Miramar squadron shows support for 1st MarDiv
Marine Corps News
Release Date: 3/4/2004
Story by Lance Cpl. John Sayas
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif.(March 5, 2004) -- The 1st Marine Division, based out of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Calif., is the oldest and most decorated division-sized unit in the Marine Corps. One of the most recognized battles in the division's history is the Guadalcanal campaign - the first major American offensive of World War II.
This campaign is represented by the division's logo, a numeral one with the word "Guadalcanal" running down the middle of it and five stars representing the southern hemisphere.
More than 60 years later, the division was once again making history as they participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom last spring, but not without the support of their wing counterparts flying high in the skies above providing combat air support as they moved towards Baghdad.
One squadron who was flying in support of 1st MarDiv during OIF was Marine All-Weather Fighter Attack Squadron 225, Marine Aircraft Group 11, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
The commanding officer at the time, Lt. Col. Michael R. Kennedy, along with other squadron Marines came up with an idea to paint a unit logo representing infantry Marines serving in Iraq as a sign of support on one of their F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, according to Chief Warrant Officer 2 Martin F. Ziola, maintenance control officer, VMFA(AW)-225.
"We were in the desert, looking at our aircraft and the idea comes up. 'Why don't we paint a ground unit logo on the side of our jet?'" Ziola explained.
During the war, the "Vikings" were called upon to give close-air support to 1st MarDiv units on numerous occasions.
Ziola said he arranged the logo to be painted on Aircraft "08," the same aircraft that visited Guadalcanal as part of the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Guadalcanal during a Theater Cooperative Support Program deployment called Fish Hook 2 in September 2002. The squadron was the first fighter jet squadron to land on the island since World War II. During TCSP, the Vikings visited 39 different Pacific countries, states and provinces.
The "Vikings" were in close contact with ground troops moving north, as forward observers provided strike missions on Iraqi targets for Marine pilots in the area, according to Ziola. He said one forward observer, a former "Viking" now serving with 1st Marine Division, was on the ground transmitting coordinates for enemy targets to pilots in the area.
"We were actually rolling in on targets that he was bringing us in to destroy," Ziola said.
"Our way of saying to those guys on the ground that we are with you was to take some time to paint (the logo) on the side of a jet," Ziola said. "It kind of motivated us."
Ziola assigned Sgt. Jeremiah S. Farley, electronics section, VMFA(AW)-225, with the project that took three days to complete.
"It was hard because we had sand storms blowing over us and alarms going off," said Farley, a Grand Junction, Colo. native. "We finally were given a hangar to work in so we could finish up what we had to do."
The logo remained on the aircraft throughout the squadron's deployment to OIF. Upon arriving back in the states, the aircraft was transferred to VMFA(AW)-242 and later flown to Camp Pendleton to take part in a reunion for 1st MarDiv.
As Marines begin deploying back to Iraq, the logo still remains on the aircraft, but not for long. It will be replaced by another unit's name or some other significant person or place to be honored in their own unique way.
"It was a way for us to show the Marines on the ground side that we do support (them)," said Farley. "We are a team."
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