Marine Transport Squadron 153

  March 1942 to ca 1949

  United States of America

TYPE: US Navy unit

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

HEADQUARTERS: NAS San Diego, CA (1942-1943), Noumea Tontouta, New Caledonia (1943-?), Tsingtao, Shandong, China (1945-?), MCAS Cherry Point, NC (1949)

FORMER NAME: Nil

SUBSEQUENT NAME: VMR-153

VMJ-153 was activated at NAS San Diego, CA on 1 March 1942. It deployed overseas a year later, arriving at Noumea Tontouta, New Caledonia in March 1943. On 19 April, it joined SCAT (South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command), an inter-service unit active in 1942-1944 in the Solomon Islands. SCAT provided rapid transport of personnel and cargo, including munitions, food, replacement parts, and medical supplies, to and from forward areas. On rearward flights, SCAT frequently provided aeromedical evacuation of wounded or sick personnel. VMJ-153 assisted in the invasion of New Georgia as part of SCAT during the summer of 1943. From July 1944, SCAT was reformed as the Solomons Combat Air Transport Command, under MAG-25, and VMJ-153 was redesignated as VMR-153. VMR-153 received a Navy Unit Commendation for its operations in the South Pacific from December 1942 to July 1944.

In October 1945, MAG-25 began moving to Tsingtao, China, where VMR-153 participated in the evacuation of liberated prisoners from the Weixian Internment Camp. In February 1949, it moved to MCAS Cherry Point, NC and was deactivated later in the year.

December 1945* to April 1948*

VMJ-153 was a joint R5C & R4D squadron.

• Curtiss R5C-1 Commando: 39516, 39517, 39523, 39535, 39550, 39566, 39567, 39571, 39577, 39587, 39594, 39595, 39597, 39599, 39600, 39601, 39602, 39603, 39604, 39605, 39606, 39609, 50697, 50698, 50702, 50703, 50717, 50719, 50721, 50722, 50723, 50724, 50725, 50726