Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323 — the legendary “Death Rattlers” — was commissioned on August 1, 1943, at MCAS Cherry Point, N.C. Their nickname was born when three pilots killed a six-foot rattlesnake and hung its skin in the ready room. Flying F4U Corsairs, they trained across California before deploying to the Pacific in 1944. During the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, they shot down 124 enemy planes without losing a pilot to air combat, while also delivering deadly close air support. Marines on the ground called them the “Sweethearts of Okinawa.”

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Post-WWII, the Death Rattlers flew in every major campaign of the Korean War, flying close air support and interdiction missions from both carriers and austere bases. Re-designated VMA-323 in 1952, they logged 48,000 hours before departing Korea in 1953. Through the '50s and '60s, they transitioned through several aircraft, including the FJ-4 Fury and F8U Crusader, flying patrols during the Taiwan Straits crisis and later becoming the first Marine squadron to cruise with the F-8.

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In 1964, the unit became VMFA-323 and transitioned to the F-4 Phantom II. From 1965–1969, they flew over 17,000 combat sorties in Vietnam. In the years following, the squadron maintained a high operations tempo, including deployments during the Iranian hostage crisis.

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In 1982, they transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet. By 1986, they were flying combat air patrols and SAM suppression over Libya during Freedom of Navigation operations. The squadron later deployed to Japan during Desert Storm and flew missions enforcing no-fly zones over Iraq aboard the USS Constellation in support of Operation Southern Watch in the mid-1990s.

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VMFA-323 has earned multiple Hanson Awards and remains known for combat readiness, tactical excellence, and outstanding aircraft maintenance. Still flying the F/A-18C Hornet from MCAS Miramar, the Death Rattlers continue to train and deploy, living up to their legacy with pride.

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“COME TO FIGHT – COME TO WIN.”

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Our version of the VMFA-323 Marine Corps Fighter Attack Squadron artwork, used in the F/A-18c Hornet livery: