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Commissioned on the eve of the United States entering World War II, Marine Fighting Squadron (VMF) 121 flew missions during the war in the F4F Wildcat and later the legendary F4U Corsair. The squadron, flying combat operations in the South Pacific, produced 14 aces, including Joseph J. Foss, whose 26 kills made him the Corps' leading ace of the war.
When the war ended, the squadron returned to the United States where its designation was changed to Marine Attack Squadron (VMA) 121. Based at Naval Air Station Glenview, 111., the pilots flew a variety of aircraft, including Corsairs, Grumman F8F Bearcats and Douglas AD Skyraiders. In early January 1951, the members of VMA-121 received word at NAS Glenview to mobilize and await further instruction. By the end of the month, they received orders to move by April 16 to Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) El Toro, Calif. The commanding officer and a few other pilots flew the squadron's new AD-2 Skyraiders to their new base.
For the next four months, the pilots perfected their new attack mission, flying as many as four flights per day, concentrating on familiarization, tactics, simulated bombing and rocket attacks.
In July 1951, the squadron began Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) in preparation for qualifying to operate from aircraft carriers. Finally, on Aug. 25, it was announced by headquarters that the squadron would deploy to the Far East to fly missions in the Korean War. The squadron boarded USS Sitkoh Bay (CVE86) on Oct. 2 and headed into combat by way of Yokosuka, Japan. VMA-121 was attached to First Marine Aircraft Wing (1st MAW). By that time, the war was at least 15 months old, and the front lines had stabilized. The squadron established itself at Pohang Air Base and began combat operations on Oct. 19, 1951.
The Skyraider was not new to the Korean War. The Navy had been flying missions with the aircraft since August 1950 from USS Boxer (CV-21). The Marine Corps squadrons, however, had an advantage over the Navy's Skyraiders because the Marines were flying from land bases that had huge runways, which meant that the ADs could carry their maximum loads to any target in North Korea. Navy Skyraiders had to carry lighter loads due to...