The Flying Wardens of VMFA-304 have had an exceptionally colorful history, flying everything from the F4F Hellcat and AD Skyraider to the RA-5C Vigilante and the F-35D Lightning II. Between their stints with the Skyraider and Vigilante they operated the A-4 Skyhawk, providing close air support to Osean and Aurelian forces against communist insurgents in the latter country's northern jungles. VMA-304 notably was the squadron with the only Marine Corps ace of the war not to fly the F-4 Phantom or F-8 Crusader, with Capt. Luis Avery shooting down two enemy aircraft with an A-1 and four with his Skyhawk. After three tours in the Aurelian Sea the squadron would be redesignated to RVMAH-304, becoming the sole Marine Corps squadron to operate the RA-5C and one of three equipped with any form of the Vigilante (along with VMAH-63 and VMAH-174 flying the A-5B non-nuclear variant) and would later operate the A-6E Intruder as VMA(AW)-304 and the F/A-18D Night Attack and F-35D as VMFA-304
