Marine Air Control Squadron 7

Marine Air Control Squadron 7 (MACS-7) was a United States Marine Corps aviation command and control squadron. The squadron provided aerial surveillance and ground-controlled interception and saw action most notably during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II and the Vietnam War. They were last based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and fell under the command of Marine Air Control Group 38 (MACG-38) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3rd MAW).

World War II
Air Warning Squadron 7 was commissioned 1 February 1944 as part of a larger program to furnish early warning of air raids and to control fighter aircraft of advanced units in the Pacific. It was one of several such squadrons attached to Air Warning Group 1 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. For its first two months the squadron remained in the vicinity of MCAS Cherry Point learning to control both day and night aircraft. On 27 March 1944 they embarked for the west coast where they arrived on 1 April 1944. The squadron was subsequently stationed at Naval Auxiliary Air Station Brown Field in Chula Vista, California where they underwent a long period of intensive training in which they controlled fighters, torpedo bombers and bombers during simulated combat missions. Combat conditioning and the firing of various infantry weapons was also a part of the regular training program.

On 1 January 1945 the squadron began to load their gear on ships and would set sail 3 January 1945. They arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii on 10 January 1945 and proceeded to the nearby island of Kauai for further training. At this time Early Warning Teams of 16 men and 2 officers were each detached from the squadron for temporary duty 1st and 6th Marine Division, the III Marine Expeditionary Force and the Tenth United States Army

On 19 February 1945 the squadron boarded amphibious ships and would spend the remainder of the month and all of March aboard ship transiting to Okinawa. AWS-7 debarked on Okinawa on 6 April 1945 and immediately set-up operating units in the vicinity of Yontan Airfield. Eight days later the squadron would begin moving to Zampa Misaki at the very northern tip of Okinawa where there still remained a fair bit of enemy activity.

During May 1945 the squadron controlled over 1800 aircraft without the loss of any pilots, assisted in the rescue of eight pilots who bailed out over water, controlled interceptions resulting in the destruction of 45 enemy planes, and with its direction finding station at Hedo Saki brought 18 lost planes home. In June the squadron would control 503 division of combat air patrol (CAP) aircraft as well as 40 divisions of close air support and strike missions, 94 barrier CAP divisions and 24 air-sea rescue escort divisions. On June 19, the squadron was joined by a platoon from an United States Army Air Warning Battalion.

In July AWS-7 handled 312 CAP division, 105 special strike mission divisions and 14 air-sea rescue escort divisions. Two successful night interceptions were directed during the month to bring the squadron’s total at the end of July to 63 day and 9 night kills.

The squadron’s final numbers during the Battle of Okinawa were controls resulting in 76 enemy planes splashed, 33 air-sea rescues and 315 lost planes honed homed.

After the surrender of Japan in August 1945 the squadron remained on Okinawa for a few months until it departed for China in October 1945. They squadron would establish itself at Nanyuan Airfield near Beijing. On 1 August 1946 the squadron was re-designated as Marine Ground Control Intercept Squadron 7 (MGCIS-7). The squadron remained in China controlling aircraft supporting the American occupation until 7 January 1949. After leaving China the squadron would eventually end up in Marine Corps Air Station Edenton, North Carolina and be assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 15 (MAG-15).

Vietnam War
On 17 April 1965 MACS-7 was moved from MCAS Cherry Point, NC to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan. In September 1965 the squadron redeployed to Chu Lai in the Republic of Vietnam. They would remain in Vietnam providing early warning and air surveillance until July 1967 when they were moved to Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California and reassigned to Marine Air Control Group 38.

Unit awards
A unit citation or commendation is an award bestowed upon an organization for the action cited. Members of the unit who participated in said actions are allowed to wear on their uniforms the awarded unit citation. MACS-7 has been presented with the following awards: