A digital aviation museum and heritage archive honoring Marine Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron Two (VMAQ-2), known as the "Playboys." This site preserves the history, aircraft, patches, deployments, mascot, and legacy of the squadron and the Marines who served in it from 1952 to 2019.
"If you can turn it on, we can turn it off." — VMAQ-2 Motto
VMAQ-2 was activated on December 1, 1952 at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina as VMC-2. Redesignated VMCJ-2 in 1955 and finally VMAQ-2 on January 1, 1977, the squadron flew every major electronic warfare aircraft operated by the Marine Corps — from the Douglas EF-10B Skyknight to the EA-6A Electric Intruder to the EA-6B Prowler.
The Playboys served in every major U.S. military conflict from Vietnam through the Global War on Terror, earning six unit commendations and flying over 500 combat sorties in Desert Storm alone. Their final combat deployment — seven months at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar in 2018, simultaneously supporting operations in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan — was with the last six EA-6B Prowlers in the entire U.S. military.
VMAQ-2 was deactivated on March 8, 2019 after 68 years of continuous service.
| Page | Description |
|---|---|
| Home | Landing page with stats, section cards leading to all areas of the site, photo strip, and closing tribute |
| History | Full vertical timeline from HEDRON 2 (1950) through deactivation (March 8, 2019) — 28 entries |
| Aircraft | EA-6B Prowler technical specs, capabilities, armament, variants, combat record, photo gallery, and earlier aircraft (EF-10B, EA-6A, RF-4B, F8U, AD-5N) |
| Deployments | Era-organized operational deployment record from the Korean War through the 2018 Qatar final deployment, with verified stats and unit awards |
| Gallery | Photo archive spanning six decades of squadron life, operations, aircraft, and personnel |
| Patches | 78-patch collection organized by era from MAGG HEDRON 2 (1950) through the final "Censored" Bunny (2012), with lightbox and stories |
| Charlie Yankee | The legend of VMAQ-2's stuffed bunny mascot — stolen, eulogized, combat-veteran, and Playboy Mansion guest |
| Legacy | Full narrative tribute — chapter-by-chapter story, verified unit awards, impact on Marine aviation, and closing memorial |
| About | Site purpose, contribution information, and disclaimer |
- React 18 with TypeScript
- React Router 7 — client-side routing with page fade transitions
- Vite 6 — build tool
- Tailwind CSS 4 — styling
- Lucide React — icons
- Deployed via GitHub Pages with automated CI/CD
- Node.js v20 or later
- npm (comes with Node.js)
# 1. Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/Vmaq2newsite.git
cd Vmaq2newsite
# 2. Install dependencies
npm install
# 3. Start the development server
npm run devThe site will be available at http://localhost:5173/Vmaq2newsite/
npm run buildOutput is placed in the ./dist folder. The site is configured with a base path of /Vmaq2newsite/ for GitHub Pages compatibility.
Deployment is fully automated via GitHub Actions. Any push to the main branch will:
- Install dependencies
- Build the project with Vite
- Deploy the
./distoutput to GitHub Pages
See .github/workflows/deploy.yaml for the workflow configuration.
public/
└── images/
├── aircraft/ # EA-6B, EA-6A, EF-10B, RF-4B, and other aircraft photos
├── charlie-yankee/ # Charlie Yankee mascot photos
├── gallery/ # General squadron photo archive
├── history/ # Historical squadron photos
└── patches/ # 78 patch images spanning 1950–2012
src/
├── app/
│ ├── components/ # Shared components (Navigation, Footer, PageLayout, Hero, etc.)
│ ├── pages/ # Page components (Home, History, Aircraft, Deployments, etc.)
│ ├── utils/ # Utility functions (imgUrl)
│ ├── App.tsx # Root app with router provider
│ └── routes.ts # Route definitions
├── styles/
│ ├── index.css # Style entry point
│ ├── theme.css # CSS custom properties, keyframes, and base styles
│ ├── tailwind.css # Tailwind directives
│ └── fonts.css # Font imports
└── main.tsx # Application entry point
This site is built on verified historical sources. Key facts reflected throughout:
- Activation: December 1, 1952 (as VMC-2, MCAS Cherry Point)
- VMCJ-2 redesignation: December 1, 1955
- VMAQ-2 redesignation: January 1, 1977
- Deactivation: March 8, 2019 (68 years of service)
- Desert Storm: 500+ sorties / 1,600+ flight hours
- Operation Allied Force: 2,151.5 hours / 464 sorties / 57 HARMs
- OIF '06–'08: 4,423 flight hours
- Det X-Ray, Camp Bastion: 410 continuous days (longest single EA-6B det in Marine Corps history)
- Final deployment: Al Udeid AB, Qatar, 2018 — 250+ personnel, 6 aircraft (last Prowlers in U.S. military), simultaneous OIR + OFS support
- Unit commendations: 6
This is an unofficial historical dedication website and is not affiliated with the United States Marine Corps or Department of Defense. All information is presented for historical and educational purposes.
© VMAQ-2 Historical Dedication Project — Semper Fidelis. Can Do Easy.