MARINE OBSERVATION SQUADRON VMO-6 "Tomcats" "Cherry Six”  LINEAGE:

1920 - 1937

Activated 1 December 1920 at Marine Barracks, Quantico, Virginia, as Flight E, 3d Air Squadron.
Redesignated 24 August 1924 as Division 1, Fighting Squadron 1, First Aviation Group, Quantico, Virginia.
Redesignated 1 September 1925 as Division 1, Observation Squadron 3.

Redesignated 1 July 1927 as Division 1, Observation Squadron 6 (VO-6M), East Coast Expeditionary Force, Quantico, Va.
Departed 27 January 1928 for expeditionary duty in Nicaragua.
Assigned to Air Squadrons, 2d Brigade for counter-insurgency operations against the Sandinista rebels, 16 February - 1 September 1928.

Administratively transferred from Air Squadrons, 2d Brigade to East Coast Expeditionary Force, Quantico, Virginia.
In 1932 a reserve augmentation unit (VO6MR) was established at Floyd Bennett Field, Brooklyn, New York.
VO6M deactivated 30 June 1933.

1 July 1935 VO6MR was transferred to Naval Reserve Aviation Base, Wold-Chamberlain Airport, Minneapolis, Minnesota.  
In 1937 all Observation Squadrons were re-designated and ceased to exist.

1944-1949

Reactivated 20 November 1944 at Quantico, Virginia, as Marine Observation Squadron 6.
Relocated 1 January 1945 to Marine Corps Air Depot, Miramar, San Diego, California, and 
reassigned to Marine Fleet Air, West Coast.
Deployed during January - February 1945 to Guadalcanal and reassigned to Aircraft, 
Fleet Marine Force.

Reassigned 1 March 1945 to 2d Marine Aircraft Wing.
Participated in the Okinawa campaign, March - July 1945.
Reassigned 25 July 1945 to Marine Aircraft Group 21, 4th Marine Aircraft Wing.

Deployed during October 1945 to Tsingtao, China, and reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 32, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
Reassigned during May 1946 to Marine Aircraft Group 25, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
Reassigned 1 July 1946 to Headquarters, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.

Reassigned 20 July 1946 to the 7th Marines (Reinforced), 1st Marine Division (Reinforced).
Relocated during January 1947 to Camp Pendleton, California, and reassigned to Marine Air, West Coast.
Reassigned 1 October 1947 to 1st Matine Aircraft Wing.

1950 - 1962

Deployed during July - August 1950 to Pusan, Korea.
Participated in the Korean conflict, August 1950 - March 1955, operating from
Pusan
Chinhae
Inchon
Yonpo
Pohang-dong

Relocated during March - April 1955 to Camp Pendleton, California.
Reassigned 22 April 1955 to Air, Fleet Marine Force, Pacific.
Reassigned 15 September 1955 to 3d Marine Aircraft Wing.

Reassigned 5 February 1956 to Marine Wing Headquarters Group, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing.
Reassigned 1 July 1956 to Marine Aircraft Group 36, 3d Marine Aircraft Wing.
Detachment participated in operations relating to the Cuban Missile Crisis, November 1962.

1962 - 1977

Deployed during August 1965 to Republic of Vietnam and reassigned 
to 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.  
Participated in the war in Vietnam, September 1965 - October 1969, 
operating from
Da Nang
Ky Ha
Chu Lai
Phu Bai
Quang Tri

Relocated during October 1969 to Marine Corps Air Facility, Futenma, Okinawa and reassigned to 
Marine Aircraft Group 15, 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
Reassigned during November 1969 to Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing.
Deactivated 1 January 1977.

HONORS*
PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION STREAMER with four bronze stars
World War II
- Okinawa
- 1 April - 21 June 1945
Korea
2 August 1950 - 27 July 1953
7 August - 7 September 1950
15 September - 11 October 1950

Vietnam
1 September 1965 - 24 April 1967
6 June - 15 September 1967

PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION (Army) STREAMER
Korea
22 November - 14 December 1950

NAVY UNIT COMMENDATION STREAMER with two bronze stars
Korea
1 August 1952 - 27 July 1953
Vietnam
4 September 1965 - 24 August 1966
16 April - 16 October 1968

MERITORIOUS UNIT COMMENDATION STREAMER
Vietnam
1968 - 1969

SECOND NICARAGUAN CAMPAIGN STREAMER

ASIATIC-PACIFIC CAMPAIGN STREAMER with one bronze star
World War II
Okinawa Gunto Operation
1 April - 30 June 1945

WORLD WAR II VICTORY STREAMER

CHINA SERVICE STREAMER

KOREAN SERVICE STREAMER with two silver stars

NATIONAL DEFENSE SERVICE STREAMER with one bronze star

ARMED FORCES EXPEDITIONARY STREAMER

Cuba 7 November - 29 November 1962

VIETNAM SERVICE STREAMER with two silver stars

KOREAN PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION STREAMER

VIETNAM CROSS of GALLANTRY with PALM STREAMER

VIETNAM MERITORIOUS UNIT CITATION CIVIL ACTIONS STREAMER

* VMO-6 was considered to be the lineal descendant of Marine Observation Squadron 6 (VO-6M) which deactivated in 1933. It was granted the Lineage and Honors of that squadron.
* Nicknames: "Hell-Divers" (VO-6M); "Tomcats"; "Cherry Six"
* ID Code: WB 1950-1977
* Aircraft: OY-1; OE-1; OE-2/O1-C; HTL; HO3S; HO5S; HOK-1/OH-43D; T-28C; UH-1E; OV-10A




Click on the Cherry 6 to see a VMO-6 video.