Description

Marine Corps Patch VMF(n) 531 GCI Ground Control Intercept Detachment USMC

SurvivorsEdge

United States Marine Corps

Patch

Officially USMC Licensed

VMF(N) 531

Ground Control Intercept

Condition: New

Size: 3 3/8″

Features: Stitch or iron-on

The VMF(N)-531 GCI Detachment was a short lived aviation command and control unit that was part of the United States Marine Corps’s first night fighter squadron, VMF(N)-531. This detachment was the Marine Corps’ first dedicated GCI detachment utilized in a combat zone. In the early phases of World War II the Marine Corps did not have stand-alone early warning and ground-controlled intercept (GCI) units so these capabilities were initially placed in the headquarters of each Marine Aircraft Group and with individual night fighter squadrons. The detachment was deployed in the South Pacific from August 1943 through August 1944 and was responsible for the interception of numerous Japanese aircraft. Lessons learned from this deployment were instrumental in establishing tactics and procedures for the Marine Corps’ newly established Air Warning Program. Upon returning from its first and only deployment, the detachment was dissolved and its members went on to serve as instructors at the 1st Marine Air Warning Group, which was responsible for training new squadrons. Many of them later served in leadership roles in these Air Warning Squadrons as they supported follow on combat operations.

Looking for Marine Corps logo item? Make sure you drop us a note.

“Today, we understand that peace through strength is more than a slogan. In a world such as ours, it’s a moral necessity, and in the tough job of preserving the peace and defending our nation’s independence and freedom, the U.S. Marines have always been there, ready to do their duty.”

President Ronald Reagan

Shop us at SurvivorsEdge and PatchesAndStickers.

SurvivorsEdg e is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) specializing in United States Marine Corps gear, survival gear, karambit and zytel polymer knives, Arkansas sharpening stones, and cigar and tobacco pipes and accessories.