Originally commissioned during World War II as a night fighter unit flying the F6F-5N Hellcat, the squadron participated in combat action over Peleliu and while supporting the liberation of the Philippines in 1944–45.

[5] On the evening of 31 October, Maj Norman Mitchell from VMF(N)-541 became the only Marine to shoot down a Japanese aircraft in the Palaus when he intercepted an Aichi E13A JAKE Observation seaplane.

[8] At the end of November, a request was received from US Army forces in the Philippines for a land-based night fighter squadron flying F6Fs because the local P-61 Black Widows were being outclassed by Japanese aircraft.

[7] The squadron was alerted to move on 28 November and twelve VMF(N)-541 night fighters departed Peleliu on 3 December 1944, flying 602 miles west to Tacloban Airfield.

[7][12] On the morning of 12 December, three fighters from VMF(N)-541 were flying off of the west coast of Leyte when they were vectored toward a large formation of thirty-three Japanese aircraft split into five separate groups heading towards the US Fleet in Ormoc Bay.

Dawn/dusk patrols and providing protection to allied convoys in the area continued until 3 January 1945, when a Japanese aircraft was able to strafe the runway at Tacloban multiple times.

On 23 March 1945, a six-plane detachment and maintenance personnel were sent to Falalop Airfield to assist with local air interdiction after having been trained in nighttime dive bombing.

On 10 January 1951, VMF-541 personnel were assigned to extended active duty as part of the call up of reserves in support of the Korean War mobilization.