It was at the height of the Vietnamese War when on May 1, 1967 that Light Attack Squadron VA-82 Marauders was established. Bound for combat in Vietnam the Marauders were initially equipped
with the Vought A7-A Corsair II. The
Marauders had several combat tours aboard the USS America and USS Coral Sea. In August 1970 the squadron converted to the A7-E but when that variant
developed engine problems, they were re-equipped with the A7-C. After the end of combat in Vietnam, the
Marauders were again given the A7-E, as the initial engine problems had been solved.
VA-82 was then deployed in the Mediterranean Sea.
Starfighter Decals produces a set of 1:350 scale decals for the A7-E aircraft of the Marauders for 1978-1981 when VA-82 was serving aboard
USS Nimitz. During this time the Iranian hostage crisis erupted. In World War Two, all allied aircraft participating in the invasion of Normandy were given a series of white and black stripes to
prevent fratricide. Something similar was deployed on the Corsairs of VA-82 for the hostage rescue attempt, in that orange and black stripes were painted on the top and bottom of the right wing. The
Starfighter Decals set provides markings for ten aircraft and includes the special wing markings, if desired. On July 13, 1987 the Marauders were designated VFA-82 as they retired their Corsairs
and received the F/A-18 C Hornet. In the following years the
Marauders saw combat in Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom. The Marauders were disestablished on
September 30, 2005.