Date of Action: June 6, 2008
Base of Operations: C22
Division Assignment: C22 CAP

VMF-251 took off at 2318 from C22 with ten F4F-4 Wildcats. Division assignments as follows:

Red Flight
Maj. Wyatt
2nd Lt. Hammerr
1st Lt. Drazz
1st Lt. Trol

Blue Flight
Capt. MEF4UD
1st Lt. aJoust
2nd Lt. 1Duke1
2nd Lt. Roche

Yellow Flight
Capt. Morgan
2nd Lt. Bodie

Squadron circled carrier to altitude, then broke up into flights to patrol at 15,000ft: Red Flight W, Blue N, Yellow E.

Before arriving on-station VMF-251 received notification outbound strike package from C22 encountered escorts and strike package from enemy carrier. Army of Muppets intercepted and requested reinforcements. VMF-251 turned N with 31st FG (also on-station as CAP) to assist. B5Ns of strike package wiped out by Army of Muppets before arrival. VMF-251 arrived in engagement area in time to assist with mop-up of escorts.

MEF4UD shot down Zero at 2328. Wyatt, MEF4UD, Morgan and 1Duke1 downed Zeros at 2329. Morgan claimed second at 2330. 1Duke1 shot down another A6M at 2331.

Second wave of Zeros arrived at about 2335. Wyatt, MEF4UD downed one at 2337. 1Duke1, aJoust, Drazz each claimed another at 2338. Joust claimed another at 2343 No casualties sustained by VMF-251 during engagement, however Roche suffered damage to landing gear and unable to land/rearm and Bodie suffered engine damage. Bodie safely ditched while returning to carrier at 2346.

Blue Flight rearmed aboard C22 at 2350, followed by Red at 2355. Proceeded back to sector N of carrier. After reports of enemy activity at enemy field A9, received instructions from CiC to continue to target area. Initially no contact made, and VMF-251 redirected to A41, however 251 made contact with additional A6Ms over field and taking off. Roche returned to base low on fuel.

Furious action ensued over A9. 1Duke1 downed Zero at 0026, but crashed at 0027. Morgan crashed at 0021. Drazz claimed Zeros at 0022, 0024, 0029 and 0031. Hammerr recorded victories at 0025, 0026, 0032 before ditching on egress at 0040. MEF4UD scored against enemy A6Ms at 0019, 0021, 0028, 0032 and 0033. Wyatt shot down four additional Zeros at 0024, 0025, 0026 and 0028, before sustaining engine damage and forced to ditch off A9, where he was captured. Trol claimed Zeros at 0024 and 0028.

Remained of VMF-251 withdrew from engagement area and returned to C22. Roche ditched out of fuel at 0044. aJoust ditched at 0052. Remainder of squadron landed safely at A5 by 0047.