History of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 531

This history traces a half century of active service by Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 531. It was a unique squadron because its history demonstrates the complete evolution from night fighter to all-weather fighter to fighter-attack. Its earliest days placed the Marine Corps as the pioneer of all the military Services in night fighting. From the primitive converted civilian airliner, the PV-1, to the most modern Marine Corps fighter, the F/A-18, the 'Grey Ghosts' evolved as their tactics changed. Their service covered the globe: Cherry Point on the East Coast, Texas, El Toro on the West Coast, the Southwest Pacific, Iwakuni in Japan, Cubi Point in the Philippines, Korea, Vietnam, the Indian Ocean, and the Caribbean. This is an operational narrative of one of the Marine Corps' most unusual aviation squadrons moving, as noted in the Foreword, through three successive and different fighter roles during 50 years of continuous service. It was a pioneer in several ways, and the superior quality of its performance was marked by numerous awards.