The Cactus Air Force was the ensemble of Allied air power assigned to the island of Guadalcanal from August 1942 until December 1942 during the most heavily contested phases of the Guadalcanal …

Jun 12, 2006 · A small group of die-hard aviators fended off Japanese invaders at Guadalcanal, code-named 'Cactus.'

Aug 20, 2015 · The aircraft on board Long Island represented the first Marine aviation assets committed to Guadalcanal, the beginning of the “Cactus Air Force,” so named after the Allied codename for the...

They were the first of the “Cactus Air Force,” a term used to describe the Marine Corps, Navy, and Army aviators defending Guadalcanal during its darkest hours.

The Cactus Air Force—a conglomeration of planes and their fliers based at a primitive, muddy airfield—were instrumental to ensuring the success of the first U.S. offensive in the Pacific.

Oct 22, 2020 · Despite all of these challenges, the Cactus Air Force fought tenaciously and was successful in helping the U.S. achieve victory. Six different airmen were awarded the Medal of Honor …

The pilots and planes at Henderson Field soon became known as the "Cactus Air Force", since Cactus was the Allied code name for the island of Guadalcanal. A few days after the arrival of the first U.S. …

The author documents the initial deployment of Marine Fighter Squadron 223 under Major John Smith, examining how a single squadron of F4F Wildcat fighters formed the core around which the Cactus …

This study examines the role of the CACTUS Air Force during the battle for Guadalcanal. Hurriedly planned and executed, Guadalcanal was the first U.S. ground offensive in the Pacific.

Jul 10, 2017 · Without the fuel supplies to keep up a constant air patrol, the Cactus Air Force had to use other tactics to get into the air before the Japanese struck. As a result, they were reliant on …