U.S. Marine Corps VMF-212 History

VMF-212 (1941-2008) - Wildcat Squadron

History: VMF-212 was born on July 1, 1941, when the Marine Corps activated the squadron at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Oahu, Hawaii, alongside VMF-211, under the command of Maj. Harold W. Bauer, a seasoned aviator with a keen tactical mind who led a small cadre of pilots training with Grumman F4F-3 Wildcats in the months before Pearl Harbor shook the Pacific. Stationed at Ewa, the squadron sharpened its skills through 1941, flying patrols and mock dogfights over the Hawaiian Islands as war clouds gathered, and after the December 7 attack on Pearl Harbor—where Ewa took hits—VMF-212 geared up for combat, transitioning to F4F-4 Wildcats by early 1942.

In August 1942, under Bauer’s leadership, the squadron deployed to Efate in the New Hebrides, a staging point in the South Pacific, and by October moved to Turtle Bay Airfield on Espiritu Santo, joining the fight as part of MAG-11’s push toward the Solomon Islands. On October 18, 1942, VMF-212 arrived at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, diving into the Cactus Air Force’s brutal campaign, where Bauer and his pilots flew daily against Japanese Zeros and bombers, with the major himself downing 11 enemy aircraft—earning a Medal of Honor—before vanishing on November 14, 1942, after ditching near Savo Island during a strafing run.

The squadron racked up over 60 kills with Wildcats by early 1943, transitioning to F4U Corsairs under Maj. Henry B. Miller, and continued hammering Japanese forces through 1943, rotating out to the U.S. in late ’43 for a refit at NAS San Diego. VMF-212 returned to the Pacific in 1944, flying Corsairs from Bougainville and Green Island, striking Rabaul and Kavieng, and ended WWII at Emirau in 1945, deactivated briefly on March 31, 1946, at MCAS Miramar, California.

Reactivated in 1946 at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, the squadron flew F7F Tigercats, then F9F Panthers in Korea under Lt. Col. Peter D. Lambrecht, earning a Navy Unit Citation in 1951-52 for close air support at places like the Punchbowl. Redesignated VMA-212 in 1955, it shifted to FJ-4 Furies, then A-4 Skyhawks by Vietnam, flying from Chu Lai in 1965 under Lt. Col. Robert L. McAdams, logging thousands of sorties against Viet Cong targets. The squadron moved to F/A-18 Hornets in 1990 at MCAS Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan under Lt. Col. Michael E. Watkins, and was deactivated on March 11, 2008, at Kaneohe Bay, ending a 67-year run as the “Lancers.”

Highlights:
Established: July 1, 1941, at MCAS Ewa, Oahu, under Maj. Harold W. Bauer.
Aircraft (Wildcat Era): F4F-3 Wildcats in 1941, upgraded to F4F-4s by 1942.
Guadalcanal (1942-1943): Deployed to Henderson Field October 18, 1942, fought as part of Cactus Air Force.
Aces: Maj. Harold W. Bauer scored 11 kills, earned Medal of Honor—lost November 14, 1942.
Kills: Over 60 Japanese aircraft with Wildcats by early 1943, total 92.5 in WWII.
Corsair Shift: Transitioned to F4U Corsairs in early 1943 under Maj. Henry B. Miller.
Later Wars: Korea (F9F Panthers, 1951-52), Vietnam (A-4 Skyhawks), Iraq/Afghanistan (F/A-18 Hornets).
Deactivated: March 11, 2008, at MCAS Kaneohe Bay as VMA-212 “Lancers.”