This heavily illustrated work is the only book to describe the entire history of the U.S. Marine Corps' air arm. With hundreds of rare photographs, this fourth edition represents a major redesign and update of the last edition, published more than a decade ago. Chapters include descriptions of early development and training, as well as combat deployments during World War I and in Central America. World War II and Korea, Vietnam, the Balkans, and Southwest Asia campaigns are also well covered. The book's emphasis is on the Marines who made up the air squadrons, developed the aircraft and tactics, and fought the battles as the main support of troops on the ground. The text includes first-person accounts and comments from many participants--aviators and crewmen alike.

This book is a chronological account of the establishment of Naval Reserve Aviation and its growth and development before World War II. It is a comprehensive history of Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Aviation - a documentation of the significant events in that history, together with many which would fall under the category of trivia. It is an attempt to illustrate what the Naval Aviation Reserve was all about, and to capture some of the flavor of the earlier days of aviation. The book, Volume I of a series on Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Aviation, may stir the memories of some of those people directly involved in these activities during the period covered. It should also prove interesting to others who might have an interest in the Naval Air Reserve and/or in early aviation.

"Selection of oral histories"--CD surface.