By the end of February, the newly activated squadron arrived in San Pedro de Macorís, Santo Domingo for duty with the 2nd Brigade where it served until July 1924.

[4][5] Among the first Marine aviators ever to receive the Distinguished Flying Cross were Major Rowell and Lieutenant Hayne D. Boyden, to whom it was awarded for their participation in the Battle of Ocotal.

[7] Although the squadron was aboard the Lexington during the attack on Pearl Harbor, the rear echelon, still at MCAS Ewa suffered the loss of seven spare SB2U-3s which had been left behind.

Reorganizing at MCAS Ewa, the squadron received Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers and was transferred to Marine Aircraft Group 23 (MAG-23).

Along with VMF-224, the squadron constituted the rear echelon of MAG-23 and was loaded aboard the aircraft transport USS Kitty Hawk (AKV-1) during the last week of August 1942 and shipped to the South Pacific.

After another night's layover, the flight echelon flew to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal on 30 August 1942, arriving right before the daily Japanese air raid on the field and becoming the second Marine dive bomber squadron to operate ashore [9] Major Leo Smith, and Captains Ruben Iden and Elmer Glidden led the squadron during the stay on Guadalcanal.

The squadron again deployed to the Pacific Theater and began operations bombing by-passed Japanese garrisons in the Marshall Islands on 4 February 1944.

[1] The squadron was reactivated in the United States Marine Corps Reserve in September 1948 as VMF-231 in Akron, Ohio, and Grosse Ile Township, Michigan, until it was again decommissioned on 31 August 1962.

Highlights of the cruise included a transit of the Suez Canal aboard USS Guam (LPH-9) and participation of VMA-231 in Kenya's Independence Day celebration by twelve AV-8A aircraft.

VMA-231 rejoined the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing on 20 April 1977, as the squadron safely returned to MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina.

The move necessitated an unprecedented around-the-world trip as the Ace of Spades flew 18,000 NM in 14 days to join Marine Aircraft Group 13 (MAG-13) (forward).

[2] On the morning of 17 January 1991, Operation Desert Storm began and VMA-231 was flying combat missions to silence Iraqi artillery batteries, which were indiscriminately shelling the Saudi Arabian border town of Khafji.

On 9 February 1991, a newly promoted captain, pilot Russell A.C. Sanborn’s aircraft was shot down over the Iraqi-occupied Kuwaiti desert by a surface-to-air missile during a combat mission.

[2] During February 1991, when the air war intensified and the critical ground campaign began, Marine Attack Squadron 231 accumulated 966.2 hours.

[2] In September 1991, a six-plane detachment was sent out with HMH-362 aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Saipan (LHA-2) where it served as part of the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit in the Persian Gulf.

From February 1995 to August 1996, VMA-231 would participate with the 24th MEU aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) in rescuing downed United States Air Force pilot Captain Scott O'Grady and also with the 26th MEU aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) participating in Operation Deny Flight.