A U.S. Marine Corps Douglas SBD-6 <i>Dauntless</i> from Marine scout/bombing squadron VMSB-231 <i>Ace of Spades</i> flying from Majuro Atoll in early 1944. The markings indicate 23 bombing missions having been flown by the aircraft. Note the mission markings and Ace of Spades insignia on the aircraft. The pilot of the aircraft is Major Elmer G. Glidden, a Midway and Guadalacanal veteran, who commanded VMSB-231 twice during the period September 1942-September 1943 and 1 November 1943-September 1944. He logged 104 combat dives during World War II. Redesignated from Marine Scouting Squadron Two (VMS-2) in July 1941, VMSB-231 aircraft flew to Midway in December 1941, and in March 1942 some elements returned to Hawaii. The remaining personnel formed the nucleus of a new squadron, VMSB-241, which fought during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. Following the battle, the survivors returned to VMSB-231. The squadron arrived at Guadalcanal on 30 August 1942, and remained there until November. Subsequently, the squadron served in the Marshalls, where for a brief time it flew F4U Corsairs under the designation VMBF-231. The squadron was redesignated VMTB-231 in August 1945. (National Museum of Naval Aviation)
USMC; The original uploader was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Looper5920" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:User:Looper5920">Looper5920</a> at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/" class="extiw" title="wikipedia:">English Wikipedia</a>.. Later version(s) were uploaded by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Cobatfor" class="extiw" title="en:User:Cobatfor">Cobatfor</a> at <a class="external text" href="https://en.wikipedia.org">en.wikipedia</a>, 11 May 2008 (first version); 12 January 2007 (last version).
<p>U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.253.746 <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://collections.naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=16028044">[1]</a>
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Photo scanned from pg. 177 of Elliott, John M.: <i>The Official Monogram US Navy &amp; Marine Corps Aircraft Color Guide. Vol. 2, 1940-1949.</i> Monogram Aviation Publications, Sturbridge, Massachusetts, 1989. In the Photographic credits on page 192 this photo is attributed to the U.S. National Archives;