Unlike many soldiers, Captain Newton Blount was not associated with only one unit. Rather, he saw service in three aerial marine units during his time as a pilot.
The Patch of Marine Scouting Squadron 3, Captain Blount's first unit.
Captain Blount's first unit was the one he was tied to during his 11 month station in the US Virgin Islands: VMS-3. Of course, because of their location (which this unit retained until they were deactivated), this unit did not see combat. In fact, by World War II, they were the only aerial marine unit with the Scouting designation. However, the unit did not survive the war and was deactivated in May of 1944. Their nickname was the "Devilbirds".
The patch of VMF-321, the unit Captain Blount technically belonged to at the time of his death.
For his deployment in the Pacific, Blount was technically a member of VMF-321. VMF-321 was a relatively new unit, having only been activated February 1, 1943. As shown by their patch, VMF-321 went by the nickname "Hell's Angels". This marine unit survived the war and was only deactivated in September of 2004. During World War II, the unit had used F4U Corsair fighters, and at their end, they flew F/A 18 Hornets.
The patch of VMF-212 during WWII; Captain Blount flew his mission and went missing in service to this unit.
Even though Captain Blount did not technically belong to VMF-212, it is the unit in which he saw all of his action, and Blount is still closely associated with this fighter squad. VMF-212 was activated March 1, 1942 and saw action in the Pacific, mostly in the Solomon Islands, from mid-1942 to the end of the war with a respite for the first half of 1943. In World War II, the unit went by the nickname "Hell Hounds". The squadron was effective at downing enemy aircraft, tied for the 5th most downed enemies amongst marine air units, at 132.5 confirmed downs. However, the unit did not escape these fights unscathed, and they lost many pilots themselves, including going through ten commanding officers over the course of the war (just over three years for this unit). Both inflicting and being inflicted with this many casualties, it is unsurprising that Captain Blount died in service to VMF-212. VMF-212 was deactivated in March of 2008.
