VMF-321 was established February 1, 1943 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, as a unit of Marine Aircraft Group 31, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing. After a crash course in tactics and maneuvers, the squadron was off to the war in the South Pacific. They were initially stationed at Barakoma Airfield on Vella Lavella, a recently captured island base in the Solomon Islands. While in the Solomon's, the "Hell's Angels" amassed a record of 39 kills of Japanese aircraft and an additional 11 probables, with only eight aircraft lost.

Excerpt from Henry Sakaida, The Siege of Rabaul, 1996.
"After taking off from Torokina Airfield, Bougainville Island, on January 20, 1944, 11 F4U Corsairs were flying a B -25 escort mission targeting the Vunakanau Airfield near Rabaul. A division of four F4Us flown by Lieutenant Robert See, Captain Marion R. McCown Jr., 1st Lieutenant Robert Hugh Brindos, and 1st Lieutenant Robert Woodson Marshall were "flying top cover over the bombers. Just south of Cape St. George they ran into the entire 204th Air Group (42 Zeroes). The Japanese were soon crawling over them. Lt. See managed to claim two Zeroes and returned safely to base, but the other three disappeared. After his F4U went down, 1st Lieutenant Robert W. Marshall was captured by the Japanese and sent to the prisoner of war camp on Rabaul where he died the same day of massive bleeding."

MARSHALL, Robert W, 1STLT, O-020355, USMC, from Louisiana, location New Britain Island, date of loss January 20, 1944 + MARSHALL, Robert W, Captain, O-020355, USMC, from Louisiana, Manila American Cemetery + MARSHALL, Robert Woodson, 20355, POW & MPDet, HQ USMC, Washington DC, January 20, 1944, missing in action-POW + MARSHALL, Robert W., 1st Lieutenant, USMCR. Mother, Mrs. Hazel E. Marshall, Box 514, Amite, La

Body Not Recovered

Robert W Marshall