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VMF-222 Flight Echelon, 1 January 1944
Quoin Hill, Efate Island, New Hebrides

Dr. John T. Brittingham Vergil L. Teeter Henry S. Huidekoper Wayne C. Gher Robert W. Wilson Charles P. Lassiter (KIA) Henry M. ''Bud'' Turner Warren M. York Jr. Charles D. ''Mother'' Jones James A. Walley Winfred O. ''Pappy'' Reid Julius F. Koeach ''U.'' Vesta Johnson Donald H. Sapp (Stapp) William B. Carrell John M. ''Zed'' Foster August J. Perino John P. ''Ace'' Newlands Melvin M. Mack John P. Morris Robert Q. Bekins Paul L. Pankhurst James H. Levine Alfred N. Gordon, C.O. James B. ''Benjo'' Williams Wesley W. Hazlett Jessie M. Leach Jr. (KIA) George C. ''Dr. Killjoy'' Schaefer Jr. Clyde A. Dingfelter Robert A. Schaeffer Richard L ''Kitty'' Hobbs & ''Nicky'' Joseph Craig III (KIA) Ralph R. Langley ''Big Red' Dog Irwin E. Moore Carl T. McLean Fredrick E. Hughes John T. Nugent John W. Witt

The pilots have just returned from "R&R" in Sydney, Australia
and are begining to retrain for their third combat tour in the Solomons.


Place your mouse over the face of each man to reveal his name.

Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Ribbon

All the men who served during VMF-222's combat tours were awarded the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal. There were many campaigns in that theater of operations and a bronze star could be attached to the medal and its ribbon for each the veteran had participation in. The men in the last three columns in the table below were in the following campaigns:

- New Georgia Campaign (Vella Lavella Occupation
- Treasury-Bougainville Operation
- Bismarck Archipelago Operation
- Consolidation of the Solomon Islands

 
At least 127 officers, all but a few of them were Naval Aviators who served with VMF-222 between October 10, 1942 at MCAS Santa Barbara through about March 18, 1944 at Piva Airbase, Bougainville and Green Island. My references are from photos, books, and the flight log and diary of the author's father. The following list has been compiled by the author and cannot be deemed to be accurate, merely informative. Corrections and submissions are invited.

A Partial List of VMF-222 Flight & Ground Echelon Officers & NAPs

Last
First
Nickname
Hometown
State
Santa Barbara
9/10/42-
2/22/43
Hawaii/
Midway
2/23/43-
7/29/43
1st Tour
7/30/43-
10/15/43
2nd Tour
11/7/43-
12/24/43
3rd Tour
1/9/44-
3/18/44
Brittingham Dr. John T.
Doc
Perryville
MD
x
x
x
x
x
Hand (1) Ralph G.
Little Corporal 
Los Angeles
CA
x
x
x
x
x
Koetsch Julius F.
Brooklyn
Bull  
Brooklyn
NY
x
x
x
x
x
McLean Carl T.
Okie 
Ardmore
OK
x
x
x
x
x
Moore Irwin E.
 
Palisade
CO
x
x
x
x
x
Morris John P.
 
Minneapolis
MN
x
x
x
x
x
Newlands John P.
Ace
Pasadena
CA
x
x
x
x
x
Pankhurst Paul L.
Pank 
Lafayette
TX
x
x
x
x
x
Reid Winfred O.
Pappy
Delight
AR
x
x
x
x
x
S(t)app Donald H.
Good Lookin' 
Miami
FL
x
x
x
x
x
Schaefer George, Jr.
Dr. Killjoy
Los Angeles
CA
x
x
x
x
x
Turner Henry M.
Bud
Seely Lake
MT
x
x
x
x
x
Williams James B. III
Benjoe
Charleston
SC
x
x
x
x
x
Wilson Robert W.
Bobby
Warren
MN
x
x
x
x
x
Gordon Alfred N.
 
De Soto
KS
x
x
x
x
x
Yeager Stephen J.
 Repulsive
Kansas City
MO
x
x
x
x
x
Saint John L.
Kansas City
KS
x
x
x
x
x
Moore* William Deen

Willie &
Slow-Roll

Los Angeles
CA
x
x
x
Volcansick Max J.
 Skipper
 Santa Barbara
CA
x
x
x
Carnagey* Pierre M.
 
Terrytown
NY
x
x
x
Trueheart* Taylor Simmons
Sam
Petersberg
VA
x
x
Roud* Lawrence H.   Homewood AL
NY
x
Craig* Joseph III
Joey
Savannah
GA
x
x
x
x
Carrell William B.
 
Dallas
TX
x
x
x
x
Hobbs Richard L.
Kitty
Rice
TX
x
x
x
x
Foster John M.
Zed
Ceder City
UT
x
x
x
x
Nugent John T.
The Face
Chicago
IL
x
x
x
x
Gher Wayne C.
 
Urbana
IL
x
x
x
x
Hazlett Wesley W.
 
Muscatine
IA
x
x
x
x
Hughes Fredrick E.
 
Louisville
KY
x
x
x
x
Jones Charles D.
Mother
Mineola
NY
x
x
x
x
Leach* Jessie M. Jr.
Jess
Crystal Springs
MS
x
x
x
x
Witt John W.   Wauwatosa
WI
x
x
x
x
Schaeffer Robert A.   Dayton
OH
x
x
Lawler (2) Robert P.   Ellicottville
NY
x
x
Fitting John Jr.
Jack
Chappaqua
NY
x
x
Huidekoper Henry S.
Hank
Washington
D.C.
x
x
Walley James M.   New Orleans
LA
x
x
Johnston U. Vesta
U
Dallas
TX
x
x
Lassiter Charles P.   Atlanta
GA
x
x
Levine James H.   Robbinsdale
MN
x
x
Mack Melvin M.:   Aberdeen
SD
x
x
Perino August J.
Gus
Joliet
IL
x
x
Teeter Virgil L. Jr.
Virgin
Hutchinson
KS
x
x
York Warren M. Jr.   Washington
D.C.
x
x
Schaller (3) Lewis M.
Bitch-Bitch
Coronado
CA
x
x
Bekins Robert, Jr.
Q & Beke
Dallas
TX
x
x
Morrelo* John Jr.
 Johnny
Joliet
IL
x
Dailey Robert Jr.   Flandreau
SD
x
Foxworth Robert F.   Chattanooga
TN
x
Smith* Martin Jr.
 
Grand Rapids
MI
x
Spears Harold L.
Hal
Newark
OH
x
Harvey R. A.      
x
Lee Putnam    
x
Lowman J. L.      
x
Middleman S. G.      
x
Newhall R. G.      
x
Westerlind George      
x
Wossan G. E.      
x
Cole J. Frank      
x
Breneman John
 
x
Dietrich ?    
x
Vernon ?    
x
Wilcox^ Lyons K.   Brownwood
TX
x
Lambert^ W. C.    
x
Metts^ John Gardner
Johnny
 Jefferson Co.
AL
x
 

(1) Hand became a non-flying officer and was reassigned as the CO of 222's Ground Echelon in 11/1943
 

(2) Squadron Materiel Officer (non-flying)
 

(3) Squadron Engineering Officer (non-flying)
 

(4) Squadron Adjutant (non-flying)
  ^ Indicates a stateside training casualty.

* indicates the man was either killed, (KIA), or missing, (MIA), in action.

 
 
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