On 21 Nov 2001, I, along with three good friends, decided we had used up enough service life in the Marine Corps’ Grumman EA-6B Prowler (BUNO: 164403 – ICAP II Block 89A) and it was time to say good-bye.  I’m so grateful to Martin-Baker (and the VMAQ-1 Seat Shop Marines, led by GySgt Cornwall) that we were all able to fly your four seats to an open water rescue.  Rolling left and pitching nose down at ~500 knots, your seat worked “as advertised” (including the O2 in the seat pan; which, by the way, when bubbling inside a water-logged raft makes one think they are now in open ocean with a hole in their raft – my bad, not yours).  As a side note, it’s the seat pan tugging on, and slamming into, the bottom of the raft – not a shark – but I digress. I emerged with negligible injuries (minor cuts & scratches) after punching through the glass.

From Ejectee #5244, thanks Martin-Baker.

You guys are the epitome of “Semper Fi”.