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WWII Marine Corps aviation unit VMSB-236


mfrank8614
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Hi Everyone!

 

My deceased father, Earl John Frank, was a member of the Marine Corp aviation unit VMSB-236. I would like to know more about the unit and would love to get any copies of any photos anyone might have? I do have a few photos of my Father standing on a Dauntless and some with piolet headgear on and am assuming he was a piolet??? I also researched some of the mission they flew and that they did receive the Presidential Unit Citation. Any information is appreciated!!!!

 

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Hi Everyone!

 

My deceased father, Earl John Frank, was a member of the Marine Corp aviation unit VMSB-236. I would like to know more about the unit and would love to get any copies of any photos anyone might have? I do have a few photos of my Father standing on a Dauntless and some with piolet headgear on and am assuming he was a piolet??? I also researched some of the mission they flew and that they did receive the Presidential Unit Citation. Any information is appreciated!!!!

 

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It's hard to tell from that picture about his rank or anything. If you could just scan the part with your father in it at perhaps 600 pixels wide or more we might be able to tell more.

 

Do you know when he enlisted? The squadron was active in the Pacific War early on, just judging from the wikiepedia article.

 

"The squadron was formed on 1 January 1943 at Marine Corps Air Station Mojave, California as Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 236 (VMSB-236) flying the SBD Dauntless. In April 1943 they moved to Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii for follow on training and eventually joined the war landing at Guadalcanal on 4 September 1943. From there the squadron took part in the first dive bombing strikes against Bougainville in preparation for the allied landing there on 1 November 1943. During the next year and a half the squadron would move frequently with its ground and air echelons being based in such places as Munda in the Solomon Islands, Torokina on Bougainville, Green Island in Papua New Guinea and Efate in what was then New Hebrides.[3]

Damaged VMSB-236 SBD Dauntless, Luzon, 1945.

 

In January 1945 the squadron moved to Luzon in the Philippines and became part of Marine Aircraft Group 24 (MAG-24) at an airfield in Mangaldan near the Lingayen Gulf.[2] Later on they moved to Moret Field on Mindanao. The squadron stayed in the Philippines for the remainder of the war flying close air support missions in support of the Sixth United States Army and Eighth United States Army. VMSB-236 was deactivated on 1 August 1945 at Mindanao, Philippines two weeks before the surrender of Japan."

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  • 3 months later...

Hello,

Here is a photo from my collection showing a man posing in front of a piece of plane (tail or wing) painted with the VMSB-236 insignia.

Unfortunately there is no caption on its back.

It is the only photo I have in my collection about this squadron.

Cheers

Greg

post-15129-1334245309.jpg

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teufelhunde.ret
Hi Everyone!

 

My deceased father, Earl John Frank, was a member of the Marine Corp aviation unit VMSB-236. I would like to know more about the unit and would love to get any copies of any photos anyone might have? I do have a few photos of my Father standing on a Dauntless and some with piolet headgear on and am assuming he was a piolet??? I also researched some of the mission they flew and that they did receive the Presidential Unit Citation. Any information is appreciated!!!!

 

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They have one of the best USMC WW2 websites out there. Have you reviewed: http://vmsb243.com/sitedescription.htm

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