USS Constellation CV-64 · America’s Flagship Open the Book
1994–95 Western Pacific & Persian Gulf Deployment 435 pages · searchable by name, division, squadron, and port
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VMFA-323 “Death Rattlers” squadron insignia
Marine Strike Fighter Squadron (VMFA) · CVW-2

VMFA-323 — “Death Rattlers”

A United States Marine Corps Hornet squadron embarked with the Navy air wing.

Designation
VMFA-323
Aircraft
F/A-18 Hornet
Role
Marine Strike Fighter Squadron (VMFA)

The Squadron

Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 323, the “Death Rattlers,” was a United States Marine Corps strike-fighter squadron embarked with Carrier Air Wing Two. One of the oldest Marine fighter squadrons, with a heritage reaching back to World War II, it brought the Marine Corps’ aviation tradition aboard a Navy carrier as an integrated part of the air wing.

The presence of a Marine squadron within a Navy air wing reflected the close integration of the two services’ aviation. Flying the same strike-fighter mission as the Navy Hornet squadrons, the Death Rattlers added their numbers and their long lineage to the carrier’s combat power.

The Aircraft

The squadron flew the F/A-18 Hornet, the twin-engine multirole fighter that served as both a fighter and an attack aircraft. The Hornet carried air-to-air missiles for combat against other aircraft and a wide range of air-to-ground ordnance for strikes against surface targets.

For a Marine squadron, the Hornet’s versatility was a natural fit with the Corps’ emphasis on flexible air power. The same aircraft that defended the fleet could strike targets ashore, allowing the squadron to support whichever mission the air wing was assigned.

In the Cruise

During the 1994–95 WESTPAC deployment, the Marine strike-fighter squadron operated as a full member of the air wing as Constellation steamed from the Western Pacific into the Persian Gulf. Its Hornets flew the same range of fighter and attack tasking as the Navy squadrons alongside them.

In support of Operation Southern Watch over southern Iraq, the squadron’s aircraft flew within the no-fly zone, ready to respond to threats and to deliver ordnance if directed. The deployment marked a sustained period of Marine aviation operating from the sea as part of the joint air wing.

Crew Roster

Officers, aircrew, and maintainers of VMFA-323 “Death Rattlers,” CVW-2, USS Constellation (CV-64), 1994–95 WESTPAC. Names transcribed from the original cruise book; each links to that Sailor’s page in the scanned book. See a misspelling or a shipmate we missed? Tell us and we’ll fix it.

See VMFA-323’s pages in the cruise book →

Squadron insignia: official U.S. Navy/Marine Corps insignia (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons.

Questions & Answers

What aircraft did VMFA-323 fly?

VMFA-323 flew the F/A-18 Hornet multirole strike fighter.

Was VMFA-323 a Navy squadron?

No. VMFA-323 is a United States Marine Corps squadron, one of the oldest Marine fighter squadrons, embarked with the Navy carrier air wing for the deployment.

What does VMFA stand for?

VMFA designates a Marine Fighter Attack squadron, the Marine Corps' term for a strike-fighter unit.

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