Marine Aircraft Group 24

World War II

Col Warren E. Sweetser, Jr., left, commanded MAG-24 in June 1945. His executive officer, LtCol John H. Earle, Jr., is on the right

Activated on 1 March 1942 at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Oahu, Hawaii. During World War II, MAG-24 saw extensive action throughout the Pacific theater, and in particular in the Bougainville Campaign and the campaign to liberate the Philippines. Following the war, MAG-24 was deployed as part of the III Amphibious Corps to Peiping in Northern China to take part in the occupation that lasted from October 1945 until April 1947. In April 1947 they were relocated to Guam. In 1949, MAG-24 moved to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and remained there for the next twenty years.

World War II Group Structure, Commanders, and Battle Honors

Group

Marine Aircraft Group 24 (MAG-24)^[4][5]

Forward Echelon (Treasury-Bougainville Operation: 15 Dec 43), (Consolidation of the Solomons: 16 Dec 43–30 Apr 44)

Advance Echelon (Philippines Campaign: 11 Jan 45–8 Apr 45)

Rear Echelon (Philippines Campaign: 22 Jan 45–8 Apr 45)

• CO, MAG-24

Col William L. McKittrick (1 Mar 42–20 Feb 44)

LCol Lewis H. Delano, Jr. (20 Feb 44–bef 10 Oct 44)

LCol Lyle H. Meyer (bef 10 Oct 44–31 May 45)

Col Warren E. Sweetser, Jr. (1 Jun 45–____)

• ExO, MAG-24

LCol Roger T. Carleson (____–1 Jan 44)

LCol Lewis H. Delano, Jr. (1 Jan 44–19 Feb 44)

LCol Robert W. Clark (20 Feb 44–____)

LCol John H. Earle, Jr. (____–____)

• GruOpsO, MAG-24

LCol Lewis H. Delano, Jr. (____–19 Feb 44)

Maj Max J. Volcansek, Jr. (19 Feb 44–26 Apr 44)

(None shown betw 26 Apr 44–Sep 44)

LCol Keith B. McCutcheon (Sep 44–May 45)

• CO, HgSqn-24, MAG-24

Capt Alan Limburg (actg) (____–26 Jan 44)

Maj Lawrence L. Jacobs (26 Jan 44–____)

Capt J. Devereaux Wrather, Jr. (____–____)

• CO, SMS-24, MAG-24

LCol Robert W. Clark (____–20 Feb 44)

Capt Watt S. Ober (20 Feb 44–____)

Capt Horace C. Baum, Jr. (____–21 Jan 45)

Maj William K. Snyder (22 Jan 45–____)

Squadrons

• Marine Scout-Bomber Squadron 133 (VMSB-133) "Flying Eggbeaters"

(Consolidation of the Solomons: 24 Aug 44–11 Dec 44), (Philippines Campaign: 22 Jan 45–4 Jul 45)

CO, VMSB-133

Maj Lee A. Christoffersen (____–8 Mar 45)

Maj Floyd Cummings (9 Mar 45–____)

• Marine Scout-Bomber Squadron 236 (VMSB-236) "Black Panthers"

Flight Echelon (New Georgia Operation: 7 Sep 43–16 Oct 43), (Treasury-Bougainville Operation: 27 Nov 43–15 Dec 43), (Bismarck Archipelago Operation: 16 Dec 43–7 Feb 44), (Consolidation of the Solomons: 28 Apr 44–6 Jun 44, & 1 Aug 44–22 Nov 44)

Advance Echelon (Philippines Campaign: 11 Jan 45–4 Jul 45)

Rear Echelon (Philippines Campaign: 28 Jan 45–4 Jul 45)

CO, VMSB-236

Maj Floyd E. Beard, Jr. (____–10 Nov 43)

Maj William A. Cloman, Jr. (10 Nov 43–12 Jun 44)

Maj Edward R. Polgrean (13 Jun 44–13 Oct 44)

Capt Glen H. Schluckbier (14 Oct 44–30 Oct 44)

Maj James A. Feeley, Jr. (31 Oct 44–____)

Maj Fred J. Frazer (____–____)

• Marine Scout-Bomber Squadron 241 (VMSB-241) "Sons of Satan"

Flight Echelon (Bismarck Archipelago Operation: 9 Feb 44–17 Mar 44), (Consolidation of the Solomons: 4 May 44–11 Jun 44, & 31 Jul 44–20 Sep 44)

Advance Echelon (Philippines Campaign: 22 Jan 45–4 Jul 45)

Rear Echelon (Philippines Campaign: 25 Jan 45–4 Jul 45)

CO, VMSB-241

Maj James A. Feeley, Jr. (____–12 Aug 44)

Maj James C. Lindsay (12 Aug 44–____)

Maj Benjamin B. Manchester, III (____–19 Feb 45)

Maj Jack L. Brushert (20 Feb 45–____)

• Marine Scout-Bomber Squadron 244 (VMSB-244) "Bombing Banshees"

Ground Echelon (Philippines Campaign: 22 Jan 45–4 Jul 45)

Flight Echelon (New Georgia Operation: 18 Oct 43–29 Nov 43), (Bismarck Archipelago Operation: 10 Feb 44–22 Mar 44), (Consolidation of the Solomons: 17 May 44–24 Jun 44, & 31 Jul 44–13 Nov 44), (Philippines Campaign: 31 Jan 45–4 Jul 45)

CO, VMSB-244

Maj Robert J. Johnson (____–25 Jan 44)

Maj Harry W. Reed (25 Jan 44–17 Apr 44)

Capt Richard Belyea (18 Apr 44–1 Jul 44)

Maj Frank R. Porter, Jr. (2 Jul 44–____)

Maj Vance H. Hudgins (____–____)

• Marine Scout-Bomber Squadron 341 (VMSB-341) "Torrid Turtles"

Ground Echelon (Bismarck Archipelago Operation: 20 Mar 44–1 May 44), (Philippines Campaign: 22 Jan 45–4 Jul 45)

Flight Echelon (Bismarck Archipelago Operation: 1 Jan 44–10 Feb 44, & 6 Apr 44–1 May 44), (Consolidation of the Solomons: 2 May 44–30 Nov 44), (Philippines Campaign: 28 Jan 45–4 Jul 45)

CO, VMSB-341

Maj George J. Waldie, Jr. (____–24 Jan 44)

Maj James T. McDaniels (24 Jan 44–9 May 44); also CO, Ground Echelon (20 Mar 44–1 May 44)

Maj Walter D. Persons (20 May 44–14 Aug 44)

Maj Christopher F. Irwin (15 Aug 44–3 May 45)

Maj Robert J. Bear (4 May 45–____)

1960s through today

In April 1968, MAG-24 moved back to the Pacific and Kaneohe, Hawaii where it became the Marine Corps’ largest and only permanent composite Marine Aircraft Group.

At least after 1978 the 1ST Marine Brigades's (3rd Marine Division) MAG24, provided both fixed and rotary wing squadrons for six-month 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31ST MEU) deployments.

In 1980 Marines from 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines (3/3) and MAG-24 rotary craft embarked upon the USS Okinawa (LPH-3), USS Mobile (LKA-115), and USS San Bernardino LST-1189 with dedicated escorts USS Barbey (FF-1088), and the USS Gridley (DLG-21) at Pearl Harbor for a cruise to the Persian Gulf, as a force in reserve for the failed US Embassy hostage rescue effort in Iran known as Operation Eagle Claw. It's unknown if any of the Mag's fixed wing F-4 Phantoms or A-4 Skyhawks deployed upon carriers Nimitz and Coral Sea for this op.

From 1 October 1986 to 30 September 1994, MAG-24 served as the Aviation Combat Element for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade. From August to December 1990, squadrons and personnel from MAG-24 deployed to Southwest Asia to support Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. The last MAG-24 squadrons to return participated in Operation Sea Angel, the Bangladesh relief operation. During recent years all three tactical squadrons have deployed to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan as part of the Unit Deployment Program (UDP) program and have provided aircraft to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. The three squadrons have traveled the Pacific participating in exercises in Japan, Korea, and Thailand. In September 2004 a small detachment of CH-53Ds from HMH-463 joined HMM-265 as the Heavy lift portion of the 31st MEU Aviation Combat Element. This MEU detachment became the first CH-53Ds to participate in combat operations since Desert Storm, operating out of Al Asad Airbase, Al Anbar Province, Iraq. In early 2006, HMH-362 supported a Presidential visit to India by providing 5 aircraft to support the mission. Currently HMH-362 is operating in Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.