Famous as the "boots on the ground," U.S. Marines have long played a vital role in the air as well. In these pages, readers will find both history and analysis as Naval Institute authors record and assess this lesser-known but significant aspect of "Leatherneck" combat over the last century.

Thomas J. Cutler: THOMAS J. CUTLER, Lt. Cmdr., USN (Ret.), is also the author of A Sailor's History of the U.S. Navy and The Battle of Leyte Gulf, among other books, and is the recipient of the Alfred Thayer Mahan Award for Naval Literature.