Any air wingers out there ?
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  1. #1

    Any air wingers out there ?

    I for one served with VMFA-312,(83/85). It was a Marine fighter attack squadron. We flew F-4S Phamton II's.


  2. #2
    yellowwing
    Guest Free Member
    Was in MCAS El Toro in 83-89. Our little shop was stuck in the as end of a hanger with a trailer nearby. I saw that hangar at the end of "Heartbreak Ridge", very cool!

    A-4s were parked out front, some with old riveted patches where they were hit in Vietnam. Inside the hangar bay nearest us they were completely rebuilding a Phantom. We'd smoke on the catwalk and watch them. Took them a few months to get her to flying shape. Interesting to see.


  3. #3
    I was with VMF-251 in '57 / '58 and VMF(AW)314 in '58 / '59. We had FJ-3's in 251 and F4D-1's in 314. I worked on the fire control systems.

    In my younger days when I was bullet proof and gonna live forever, I used these lighters like there was no tomorrow. What kind of "tokens" do you have these days.

    Attached Images Attached Images

  4. #4
    Hi everybody!! Just stumbled into leatherneck.com by accident--today. Been enjoying the heck out of reading some posts to get the feel of this place.
    Didn't intend on making a post yet(never fooled with a forum, and pretty novice on the PC), but when I ran across bucksgtsd's post I almost peed my bdu's.
    I was in VMFA-251(hence my user name)in '77-'79.
    I could say that bucksgted was in MY squadron the year I was born. Sorry Ed.
    I started out in H&MS-31 as a mechanic, then to VMFA-312 as ground support equipment tech.,then toVMFA-251 flight line/gse. Both these outfits flew F-4J's.
    Tokens? Just so happens my best buddy and I bought big Zippo's and had the names of each base we'd been to
    engraved on them. However, mine is somewhere in Olongopo city, Phillipines. That's another story.
    Also surprising is the fact that I grew up in UC,Tn., and live outside of town there now.
    Believe it or not but all my friends & family call me---Ed.
    Howzzat for a first post? Think I'm gonna like it here.
    Semper Fi !!!


  5. #5
    yellowwing
    Guest Free Member
    Welcome aboard! Yes, we got a big thing going on. Older Marines, Active Duty Marines, Marine Family Members, and a whole heap of youngsters in the Recruiting Pool.

    Semper Fi


  6. #6
    Hey gutinstinct, I didn't intentionally ignore ya earlier, I just got blindsided when I saw bucksgted's post.
    What are the chances--- I found this site by accident, don't
    know a thing about forums,run across a Marine brother who served in the same squdron 20 years earlier,collected the same tokens,lives in the same town and has the same first name?? Well, I got excited.
    It seems I was also in YOUR squadron 6 or 7 years before
    you. That's where I first learned to cram the hangar full of
    warbirds.
    Was312 still at beaufort when you were in? When I was there Beaufort had 4 VMFA squadrons-312, 333, 251,and 451. For some reason 451 seemed to stay on the boat more than home.
    An old buddy from 251 told me a few years ago that 251
    went to the F-16 or F-18, do you know?
    Another funny thing--while you were playing with 20 million dollar planes, I was truckdriving, hauling fresh meat from my hometown in Union City,Tn to (of all places to take a truck)--New York City!!
    The only way I've ever seen the City is from the truck, I was there weekly with 6 to10 stops in all the burroughs.
    I'll shut up, but to answer your question,YEAH there is some wingdingers out there! Semper Fi, Bro.


  7. #7
    Marine Free Member Marine84's Avatar
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    IYAOYAS!

    H&MS11 Ordnance (85-86 & 87-88)


  8. #8
    Vmfa(aw)-242/121


  9. #9
    all right, enough lounging around goofing off. i KNOW thats all wingers ever do!


  10. #10

    Hey gramp

    Its nice to hear from a fomer checkerboarder like you. Just to let you no VMFA-333 & VMFA-451 are no longer active. They were disbanded as per a former Marine I served with in VMFA-312 who has been living in Beaufort since his discharge in 86. As far as I no VMFA-251 are flying F-18 birds. Infact I beleive the whole base is F-18. When I was getting out in 85 everybody was still flying F-4"s. I beleive VMFA-115 or VMFA-122(Somebody please correct me if am wrong) were the first squadrons on the air station flying the F-18. I hope the 18's are not as bad as the F-4's when comes to the maintenance. The phantoms were nightmare for the Hyd shop. As we used to say "the flying pig."


  11. #11
    Powerline Mechanic (Powerplants with the Phantoms)
    VMFA-531 Gray Ghosts
    VMFA-314 Black Knights (once a Knight is never enough Ed)
    VMFAT-101 Sharp Shooters


  12. #12
    Gosh, gutinstinct,your'e stirrin' up my old memory.You are right about 122. I think they had just replaced 333 about 8 months before I got out. That was about the same time 251
    got our first F-4S. I left in Aug.'79 and we only had the one.
    P.S. Did you know that some of 312's and 251's birds
    were used in the movie 'Top Gun'? 'nother story in itself.


  13. #13
    oh yeah, guess I;m getting old, so help me out. What's
    IYAOYAS all about?
    And yes Hardjedi,we do goof off a little. You can do that when You perform miracles--like keeping old shot up
    Phantoms in the wind.Hydraulics be damned.
    T'was said "We the willing, led by the unknowing,
    are doing the impossible for the ungrateful.
    We have done so much with so little for so long
    We can now do anything with nothing."
    Semper Fi


  14. #14
    I guess that includes me. I was in VMF(n)533 on Okinawa and in China in 1945. We went to Korea in 1950 in VMF(N)513. Was at MCATS in Quantico in '52' and taught for awhile . Ordnance and Fire Control. Came down to Edenton, NC . Had a short spot on the pistol range, Instructor, and then to VMF225.We had AD5Ns, good for flight-pay. Went back to Japan for another tour and then to the states and OUT. Went to school and then to AT&T . Retired in 1987 and returned here to Edenton. Have one Zippo Lighter (type)
    case a cigarette case ,both made in Japan( VMF(n)513). Still have have it and no use for it now. Too old for the flying anymore, TOO creaky.
    Pictures of the F4U-5N and others(F7F-3N) and not so good shots of the AD.
    SEMPER FI


  15. #15

    What in gods name is "IYAOYAS"

    Hey devildogs no offense on what am going to say but I remember the drunken AO's (avaition ordanance) would come into the barracks at 0500 hrs screaming "AO AO AO AO". Other than that. I have no idea. Marine84 can you please inform us on what it means ? Thanks. * Dam am getting old *


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