After months of training, the squadron left San Francisco on September 6, 1942, on board the USS Mount Vernon heading for Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii.

On September 24, the squadron began transferring its SBD Dauntless Divebombers in exchange for Grumman TBF Avengers.

After a year of rest, refitting, and training, VMTB-131 again deployed to the Pacific Theater on 29 March 1944 this time on board the USS Petrof Bay.

On 25 July 1945 they were transferred under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 (MAG-14) and went ashore to be based out of Okinawa where they remained until the end of the war.

[4] VMA-131 remained at NAS New York until 1970 when it moved to Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Willow Grove, Pennsylvania until 1998.