VMFA-134
Encyclopedia
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 134 (VMFA-134) was a reserve F/A-18 Hornet
squadron in the United States Marine Corps
. Known as "Smoke", the squadron was based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
, California
and fell under Marine Aircraft Group 46
(MAG-46) and the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing
(4th MAW). On April 1, 2007 the squadron was transitioned to cadre status
and its gear and personnel were redistributed throughout the remaining F/A-18 Hornet squadrons.
, California, and assigned to Marine Base Defense Aircraft Group 42, Marine Fleet Air, West Coast. Shortly thereafter it was redesignated as Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 134 (VMTB-134) on June 1, 1943. From October to November 1943 the squadron deployed to Espirtitu Santo, New Hebrides
, and detached from the Marine Base Defense Aircraft Wing. In November 1943 the squadron was reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11
, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
.
During the course of World War II
the squadron supported operations on Bougainville, the Bismarck Archipelago
and Peleliu
. Following these campaigns the squadron went through numerous reassignments to include the following:
Following the war, VMTB-134 was assigned to Tsingtao, China
during October 1945 to participate in the occupation of Northern China
from October 1945 to April 1946. During this time they were again reassigned in November 1945 to Marine Aircraft Group 32
, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
and to Marine Aircraft Group 12
in April 1946 upon their return from China
. The squadron was deactivated on April 30, 1946.
The squadron was reactivated on April 15, 1958 at Naval Air Station Los Alamitos, California, as Marine Fighter Squadron 134 (VMF-314) in the Marine Air Reserve.
Redesignated again on July 1, 1962 as Marine Attack Squadron 134 (VMA-134), Marine Air Reserve Training Detachment, Marine Air Reserve Training Command, Los Alamitos, California. In February 1965 they were again reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 43, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing
. 1971 saw the squadron move to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro
, California. The last redesignation of the squadron occurred on October 1, 1983 as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 134 with a new assignment to Marine Aircraft Group 46
.
s of VMFA-134 suffered a mid-air collision over the Columbia River
, 120 miles east of Portland, Oregon
, shortly after 1430, killing both Marines in F/A-18B, BuNo 162870. The pilot of F/A-18A, BuNo 163097, 'MF-04', ejected and landed nearby on a hillside west of Arlington, Oregon
, suffering minor injuries. The fighters were on their way to the Boardman Air Force Range, where the Oregon Air National Guard
trains, when they collided. Another spokesman told the Associated Press
that the planes were on a low-altitude training exercise.
F/A-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...
squadron in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. Known as "Smoke", the squadron was based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar , formerly Naval Air Station Miramar is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the aviation element of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and fell under Marine Aircraft Group 46
Marine Aircraft Group 46
Marine Aircraft Group 46 was a United States Marine Corps reserve aviation group based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California with subordinate units spread throughout California. It previously composed of one adversary squadron equipped with the F-5, one CH-46 squadron, one CH-53E...
(MAG-46) and the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing
4th Marine Aircraft Wing
The 4th Marine Aircraft Wing is the reserve airwing of the United States Marine Corps. It is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana but its subordinate units are scattered throughout the United States...
(4th MAW). On April 1, 2007 the squadron was transitioned to cadre status
En cadre
En cadre or cadre is a French expression originally denoting either the complement of commissioned officers of a regiment or the permanent skeleton establishment of a unit, around which the unit could be built if needed...
and its gear and personnel were redistributed throughout the remaining F/A-18 Hornet squadrons.
Mission
Conduct air-to-air and air-to-ground operations in support of U.S. Marine Corps ground troops.World War II
Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 134 (VMSB-134) was activated on May 1, 1943 at Marine Corps Air Station Santa BarbaraMarine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara
'Marine Corps Air Station Santa Barbara was a United States Marine Corps air station that was located in Goleta, California north of Los Angeles during World War II...
, California, and assigned to Marine Base Defense Aircraft Group 42, Marine Fleet Air, West Coast. Shortly thereafter it was redesignated as Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 134 (VMTB-134) on June 1, 1943. From October to November 1943 the squadron deployed to Espirtitu Santo, New Hebrides
New Hebrides
New Hebrides was the colonial name for an island group in the South Pacific that now forms the nation of Vanuatu. The New Hebrides were colonized by both the British and French in the 18th century shortly after Captain James Cook visited the islands...
, and detached from the Marine Base Defense Aircraft Wing. In November 1943 the squadron was reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11
Marine Aircraft Group 11
Marine Aircraft Group 11 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar that is currently composed of three F/A-18C squadrons, three F/A-18D squadrons, one fleet readiness squadron, one KC-130 tactical aerial refueling squadron and a maintenance and...
, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
1st Marine Aircraft Wing
The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing is an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps that serves as the Aviation Combat Element of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. The wing is headquartered at Camp Foster on the island of Okinawa, Japan...
.
During the course of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the squadron supported operations on Bougainville, the Bismarck Archipelago
Bismarck Archipelago
The Bismarck Archipelago is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea.-History:...
and Peleliu
Battle of Peleliu
The Battle of Peleliu, codenamed Operation Stalemate II, was fought between the United States and the Empire of Japan in the Pacific Theater of World War II, from September–November 1944 on the island of Peleliu, present-day Palau. U.S...
. Following these campaigns the squadron went through numerous reassignments to include the following:
- Reassigned during January 1944 to Marine Aircraft Group 24Marine Aircraft Group 24Marine Aircraft Group 24 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Facility Kaneohe Bay that is currently composed of three CH-53D Sea Stallion squadrons, a personnel support detachment and a maintenance and logistics squadron...
. - Reassigned during March 1944 to Marine Aircraft Group 14Marine Aircraft Group 14Marine Aircraft Group 14 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina that is currently composed of four AV-8B Harrier squadrons, four EA-6B Prowler squadrons, one KC-130 squadron and a maintenance and logistics...
. - Reassigned during May 1944 to Marine Aircraft Group 12Marine Aircraft Group 12Marine Aircraft Group 12 is an active air group of the United States Marine Corps, tasked with providing assault support aircraft. It is currently part of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing , itself an integral part of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, and based at MCAS Iwakuni in Japan.-Mission:The...
. - Reassigned during June 1944 to Marine Aircraft Group 11Marine Aircraft Group 11Marine Aircraft Group 11 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar that is currently composed of three F/A-18C squadrons, three F/A-18D squadrons, one fleet readiness squadron, one KC-130 tactical aerial refueling squadron and a maintenance and...
, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing2nd Marine Aircraft WingThe 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing is the major east coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps and is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina...
. - Reassigned during December 1944 to Marine Aircraft Group 11Marine Aircraft Group 11Marine Aircraft Group 11 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar that is currently composed of three F/A-18C squadrons, three F/A-18D squadrons, one fleet readiness squadron, one KC-130 tactical aerial refueling squadron and a maintenance and...
, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing4th Marine Aircraft WingThe 4th Marine Aircraft Wing is the reserve airwing of the United States Marine Corps. It is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana but its subordinate units are scattered throughout the United States...
.
Following the war, VMTB-134 was assigned to Tsingtao, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
during October 1945 to participate in the occupation of Northern China
Northern and southern China
Northern China and southern China are two approximate regions within China. The exact boundary between these two regions has never been precisely defined...
from October 1945 to April 1946. During this time they were again reassigned in November 1945 to Marine Aircraft Group 32
Marine Aircraft Group 32
Marine Aircraft Group 32 was a United States Marine Corps aviation unit established during World War II.-World War II:Marine Aircraft Group 32 was commissioned on 1 February 1943 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. They trained there until January of 1944 when they moved to...
, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing
1st Marine Aircraft Wing
The 1st Marine Aircraft Wing is an aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps that serves as the Aviation Combat Element of the III Marine Expeditionary Force. The wing is headquartered at Camp Foster on the island of Okinawa, Japan...
and to Marine Aircraft Group 12
Marine Aircraft Group 12
Marine Aircraft Group 12 is an active air group of the United States Marine Corps, tasked with providing assault support aircraft. It is currently part of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing , itself an integral part of the III Marine Expeditionary Force, and based at MCAS Iwakuni in Japan.-Mission:The...
in April 1946 upon their return from China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. The squadron was deactivated on April 30, 1946.
1958-1986
Redesignated again on July 1, 1962 as Marine Attack Squadron 134 (VMA-134), Marine Air Reserve Training Detachment, Marine Air Reserve Training Command, Los Alamitos, California. In February 1965 they were again reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 43, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing
4th Marine Aircraft Wing
The 4th Marine Aircraft Wing is the reserve airwing of the United States Marine Corps. It is headquartered in New Orleans, Louisiana but its subordinate units are scattered throughout the United States...
. 1971 saw the squadron move to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro
Marine Corps Air Station El Toro
Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was a United States Marine Corps Air Station located near Irvine, California.Before it was decommissioned in 1999, it was the home of Marine Corps aviation on the West Coast. Designated as a Master Jet Station, its four runways could handle the largest aircraft...
, California. The last redesignation of the squadron occurred on October 1, 1983 as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 134 with a new assignment to Marine Aircraft Group 46
Marine Aircraft Group 46
Marine Aircraft Group 46 was a United States Marine Corps reserve aviation group based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California with subordinate units spread throughout California. It previously composed of one adversary squadron equipped with the F-5, one CH-46 squadron, one CH-53E...
.
1990s & 2000s
On July 21, 2004, two F/A-18 HornetF/A-18 Hornet
The McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet is a supersonic, all-weather carrier-capable multirole fighter jet, designed to dogfight and attack ground targets . Designed by McDonnell Douglas and Northrop, the F/A-18 was derived from the latter's YF-17 in the 1970s for use by the United States Navy and...
s of VMFA-134 suffered a mid-air collision over the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
, 120 miles east of Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, shortly after 1430, killing both Marines in F/A-18B, BuNo 162870. The pilot of F/A-18A, BuNo 163097, 'MF-04', ejected and landed nearby on a hillside west of Arlington, Oregon
Arlington, Oregon
Arlington is a city in Gilliam County, Oregon, United States. The account of how this city received its name varies: one tradition claims it was named after the lawyer Nathan Arlington Cornish; another tradition claims that the Southern inhabitants of this city had enough clout to rename the city...
, suffering minor injuries. The fighters were on their way to the Boardman Air Force Range, where the Oregon Air National Guard
Oregon Air National Guard
The Oregon Air National Guard is the air force militia of the U.S. state of Oregon. It is, along with the Oregon Army National Guard, an element of the Oregon National Guard...
trains, when they collided. Another spokesman told the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
that the planes were on a low-altitude training exercise.
Awards
Navy Unit Commendation StreamerNavy Unit CommendationThe Navy Unit Commendation of the United States Navy is an award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944...
- Peleliu - 1944
Asiatic - Pacific Campaign StreamerAsiatic-Pacific Campaign MedalThe Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal is a service decoration of the Second World War which was awarded to any member of the United States military who served in the Pacific Theater from 1941 to 1945 and was created on November 6, 1942 by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was...
with Three Bronze Stars
World War II Victory StreamerWorld War II Victory MedalThe World War II Victory Medal is a decoration of the United States military which was created by an act of Congress in July 1945. The decoration commemorates military service during World War II and is awarded to any member of the United States military, including members of the armed forces of...
China Service StreamerChina Service MedalThe China Service Medal was a military medal awarded to U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel. The medal was instituted on August 23, 1940 and featured a yellow ribbon with narrow red edge stripes...
See also
- United States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps Aviation is the air component of the United States Marine Corps. Marine aviation has a very different mission and operation than its ground counterpart, and thus, has many of its own histories, traditions, terms, and procedures....
- List of United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
- List of inactive United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons