VMD-154 | "The Pathfinders"

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VMD-1 | VMD-154

Date Commissioned: 4-1-42, changed to VMD-154 9-15-42
Date Deactivated: 9-10-45
Nickname of Unit: VMD-1 n/a | VMD- 154: "The Pathfinders"
Insignia Design: VMD-1; n/a | VMD-154; S/Sgt. Warren Swanson
Date of Insignia: VMD-1: 1942 | VMD-154: 1943
Authorization: VMD-1 local | VMD- 154 HQMC
Aircraft: VMD-1 SNJ-3, J2F-5. VMD-154 F4F-7, PB4Y-1 Liberator, SNJ-4, F6F-3, F6F-3P

During World War II, VMD-154 was under the command of the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. VMD-154, an aerial reconnaissance squadron, was stationed at Camp Elrod on Espiritu Santo Island, New Hebrides (now Vanuatu) in the South Pacific. Squadron reconnaissance missions included the locations of: Guadalcanal, Munda, Kolombangara, Bougainville, Shortland, Nauru, Ocean, Truk, Tarawa, and Makin.

The PBY4-1 was a Navy designation for the USAAF B-24D Liberator. The Navy version had a different nose turret than the AAF B-24s. The Marine Corps took delivery of new production PBY4-1s converted for long range photo reconnaissance in the Summer of 1942. VMD-154 and VMD-254, newly formed photo reconnaissance squadrons deployed to the South Pacific in October 1942 and 1943 respectfully with eight PBY4-1Ps.

The squadron flew over 300 successful missions in support of Navy and Marine Corps operations in the South Pacific theater before beginning to rotate back to CONUS in November 1943. After turning over its aircraft on the West Coast, the squadron regrouped in 1944 at Kinston, near Cherry Point in North Carolina and transitioned to the F6F-3P Hell Cat aircraft but with the wars end in August, 1945 the squadron was decommissioned on 10 September.

American embroidered on twill.

 

 

VMD-154 started moving into the WWII area in October 1942 when the 1st Echelon departed from North Island Naval Air Station. The 1st Echelon consisted of two B-24s and two Flight Crews under the leadership of Colonel Elliott E. Bard, USMC. Within a short time another group of men departed as passengers on the USS Lurine. The code name for Espiritu Santos, New Hebrides was "Gusso Ebon." Ebon meaning Japanese and Gusso Ebon meaning: "give it to the Japs."

The main body of the Squadron departed 2 December 1942 aboard the Dutch motor ship Bloemfontein for a slow zigzag course crossing the Equator down into the Harbor of Noumea, New Caledonia. After spending Christmas Day in the Harbor of Noumea, the Bloemfontein departed north to Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides, arriving on New Year's Eve 1942. By the next day, they unloaded our gear and said goodbye to the Bloemfontein, arriving at Camp Elrod to set up tents and begin work.

Warren Swanson was the Squadron painter, who did the artwork and layout on the VMD-154 Squadron Patch. His "canvas" was a regular bed sheet. The original artwork is at the Flying Leatherneck Museum, Miramar MCAS San Diego, CA. In addition to designing the squadron patch, he created numerous sketches to illustrate his impressions. Several of his sketches can be seen in art galleries at the VMD-154 Association's archived web site.

The Navy adopted Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck characters for their nose art. The U.S. Marine Corps had to fall back on the characters that they had at hand. The English Bulldog was the old standby. Thus, the VMD-154 Devil Dog was given his wings and handed an aerial photo camera - "The VMD-154 Patch was born."

 

For a squadron history, see The Pathfinders.

 

 

Sources

Millstein, Jeff. U. S. Marine Corps Aviation Unit Insignia 1941-1946.

VMD-154 Association

 

 

 

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VMD-1

 

Embroidered on wool.