 While deployed aboard the Essex, they took part in fighting over Lingayen, Luzon, Formosa, Tokyo, Iwo Jima and Okinawa.On 3 January 1945 VMF-124 and VMF-213 struck Formosa and the Ryukyu Islands in the first Marine land strike off a carrier.The squadron was reformed shortly after the war at Naval Air Station Memphis and were equipped with the F4U-4 Corsair.