Of all the Marine Aviation squadrons few match the honors and victories of the VMF214 or even the modern version the VMA214. I am proud to call myself one of those few and yet few civvies know that our squadron is more than just a old TV show. I do a gig on public cable access TV (CH-12 Pocatello) about our unit but it would be nice to see more. So lets hear it for the BlackSheep
Now that that's over, is there some rule that every now and then sombody stops by to remind us about the Black Sheep? Like we never heard of them? I'm surprised you didn't mention Pappy.
Originally posted by AyreWolfIdaho1: Of all the Marine Aviation squadrons few match the honors and victories of the VMF214 or even the modern version the VMA214. I am proud to call myself one of those few and yet few civvies know that our squadron is more than just a old TV show. I do a gig on public cable access TV (CH-12 Pocatello) about our unit but it would be nice to see more. So lets hear it for the BlackSheep
According to your profile, you were with VMA-214 from 1977-2002?
VMF-214 has a very proud history. I left the fighter community in 1953 and became a rotor head in 1957. In 1952/53 I was a member of VMF-115 in Korea and we had a pilot from the original Black Sheep VMF-214 Squadron. It was the late John F.Bolt. After he finished his missions in VMF-115 he went on exchange duty to the USAF and flew F-86s.
While I could have mentioned Col. Boyington I decided not too because that is who is always mentioned. I might add here my own Dad was an original member of Pappy's squadron, and while my Dad did not fly those F-4-U's my Dad was a wrench turner keeping Pappy and the others in the air. What I was trying to get to is this. Many of these grand Marine Aviation squadrons are very seldom mentioned in any High School history text books. Secondly Pappy and his unit is only partly spoken in those history books if they are in there at all. More-over few people realize that there is an active squadron still serving in the USMC and as such if they as High School students even remember the TV series that is all they think of, not that the squadron is real. With WWII Vets going to the big hanger in the sky, every day as well as our many friends and members of the current squadron serving how about giving all who flew, all who still fly in defense of this nation the credit they deserve, more over the respect that should be theirs(ours). Keep it the air. L8R Aviators The AyreWolf
While I admire your idea and agree that it's good to keep history alive for younger folks, I would like to have the entire history of the Marine Corps kept alive...there were other squadrons besides 214... also it's a tough sell overall....there are kids out there who don't know what a LP record was. Ask them if they understand what we did before cellphones or laptops.... what I'm trying to say is that in the scheme of fast-paced history, 214's sterling accomplishments in WWII are fading into history with the men and women who served in that war. My grandfather was a captain in the Spanish-American War (true)....how many people these days know much about that? It's a shame but that's the way the world turns...
