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McDonnell Douglas AV-8B+ Harrier II – 165001/01 (VMA-214 – Black Sheep)

Serving members of US Marine Attack Squadron 214 have always been proud to uphold the traditions of a unit which was originally formed at Ewa Field in Hawaii on the 1st July 1942, and claimed celebrated ace pilot Major PAPPY Boyington amongst their number.

Boyington was significant for becoming the first fighter ace to eclipse the victory total of the famous Great War Ace Eddie Rickenbacker. He also received the Medal of Honor, Americas highest military decoration.

They were known as the Black Sheep Squadron, because this new unit was made up of individual airmen seconded from other units right across the Pacific Theatre, with little support or resources, leaving members feeling like outcastsa disparate group. What they lacked in support, they made up for in fighting prowess.

The later history of this unit was marked by their long association with the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B plus Harrier II, an aircraft type they operated for 33 years. They only relinquished their aircraft when they exchanged them for the Fifth Generation Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II stealth jet in 2022.

For the 75th anniversary of the formation of the Black Sheep, VMA-214 presented AV-8B Harrier II Plus 165001 01 in this striking special scheme, with the aircraft proudly carrying the name Maj. Gregory PAPPY Boyington on its starboard cockpit canopy framing.

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