The “Shamrocks” of VMFA-333 from MCAS Beaufort, SC have a long tradition of flying the F-4 Phantoms. They were the first F-4J Marine squadron to deploy aboard an aircraft carrier, arriving on the USS America (CV-66) in July 1971. In September 1972, they were the only Marine squadron to achieve an air-to-air kill in the Vietnam war by an all-Marine crew flying a Marine aircraft. In the late 1980s, they transitioned to the F/A-18A Hornet, then deployed to Sheik Isa, air base in Bahrain during Operation Desert Storm.
