Aircraft types used by VMF-224 while training
at Marine Corps Air Station - El Toro, California
SNJ-4 - Texan
FM-1 - Wildcat
F4U-1 - Corsair
VMF-224 Scrap Book
MCAS - El Toro, CA
June 1943 - July 1943
Marine Fighting Squadron 224, Marine Aircraft Group 23
Marine Fleet Air, West Coast, MCAS El, Toro, CA
Selected Items from Squadron Diary - June 1943
02 June "F""L" JOHNSON, MTSgt., USMC, accepted temporary appointment as Second Lieutenant, effective 30Apr43 to rank from 02Apr43. Squadron Adjutant and Personnel Officer.
04 June John E. MONTAGNE, 2nd Lt., USMCR, joined from ARS-3, Service Group, MarFleetAir, West Coast, Kearney Mesa, San Diego, California.
07 June Operational Training started.
09 June William O. BOSHART, 2nd Lt., USMCR, joined from ARS-3, Service Group, MarFleetAir, West Coast, Kearney Mesa, San Diego, California.
11 June Phillip J. DE GROOT, 2nd Lt., USMCR, joined from HqSq Service Group, MarFleetAir, West Coast, Kearney Mesa, San Diego, California.
12 June SSgt., L.A. SVEC, Sgt., C.G. ANDERSON, Sgt., M.P. MORT, awarded Silver Star Medal for "Conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action on Guadalcanal, British Solomon Islands on October 13-14, 1942.
14 June Gregory K. LOESCH, Capt., USMCR and Leland Al KIRB, 2nd Lt., USMCR, joined from HqSq Service Group, MarFleetAir, West Coast, Kearney Mesa, San Diego, California.
15 June George L. HOLLOWELL, 1st Lt., USMCR accepted temporary appointment as Captain effective 01Jun43, to rank from 31May43.
16 June Leland A, KIRBY, 2nd Lt., USMCR accepted temporary appointment as First Lieutenant effective 01Jun43, to rank from 31May43.
19 June Joe A. BOAZ, Clarence P. BROWNE, Arthur O. HANSON, Howard E. HARVEY, Roy J. IRWIN, Earl W. JOHNSON, Joseph JOHNSON, Stanton L. LUTTON, Robert L. MAC DONALD, Sedgwick R. MAC WHINNEY, John E. McCRARY, Henry W. MELLEN, Thomas A. MILNER, Fred OCHOA, all 2nd Lts., and belonging to the Reserve joined from Marine Air Group 15, MarFleetAir, West Coast, Kearney Mesa, San Diego, California.
20 June MTSgt. Thomas C. HURST, USMC joined from Marine Air Group 15, MarFleetAir, West Coast, Kearney Mesa, San Diego, California. Walter N. ATTEBERY, Roy J. PHILLIPI, Frank L. PRYOR, John B. SINGERLAND, Preston P. WOLFE, all Second Lieutenants belonging to the Reserve joined from HqSq Service Group, Marine Fleet Air, West Coast, Kearney Mesa, San Diego, California.
21 June William F. LUCAS, Captain, USMCR, Robert E. BARNWELL, 1st Lt., Harold C. IRISH, 1st Lt., and TSgt. Thomas N. WORD, NAP, USMCR, joined from HqSq Service Group, Marine Fleet Air, West Coast, Kearney Mesa, San Diego, California.
22 June Jack W. MORRISON, Captain, USMCR joined from HqSq Service Group, Marine Fleet Air, West Coast, Kearney Mesa, San Diego, California.
28 June Charles P. WEILAND, Captain, USMCR joined from HqSq Service Group, Marine Fleet Air, West Coast, Kearney Mesa, San Diego, California.
29 June Joe H. McGLOTHLIN, Captain, USMCR and John E. SPINNER, 2nd Lt., USMCR joined from HqSq Service Group, Marine Fleet Air, West Coast, Kearney Mesa, San Diego, California.
30 June Richard T. NALLE, 2nd Lt., USMCR joined from HqSq Service Group, Marine Fleet Air, West Coast, Kearney Mesa, San Diego, California.
D.D. IRWIN
Major, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve
Commanding
Marine Fighting Squadron 224, Marine Aircraft Group 23
Marine Fleet Air, West Coast, MCAS El, Toro, CA
Selected Items from Squadron Diary - July 1943
15 July The Squadron and all planes, including the Training Section, was temporarily transferred to Marine Corps Air Station, Mojave, California, for operational training.
19 July 1st Lt. L.A. KIRBY was killed and 1st Lt. Jack DAUGHTERY
was seriously injured in the crash of an SNJ during a routine instrument
hop.
23 July 2nd Lt. W.S. BURNS was killed in the crash of an F4F during
a routine training hop.
25 July The Squadron returned to MCAS, El Toro.
28 July The Squadron received orders to proceed to the Hawaiian
Area and report to the Commanding Officer, 4th Marine Air Base Defense Wing. Embarkation roster included 40 pilots, 7 ground officers and 242 enlisted men.
30 July Major IRWIN, Captain MORRISON, Lts. BARNWELL and IRISH, Lt. ENGMAN. M.G. DILL, Lt. Commander STANTON (USN) and 100 enlisted men sailed aboard the Kittyhawk from San Diego, as an advanced echelon.
31 July Captain FREEMAN and the pilots of the Training Section were detached and transferred to VMO-155, Marine Corps Air Station, El Centro, California. Captain LOESCH transferred to Marine Corps Air Station, Santa Barbara, California.
F.E. HOPPER
Captain, U.S. Marine Corps, Reserve
Executive Officer
VMF-224 logo designed by Disney artist
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