Officially Licensed USMC VMA-331 Bumblebees Squadron Coin - Marine Attack Squadron 331 (VMA-331) officially licensed die-cast challenge coin honoring the Bumblebees of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Five decades of sting: from Pacific dive bombers to the first AV-8B Harrier II squadron in Marine Corps history, the Bumblebees never flew a quiet mission.
VMA-331 was established on 1 January 1943 at MCAS Cherry Point as Marine Scout Bomber Squadron 331, flying SBD Dauntless dive bombers in the Pacific and striking Japanese-held positions across the Gilbert and Marshall Islands. Reactivated in 1952 as VMA-331 and nicknamed the Bumblebees, the squadron went on to fly the AD Skyraider, A-4 Skyhawk, and eventually the AV-8B Harrier II. On 25 January 1985, VMA-331 made history as the first fully operational AV-8B Harrier II squadron in Marine Corps service. During Operation Desert Storm, the Bumblebees deployed aboard USS Nassau (LHA-4), flew 243 combat sorties, dropped 256 tons of ordnance, and became the first Marine attack squadron to conduct combat operations from a Landing Helicopter Assault ship. The squadron was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 31, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, based at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina, until its deactivation on 1 October 1992 as part of the post-Cold War drawdown. The Bumblebees insignia, a bee riding a bomb, carried that entire story on every aircraft and every piece of gear the squadron ever owned.
Perfect For: VMA-331 Bumblebees veterans and alumni, AV-8B Harrier II crew members and maintainers, Operation Desert Storm commemorators, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing collectors, MCAS Beaufort alumni, Marine aviation historians, challenge coin display boards, shadow boxes, unit reunion tables, and gift buyers honoring the Marines who flew close air support from sea to shore across five decades of service.
Bumblebees heritage, officially licensed, and built to hold its place in any serious Marine aviation collection.
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