VMFP-3 80s Flashback

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1982 Thru The Eyes Of The Corps.
By Marc "Devil Dog Of The Web" Iseli / Updated Dec. 2025
Stumbled back from Det-C on January 15, lungs still burning, only to find the flight line shack had gone from condemned to 'under construction', someone tried to turn it into the Waldorf Hotel, but gave up halfway, probably when they realized Marines don’t do interior decorating. To make things worse, we lost Sgt Tom Hotchkis, the NCOIC who could fix anything except his own discharge papers. After he left, the flight line was never the same, less organized, more feral. February was a blur of standby and wrench-turning, and by March, they shipped me off to WTI in Yuma, a story best told over a cold beer and a statute of limitations, check it out below.

We also got roped into DEFTAC training, which is Marine for 'try not to get smoked by Ivan’s latest flying lawn darts.' The Soviets kept rolling out new toys, and suddenly being 'unarmed and unafraid' sounded a lot like 'unarmed and soon-to-be vaporized.' The RF-4B didn’t have a cannon, radar missiles, or even a harsh word to throw at the enemy, so DEFTAC was all about yanking the stick, pulling Gs, and praying the other guy missed because he was laughing too hard.

May rolled around and, surprise, I got voluntold for mess duty as a Cpl, still waiting on that Sgt stripe, but apparently my WTI shenanigans put me on the chow hall fast track. With less than a year left before I could escape, I began to cop a short-term attitude. Every Marine hits that wall eventually. While I was busy perfecting my tray-sliding technique, six of our RF-4Bs got dragged into something called the Integrated Weapons Systems Review, which is fancy talk for 'let’s poke around the recce gear and see what still works.' Since the RF-4B’s only weapons were cameras, infrared, and a radar that could spot a gnat at 20 miles, the IWSR was basically a spa day for sensors.

1982 VMFP-3 Timeline
MCAS Yuma, Az.
1500 09 Mar. 1982 - 1100 08 Apr. 1982 Weapons Training Instructor (WTI)
Certificate Of Appreciation, PDF
For Support Of Weapons Tactics Instructor (WTI).
Good Conduct Medal,PDF
First Award 29 May 1979 - 28 May 1982
Noteworthy Performance,PDF
01 May - 01 June, 1982 Mess Duty as a Cpl. Letter.
USS Constellation, PDF
1515 21 May, 1982 - 0815 26 June, 1982 Carrier Quals
July 4th Space Shuttle Landing
Attended Shuttle Landing At Edwards AFB.

Notable Events
Reconnaissance Air Meet '86
Held at Bergstrom AFB, Texas, this was a major international tactical photo competition. Involving, Navy F-14 Tomcat, Air Force RF-4C Phantom II, Navy RF-8G Crusader, Marine RF-4B Phantom II, an F-111C from the Royal Australian Air Force.
1982 USAF Thunderbird Crash
Four Northrop T-38 Talon jets crashed during operational training on 18 January 1982, killing all four pilots.
Falklands War
02 April to 15 June
Was a ten-week war between Argentina and the United Kingdom over two British overseas territories in the South Atlantic.
John Belushi Died
05 March, 1982
Belushi died on the morning of March 5, 1982 in Hollywood, California at the Chateau Marmont, after being injected with, and accidentally overdosing on, a mixture of cocaine and heroin.

Alright, you glorious Rat Phixers and Phlyers, if we ever survived a TAD, a Det, or a BOHICA, who haven't, and you didn’t think I was the biggest gaff off in the squadron. Got a sea story, or some grainy photos your ex didn’t set on fire, and they’re only slightly illegal? Send ‘em by email, snail mail, or safety wire it to a carrier pigeon. I collect ‘em all, just nothing that would incriminate me.
80svmfp3@gmail.com

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