and they were in turn replaced with A-1 Skyraiders. The Squadron was redesignated Marine Fighter Squadron 333 (VMF-333) on January 28, 1957 and again transitioned airframes, this time to the FJ Fury. At this time the squadron also relocated to Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, South Carolina. Three years later VMF-333 became the first Marine Corps squadron to receive the F-8 Crusader.
During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the squadron was moved to Naval Air Station Key West should the need have arisen to strike targets in Cuba. They returned to MCAS Beaufort in December of that year after the crisis was resolved.
[edit] Vietnam War
On February 1, 1966, The squadron was again redesignated as Marine All Weather Fighter Squadron 333 (VMF(AW)-333) when they received new all-weather versions of the F-8 Crusader. The squadrons last name change came on June 20, 1966]] when they became Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 333 (VMFA-333) as they transitioned to the F-4 Phantom II. In June of 1972, VMFA-333 deployed on board the USS America (CVA-66) and conducted mission over Vietnam. It was during this deployment that the sqaudron got its only air to air kill when Major L.T. Lasseter shot down a MiG-21 over North Vietnam. For the rest of the 1970s, the squadron remained affiliated with Carrier Air Wing 8 and made several deployments aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN-68).
[edit] 1980s and 1990s
VMFA-333 was the last regular Marine squadron to operate the F-4 Phantom but finally transferred to the F/A-18 Hornet in October of 1987. During their final depoyment to the Persian Gulf in 1990-1991 as part of Operation Desert Storm, the Shamrocks flew more than seven hundred combat missions without loss and delivered more than two million pounds of ordnance against Iraqi forces. VMFA-333 was deactivated effective March 31, 1992.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- Crowder, Michael J. (2000). United States Marine Corps Aviation Squadron Lineage, Insignia & History - Volume One - The Fighter Squadrons. Turner Publishing Company. ISBN 1-56311-926-9.
