STEPHEN STONE

Our Chief Executive Officer and President of Veterans Angels, Inc. is pictured center shaking hands with Major Ohigren and to his rear is Colonel Spanjer, Commanding Officer of Marine Aircraft Group-13.  Stephen was 22 years old in this picture.  Stephen was a Vietnam Era Marine with the United States Marine Corps and was attached to VMA-214, the "Black Sheep" squadron.  This was Medal of Honor recipient, Pappy Boyington's squadron of World War II fame.

 Stephen was an NCO attached to Movement Control Center from Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, where Lieutenant General Krulak, Commanding General FMF, Pacific, was in charge of all Pacific operations for the United States Marine Corps.   In 1964, Stephen was recommended for the honor of Marine of the Year.

During the Vietnam era, VMA-214 was an attack squadron of A-4's attached to Marine Aircraft Group-13, 1st Marine Brigade, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing Fleet Marine Force, Pacific, based in Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii.  On 20,21, and 22, March, 1964, elements of the squadron departed for Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro, California, for a weapons deployment from Kaneohe Bay.  The long journey across the Pacific was completed with the aid of in-flight refueling and upon arrival at El Toro, the Black Sheep traded their A-4B's for A-4C's.  The was the first time a squadron of planes this size were flown across the Pacific.  The Black Sheep returned to Hawaii on 22, April, 1965, and then to Futemna, Okinawa. On 23, April, 1965, VMA-214 departed on a weapons deployment to NAS Cubi Point.  All pilots were brought to a high state of proficiency in all phases of conventional weapons employment at Cubi.  The squadron flew 700 hours their first month at Cubi and on 21, June, Lt. Col. O"Keefe lead the first Black Sheep division into 4,000 feet of SATS runway at MCAS, Chu Lai, Republic of Vietnam.  With an advance element arriving via ship with the equipment, Vietnam was fully underway at this time.

VMA-214 , "Black Sheep" flew attack missions in support of the 3rd Marine  amphibious force and the Republic of Vietnam in South Vietnam.  The squadron remained in Vietnam for eight months and flew 3,971 combat missions totaling 5,274 combat hours.   

Stephen Stone is a college graduate from California State University, Sacramento.  He became a private pilot in 1983.  He and his wife, Linda, founded Veterans Angels, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit charity,  to assist Veterans and surviving spouses needing assistance in acquiring  VA benefits to help defray the costs of long term health or medical care.  Veterans Angels, Inc. does not charge any fees for helping the Veterans or their families.  Stephen is an Accredited Representative with the Department of Veterans Affairs, via the Marine Corps League of Washington, D.C.