Formed at Cherry Point on 1 August 1943 as Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 333 (VMSB-333), “Trip Trey” began their career flying SBD Dauntless dive-bombers from Midway on anti-shipping patrols.

Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless Dive Bomber of VMSB-333 over Wake Island.

 

The F-4X Super Phantom was a proposed high-speed reconnaissance and interceptor variant of the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II, developed in collaboration between the United States and Israel during the late 1970s and early 1980s. The project aimed to significantly enhance the performance of the aging F-4 by incorporating cutting-edge technology, particularly for reconnaissance and high-speed interception roles.

Key Features and Development

1. Origin & Purpose

   • The Israeli Air Force (IAF) sought a high-performance reconnaissance aircraft to replace or complement their existing fleet.
   • The project was pursued in cooperation with McDonnell Douglas and aimed at producing a significantly faster and more capable Phantom variant.

By: Mauro Iasparri

Gunny Yarborough... Here's another story. Gunny Yarborough. Seems the last two stories I have shared revolve around cars. LOL... Well, Here's another one. My TR6 is making a noise. I talk with Gunny Yarborough about it. When I first bought the car Gunny liked it and we talked about it. If memory serves me, he had a Datsun 240Z or a 260Z at his house he was working on.

Back to the noise. Gunny gets in and drives a little bit and nods his head and has a smile on his face and says I know what it is. Upon further inspection he confirms it is the Universal joint. He tells me go buy the part and come by my house and WE can fix it. So, we agree to meet at his house on the next day. I bought the new part and arrive at his house. He says pull up over there and jack up the car. He has a dirt driveway. I had one of those scissor jacks so I had to get a block of 2x6 or something like that to put the jack on so it didn't sink too far into the dirt...LOL. About three blocks of wood later the car was finally in the air...He gets down on the ground tells me, "You see that right there, That's the drive shaft and the universal joint is right there you have to take off them there bolts and take the drive shaft out". 

By: Chaplain Tony Woconish

Another Top Corvo story: About 1979-80’ Top asked me to transport and guard the Security Avionics Box for the next deployment. “Sure Top, no problem, I said.” Then I asked for a pistol. He said “No, it’s not TOP-SECRET MATERIAL.” He then reaches over for the NATOPS Manual on his desk. (Top knew the manual better than a Sunday School Teacher knows the Bible) Goes directly to that subject and shows me…” you only get a night stick.” Then proceeds to hand me a night stick and says, “beat them off with a night stick, and if you get overrun, burn the material.” as he flips me a package of green military matches…” Thanks Top.” SEMPER FI

PS: I still have the night stick and matches to this day.

By: Conway Kangas

Remember friends on security details would pull off engine intake covers of F4s and sleep.

Remember one friend on mess duty got the rest of the day off for dunking his head in slop bucket. They used to live the garbage cans to pig farmers that drive up to the mess hall.

Remember the Marine Corps Birthday and commander of base giving out glasses of champagne and someone asked what if someone does not drink and he said they will drink to the Marine Corps.

During IG inspections the little shack at end of runway held items we couldn't have. Tools and such.

By: Conway Kangas

We were in Yuma Az and decided to get drunk as usual.

Went from barracks to NCO club. No shirts and white shoes polish for tennis shoes but us four done up like Adams and the ants. Someone wrote something on my back.

Next thing we're at the club and it's closed but things got said between us and others. Next thing I know I am in my room and hear a commotion in the hall and the other three are getting arrested and of course I went out and joined the arrest party and they put us in the car and did a semicircle as the police or MP shack was on the other side of the road. Slapping us with charges.

By: Mike Sexton

Well, this isn’t a Trip Trey story but it’s a good one.

I was sitting in my office at VMFAT 203 Cherry Point as the MCO and the Sgt Maj called and said he had a Gunny he wanted to send to Maintenance Control. I said send him down. He came down and introduced himself as Gunny Tippett. I said you look familiar, and we went thru the process of where you were. Here or there and we didn’t figure out where we knew each other.

But I went home and started looking thru my cruise books and no luck. The last one I looked at was my boot camp book and guess what. Bingo Cpl Tippett. He was the one that use to beat the shit out of us.

By: Lance Clayton

When I was in 333. About 1974 or ‘75. I was in Power plants. There was a Corporal in power plants, Rich Parker was his name. He did not make the med cruise with us.

Well, on a Saturday he had barracks duty. I lived in the barracks at that time. The old barracks next to the chow hall. Another Marine we both knew asked Rich if he could borrow his car to go to McDonald’s Rich gave him his keys, told him it was the black over white ‘64 Oldsmobile.

And off he goes to McDonald’s when he comes back, we are in the duty hut, and he looks out the window and sees MPs around a car dusting it for fingerprints. He asked Rich what the MPs are doing with his car. Rich looks out the window and says that's not his car. The other Marine says that was the car he drove.