I Was Today Years Old When I Learned the USMC Retired the Harrier jet last June

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A flight of the Marine Corps’ legendary AV-8B Harrier IIs, ground attack jets that can take off and land vertically, will make a final public flight this week to mark the aircraft’s retirement after more than five decades of service with the Corps.

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Marine Attack Squadron 223 will deliver its remaining Harriers to aircraft museums and storage facilities over the next several months, and that may involve further flights, Corps officials said. The squadron is scheduled to officially deactivate in September.

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The Marine Corps first began flying Harriers in 1971. The British also used the aircraft during the 1982 Falklands War, during which the Argentinian pilots nicknamed the plane “La Muerta Negra” or the Black Death.

Marine Harriers have seen combat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and elsewhere. Their ability to take off from short runways and perform vertical landings also made them ideal for Marine amphibious assault ships.

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