World War II Marine Aircraft Group 32 was commissioned on 1 February 1943 at
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point,
North Carolina. The group's squadrons trained there until January 1944 when they were ordered to the
West Coast to prepare for follow on movement to the
South Pacific. The group next went to
Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii where they remained until October 1944. November saw them move to
Emirau as they prepared to support the campaign to
recapture the Philippines. MAG-32 arrived on
Mangaldan on 27 January 1945 where they became part of Marine Air Groups, Dagupan (MAGSDAGUPAN) along with
Marine Aircraft Group 24 (MAG-24). MAGSDAGUPAN fell under neath the
308th Bombardment Wing of the
United States Army Air Forces which was supporting the
6th Army on
Luzon. Portions of the group went ashore with the assault troops on
Zamboanga on 10 March 1945. Two days later they were operating out of an expeditionary airfield. The group also went on to cover amphibious landing on the islands of
Parang-Cotabato,
Sibago,
Macajalar and
Sarangani.
World War II Group Structure, Commanders, and Battle Honors Group Marine Aircraft Group 32 (MAG-32) :Group Echelon (Philippines Campaign: 27 Jan 45–22 Feb 45) :Flight Echelon (Philippines Campaign: 31 Jan 45–22 Feb 45) :Advance Echelon (Philippines Campaign: 10 Mar 45–4 Jul 45) :Rear Echelon (Philippines Campaign: 17 Mar 45–4 Jul 45) • CO,
MAG-32 ::Col
Clayton C. Jerome (until July 1945) ::Col
Stanley E. Ridderhof • ExO,
MAG-32 ::LCol
John L. Smith • GruOpsO,
MAG-32 ::LCol Wallace T. Scott • CO,
Hq Sqn-32, MAG-32 ::Capt Harold L. Maryott (____–17 Mar 45) ::1Lt Robert W. Mazur (18 Mar 45–____) • CO,
SMS-32, MAG-32 ::Maj Jack D. Kane :
Squadrons :*'
Marine Scout-Bomber Squadron 142 (VMSB-142) "Wild Horses"''''' ::
Ground Echelon (Philippines Campaign: 22 Jan 45–4 Jul 45) ::
Flight Echelon (Consolidation of the Solomons: 9 Feb 44–26 Apr 44, & 19 Sep 44–19 Dec 44), (Philippines Campaign: 27 Jan 45–4 Jul 45) ::CO,
VMSB-142 :::Maj Robert H. Richard (____–9 Jun 44) :::Capt Hoyle R. Barr (18 Jul 44–8 Jun 45) :::Maj James L. Fritsche (9 Jun 45–____) :*'
Marine Scout-Bomber Squadron 243 (VMSB-243) "Flying Goldbricks"''''' ::
Ground Echelon (Philippines Campaign: 22 Jan 45–4 Jul 45) ::
Flight Echelon (Treasury-Bougainville Operation: 20 Nov 43–15 Dec 43), (Consolidation of the Solomons: 16 Dec 43–27 Dec 43; 16 Jun 44–23 Dec 44), (Bismarck Archipelago Operation: 17 Mar 44–27 Apr 44), (Philippines Campaign: 31 Jan 45–4 Jul 45) ::CO,
VMSB-243 :::Maj Thomas J. Ahern (____–3 Oct 44) :::Maj Joseph W. Kean, Jr. (13 Oct 44–____) :*'
Marine Scout-Bomber Squadron 244 (VMSB-244) "Bombing Banshees"''''' ::
Ground Echelon (Philippines Campaign: 22 Jan 45–4 Jul 45) ::
Flight Echelon (New Georgia Operation: 18 Oct 43–29 Nov 43), (Bismarck Archipelago Operation: 10 Feb 44–22 Mar 44), (Consolidation of the Solomons: 17 May 44–24 Jun 44, & 31 Jul 44–13 Nov 44), (Philippines Campaign: 31 Jan 45–4 Jul 45) ::CO,
VMSB-244 :::Maj Robert J. Johnson (____–25 Jan 44) :::Maj Harry W. Reed (25 Jan 44–17 Apr 44) :::Capt Richard Belyea (18 Apr 44–1 Jul 44) :::Maj Frank R. Porter, Jr. (2 Jul 44–____) :::Maj Vance H. Hudgins (____–____)
1950s to 1990s The last two Marine Corps OA-4M Skyhawks, which were from MAG-32, flew their last flight from
Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point to
NAS Patuxent River on 6 July 1990. In the 1970s Mag 32 was based in MCAS Beaufort SC. Had A-4 Skyhawks, and AV8a Harriers. Then left to MCAS Cherry Point. ==Unit awards==