VMF-224 Scrap Book
Other MAG-31 Units
Info Regarding Various MAG-31 Units
Marine Aircraft Group 31 (MAG-31)
Marine Aircraft Group 31 was commissioned February 1, 1943 at Cherry Point and sailed for American Samoa in late September 1943. By January 1944 MAG-31 units would be deployed throughout the Ellice and Gilbert Islands including Tutuila, Funafuti, Wallis, Nanomea and Tarawa.
For the purposes of the Marshalls operation MAG-31 became a fighter group. In February 1944 MAG-31 units moved to the Marshall Islands. During much of 1944, and into early 1945, squadrons would fly neutralization missions against many of the Japanese garrisons that had been by-passed in the Marshall Islands. During this period MAG-31 squadrons developed Corsair fighter-bomber tactics that would be adopted by all Navy and Marine Corsair units for the balance of WWII and Korea.
MAG-31 began operating from Yontan Airfield, Okinawa on 7 April 1945. They maintained combat air patrols to aid in the fight against the kamikaze attacks against the American Fleet and they also provided close air support for the Marines and Soldiers on the ground.
On 12 October 1945, Marine Aircraft Group 31 departed Okinawa for Yokosuka, Japan, becoming the first Marine land-based MAG to operate in the Japanese homeland.
The group returned to the United States 5 July 1946 as a night fighter group and was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, San Diego, California until it was decommissioned 31 May 1947.
MAG-31 Commanding Officers: Major Ralph K. Rottet - 01Feb43 to 09Sep43
Col. Calvin B. Freeman - 10Sep43 to 12Sep44
Lt. Col. Ralph K. Rottet - 13Sep44 to 13Dec44
Lt. Col. Martin A. Severson - 13Dec44 to 05Mar45
Col. John C. Munn - 06Mar45 to date of surrender.
Fighter Squadrons Assigned to MAG-31, 1944-1945
VMF-111
VMF-111 was organized at Quantico on July 1, 1937 as VMF-1. The unit was re-designated as VMF-111 in July 1941 and was on maneuvers at New Bern when war was declared. The squadron arrived at American Samoa in March 1942 and remained there until January 1944. VMF-111 was based on Makin Island from March 1944 to November 1944. The unit operated temporarily from Roi-Namur in November 1944 before moving to Kwajalein.
VMF-111 Commanding Officers:
Major Thomas J. Walker Jr. - 01Jul41 to 28Feb42
Capt. Daniel W. Torrey Jr. - 01Mar42 to 30Sep42
Major Harold Mitchener - 01Oct42 to 04Oct42
Major Donald K. Yost - 05Oct42 to 17Dec42
Major Leonard K. Davis - 18Dec42 to 19Sep43
Major J. Frank Cole - 20Sep43 to 06Apr44
Major William E. Clasen - 07Apr1944 to 27Oct44
Major William T. Herring - 28Oct44 to 01Mar45
Major Robert D. Kelly - 02Mar45 to 18Jul45
Major Thomas A. Todd - 19Jul45 to date of surrender
VMF-113
VMF-113 was organized at MCAS El Toro on September 15, 1943 and arrived MCAS Ewa in early October of 1943. In January of 1944 the unit was ordered to Tarawa, then to Kwajalein and by February of 1944 was operating at Engebi, Island. The squadron moved to Ie Shima in May of 1945 then to Okinawa in July of 1945 where the unit operated until the war ended.
VMF-113 Commanding Officers:
Capt. John H. King Jr. - 01Jan43 to 04Feb43
Lt. Frank C. Drury - 05Feb43 to 06Feb43
Capt. Loren D. Everton - 07Feb43 to 07Sep44
Major Charles Kimak - 08Sep44 to 18Dec44
Major Philip R. White - 19Dec44 to 20Oct45
Major Hensley Williams - 21Feb45 to date of surrender
VMF-224
VMF-224 was commissioned on May 1, 1942 at MCAS Ewa, HI. The unit trained at Barbers Point prior to arriving at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal in late August of 1942 and was part of the “Cactus Air Force” until mid-October 1942. The squadron was moved to San Diego via Noumea in December 1942. VMF-224 then moved to MCAS El Toro where the unit transitioned to the F4U Corsair aircraft. After a brief training period at MCAS Mojave, the squadron was assigned to MCAS Ewa in August 1943. September 1943 would see the unit based at Pago Pago in American Samoa. In October 1943 the squadron would
move to the Ellice Islands being based at
Funafuti. The unit would spend February 1944
through May of 1945 operating from Roi-Namur
in the Marshall Islands. VMF-224 would move
to Yontan Airfield in April 1945 and then to Chimu
Airfield in July 1945 where the unit operated until
the war ended.
VMF-224 Commanding Officers:
Major Robert E. Galer - 01May42 to 04Dec42
Major Darrell D. Irwin - 05Dec1942 to 24Aug44
Major Howard A. York - 25Aug44 to 31Dec44
Major James W. Poindexter - 31Dec44 to 30May45
Major Robert C. Hammond Jr - 31May45 to 14Jul45
Major Allen T. Barnum - 15Jul45 to date of surrender
VMF-311
VMF-311 was organized on December 01 1942 at Cherry Point and moved to Parris Island in April 1943. The unit spent Sept 1943 at Miramar prior to arriving at Pago Pago, American Samoa. The squadron was based at Wallis Island from October 1943 through mid-February 1944 when they were relocated to Kwajalein. In late 1944 VMF-311 moved to Roi-Namur. On April 7, 1945 the squadron moved to Yontan air field where the unit operated until the war ended.
VMF-311 Commanding Officers:
Major Ralph K. Rottet - 01Dec42 to 31Jan43
Lt. Harry B. Woodman - 01Feb43 to 05Feb43
Lt. Roy A. Neuendorf - 05Feb43 to 15Feb43
Lt. Michael J. Curran Jr. - 16Feb43 to 26Feb43
Capt. Jack D. Kane - 27Feb43 to 31May43
Major Harry B. Hooper Jr. - 01Jun43 to 05Jul43
Major Jack D. Kane - 06Jul43 to 31Aug43
Major Robert L. Anderson - 01Sep43 to 13Sep43
Major Harry B. Hooper Jr. - 13Sep43 to 23Oct44
Major Charles M. Kunz - 24Oct44 to 10Feb45
Major Perry L. Shuman - 11Feb45 to 15Jun45
Major Michael R. Yunck - 15Jun45 to date of surrender
VMF-441
VMF-441 was organized on October 01 1942 at American Samoa and moved to Funafuti in March 1943.
In late September 1943 the unit moved to Nanomea and in December 1943 returned to Tutuila, American Samoa to for transition training in the F4U Corsair. VMF-441 moved to Roi-Namu in the Marshall Islands in February 1944. The squadron moved to Yontan air field in April 1945 where the unit operated until the war ended.
VMF-441 Commanding Officers:
Major Daniel W. Torrey Jr. - 01Oct42 to 02Dec42
Capt. Walter J. Meyer - 03Dec42 to 30Sep43
Major James B. Moore - 01Oct43 to 04Apr44
Major Grant W. Metzger - 05Apr44 to 20Jan45
Major Robert O. White - 21Jan45 to 13Jun45
Major Paul T. Johnson - 14Jun45 to date of surrender
VMF(N)-532
VMF(N)-532 was commissioned on April 01 1943 at Cherry Point and arrived at Tarawa in mid-January 1944 via the West Coast and MCAS Ewa, HI. The squadron moved to Roi-Namur via Makin in early February 1944. Flight echelon sent to
Engebi in late February 1944 and returned to Roi-Namur
in June 1944. In July 1944 VMF(N)-532 moved to Saipan
and on to Guam. The unit moved to Miramar in late
October 1944. The squadron transferred to Eagle Mt. Lake
where it continued routine training until the war ended.
VMF(N)-532 Commanding Officers:
Capt. Ross S. Mickey - 01Apr43 to 23May43
Major Everett H. Vaughan - 23May43 to 23Sep44
Capt. Warren S. Adams II - 24Sep44 to 14Nov44
Capt. John B. Colby - 15Nov44 to 04Jan45
Capt. Nathan Bedell - 05Jan45 to 06May45
Major Jack C. Scott -07May45 to date of surrender
Click here to read how Charles Lindbergh worked with MAG-31 squadrons based on Roi-Namur to increase
the bomb carrying capabilities of the Corsair
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