Welcome to VMFA-214! The Black Sheep, as they're commonly reffered to, have a long history, of honor, glory, and have a reputation for having the best pilots in the world.
The history of the 214th started in World War Two, right after the battle of Guadalcanal. The origional designation for the outfit was VMF-214 and was named the Mauraders. The Mauraders flew the F6F Hellcat, argueably the best American fighter in the Pacific Campaign. In 1943, the squadron was disbanded. Then, in early 1944 , the squadron VMF-214 was re-formed made of stray TBM, SBD, and Hellcat pilots. As a squadron commander, the Marine Corps, choose a Major who had fought in China with the AVG or better known as: "The Flying Tigers." This Major already had three (3) kills and went on to become one of the leading aces in the Pacific Theater. This man was (then) Maj. Gregory (Pappy) Boyington. The Black Sheep's claim to fame was sealed when they were equiped with the best fighter the Marine Corps had at the time: The F4U Corsair.
All squadrons have a commonly reffered-to nickname, sometimes inappropriate. The 214th's was no exception. The members of the squadron came up with the name: "Boyington's Bastards." The Marine Corps PR division did not think that this name was appropriate for the standards of the civilizied world and forced the 214th to change it. Eventually, they came up with the name, "The Black Sheep."
In World War Two alone, the Balck Sheep were credited for more than 200 kills. That alone is enough to prove that the Black Sheep were, and still are, the best squadron the Marine Corps, or even the U.S., have ever seen. |
