TODAY IN MARINE CORPS HISTORY: 1941: In late 1940, Congress authorized a naval air fleet of fifteen thousand aircraft. The Marine Corps was allotted a percentage of these planes to be formed into 2 air wings with 32 operational squadrons. On the advice of Navy and Marine advisors returning from observing the war in Europe these numbers were doubled very soon after. It was under this expansion program that the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing was activated at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia on July 7, 1941. The First Marine Aircraft Group which was the largest East Coast aviation unit in the Marines at the time, became its first component. Although a new unit, it is considered an unofficial descendant of the Northern Bombing Group of World War I. Within a year of activation, the Wing would participate in the Marine Corps offensive at Guadalcanal. That bitter campaign would be the first in a series of legendary battles in which the Wing would add luster to its reputation. The 1stMAW would earn five Presidential Unit Citations for gallantry in campaigns spanning World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. MARINE CORPS QUOTE: Aviation is a dynamic profession. The rate of obsolescence of equipment is high and new aircraft have to be placed in inventory periodically in order to stay abreast of the requirements of modern war. --Gen Keith B. McCutcheon: Marine Aviation in Vietnam, 1962-70, Naval Review, 1971, Page 134 GOD bless America and the troops
Posted on: Mon, 07 Jul 2014 10:31:36 +0000
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