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This is what we fly.
(For you Aircraft Buffs out there: okay.. okay.. its an A and we fly C's).
From The Hook Winter 1996:
The VMFA-212 Lancers have settled into their new home at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, and resumed operations in the F/A-18C Hornet. The move has begun a new chapter in the Lancers' long history as a Marine Squadron.
The unit was first activated as Marine Fighting Squadron 212 at MCAS Ewa, Territory of Hawaii, on March 1, 1942. Originally assigned to MAG-21, they soon joined MAG-24 in the South Pacific. Arriving at Efate, VMF-212 pilots under the command of Harold "Indian Joe" Bauer continued to hone their skills as aerial killers. The responsibility for providing air cover for the 7 August 1942 Guadalcanal landings went to VMF-224 and VMF-223, but prior to the invasion, VMF-223 traded eight of its most inexperienced men for an equal number of Bauer's more-experienced pilots.
On 14 October, VMF-212 was ordered to Guadalcanal. As the unit entered the landing pattern at Henderson Field, the base was attacked by Japanese aircraft. LCOL (Lieutenant Colonel) Bauer proceeded to shoot down four of the nine Val dive bombers. A month later, the Japanese mounted a major assault to retake the island, but the Marines prevailed. On 14 November LCOL Bauer was shot down and, despite an intensive search, was never found. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The Unit left the South Pacific on 22 November and returned to the United States, and MCAS El Toro, Calif.
By June of 1943, the Hell Hounds (as they were then known), had upgraded to the Vought F4U-1 Corsair and once again returned to combat in the South Pacific. The Hell Hounds assisted the allied forces in pounding the Japanese fortress at Rabaul and, by January 1945 the Marines had advanced to the Phillipines. In May, the squadron upgraded to the F4U-4 Corsair and changed their name to Musketeers. VMF-212 joined MAG-14 in Okinawa in June, and prepared for the final invasion of the Japanese home islands. Following the Japanese surrender, the Musketeers remained on Okinawa until February 1946, when they were ordered to Cherry Point, N.C..
VMF-212 remained on the East Coast until hostilities broke out in Korea. The unit arrived at Kimpo in September 1950 to begin combat operations against the North Koreans. During this deployment, the unit changed its name to the Devil Cats and flew the F4U-4, F4U-4B, F4U-5 and AU-1 Corsair from the USS Bataan (CVL-29), Rendova (CVE-114) and Badoeiong Strait (CVE-116). They were redesignated VMA-212 on 10 June 1952, and the following year they began intergrating the Douglas AD-2 and AD-3 Skyraiders into their inventory. Though a cease-fire went into effect on 27 July, the Devil Cats remained in Korea unitl April 1955 when they flew their AD-4 "flying dump trucks" to MCAS Kaneohe Bay, to join MAG-13.
The jet age caught up with VMA-212 in March 1958 when they traded thir AD-6 Skyraiders for the new North American FJ-4B Fury's. They responded to the Quemoy-Matsu Island shellings in October by sending two sections of six Furys along with six of VMA-214's Furys in each, to Atsugi, Japan, to mark the first time that a single-seat Navy or Marine jet aircraft transPac'd completely by air. They continued to operate the Fury until August 1961 when they accepted the Douglas A4D-2 Skyhawk at Kaneohe Bay. They continued operating the "Scooter" (later designated the A-4B) until July of 1963, when they received the Vought F-8B Crusader. With the new jet, they were redesignated VMF-212, and changed their name to the Lancers. A year later, they were redesignated VMF(AW)-212 when they were issued the night, all-weather version of the Crusader, the F-8D.
In January 1965, the Lancers took their F-8E's to NAS North Island to join Carrier Air Wing 16 on board Oriskany (CVA-34). After a May arrival in the South China Sea, the Lancers began combat operations from Dixie Station off the coast of South Vietnam. Two days later, Oriskany sailed north to Yankee Station where the Lancers continued to pound the Communist positions. On 9 September, Commander Air Wing 16, CDR James B. Stockdale, was shot down and taken prisoner. VMF(AW)-212's commanding officer, LCOL Charles H. Ludden, then became ComCVW-16. On 5 November, CAPT Harland P. Chapman was shot down and taken prisoner. By the end of the month, the Lancers were en route to their home base, MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, after leaving their F-8E's at NAS Cubi Point, R.P..
Once they were established at Kaneohe, they began operations in the F-8D Crusader and continued to operate the "Delta" model until early in 1968, when they were issued F-8B's and were redesignated VMF-212 on 10 March. They began a 21-year affiliation with the F-4 Phantom II in May as they accepted four F-4J's from VMFA-334. Three months later the Lancers were fully operationalin the Phantom II and were redesignated VMFA-212 on 10 August.
The Lancers won the 1971 Robert M. Hanson Marine Fighter/Attack Squadron of the Year Award by the Marine Corps Aviation Association. In April 1972, the Lancers were ordered to Danang to meet the North Vietnamese Easter offensive. Arriving on 14 April, they began combat operations immediately, and for the next two months, endured rocket attacks on their flight line as well as the loss of two F-4J's and three aircrewmen. They left Vietnam for the last time on 20 June.
The Lancers continued to operate the F-4J until 1979, when they began receiving the first of their F-4S Phantom II's. By then, they had enrolled in the six-month Unit Deployment Program, along with VMFA-232 Red Devils and VMFA-235 Death Angels.
In August 1988, VMFA-212 completed their last WestPac as an F-4 squadron and, by April of the following year, had transitioned to the F/A-18C Hornet. On 10 December 1990, the Lancers were ordered to Heik Isa AF, Bahrain, to support Operation Desert Shield. VMFA-212 began combat operations into southern Iraq on January 17 and, under the command of LCOL James M. Collins II, participated in Desert Storm and returned home on 20 May 1991.
Kaneohe Bay fighter squadrons were reassigned in 1993 to 3rd MAW. VMFA-212 left Kaneohe for WestPac in August and relocated to El Toro the following February. In October 1994, the Lancers were placed on alert for possible redeployment to the Gulf, but when the situation was resolved peacefully, VMFA-212 deployed to WestPac on schedule in February 1995. They returned in August to their new home at NAS Miramar, California, for only one year. The Lancers are now permanently assigned to 1st MAW at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan.
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