The squadron has assumed the lineage of VMFA-451 which was originally known as the "Blue Devils" and saw action during World War II and Operation Desert Storm.

Major Archie Donahue, the XO, shot down three Vals and two Zekes, thus becoming the first carrier-based Marine "ace-in-a-day" and adding to the nine previous kills that he scored with VMF-112 in 1943.

The flames were eventually extinguished and CV-17 limped back to Ulithi, then Pearl Harbor, and finally arrived for battle-damage repair at Puget Sound, Washington, on 3 June 1945.

On 1 July 1946, the "Fightin’ Phillies" were reactivated as a reserve unit at Naval Air Station Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, equipped with the Grumman F6F-5 Hellcat.

VMF-451 was relocated to MCAS El Toro, and periodically deployed to Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.

On 20 October, the "Warlords" craned their Furys on board USS Corregidor (CVE-58), along with the "Death Angels" of VMF-235, to deploy to NAF Atsugi, Japan.

The "Warlords" then returned to MCAS El Toro and claimed VMF-323's aircraft, remaining there until 15 September 1958, when they relieved VMF-323 at Ping Tung, Southern Taiwan, and reclaimed their Furys.

The "Warlords" were on station at the end of the Taiwan Straits crisis and returned with their FJ-4s to MCAS El Toro in November 1959 after brief carrier qualifications on board USS Lexington (CVA-16).

On 24 August 1965, VMF(AW)-451, with the AJ tailcode, deployed aboard USS Forrestal (CVA-59) for a Mediterranean cruise, before returning to MCAS Beaufort on 7 April 1966.

In July 1976, the squadron was slated to return to their former home, USS Forrestal (CV-59), with their Phantoms painted in bicentennial markings and sporting Carrier Air Wing 17's AA tailcode.

In May 1989, the squadron again sailed with the USS Coral Sea (CV-43) for a Med Cruise to end an eight-year absence of Beaufort-based Marine units on carriers.

During the cruise, VMFA-451 learned it was the recipient of the 1988 Hanson award as the outstanding Marine fighter-attack squadron, as they surpassed 40,000 accident-free hours.

VMFA-451 spent the remaining six years leading up to deactivation on the East Coast, making periodic deployments that included exercises in Norway.