AV-8B Harrier II "Last Demo" 2024

Marine Attack Squadron 231 (VMA-231) "Ace of Spades" — AV-8B Harrier II Demo Team, MCAS Cherry Point · USMC · 2024

Sold on the show line at the 2024 MCAS Cherry Point Air Show on 11–12 May, this souvenir marked what the Marine Corps billed as the final public demonstration of the AV-8B Harrier II, flown by VMA-231 "Ace of Spades" under squadron commanding officer Lt. Col. Paul Truog before record crowds of roughly 120,000 over two days. The routine put the jump jet through simulated attack runs and high-G turns before the signature party trick: 500 knots decelerated to a motionless hover. The "last demo" proved a little premature — Harriers turned up again at the 2025 MCAS Beaufort Air Show, and the type did not truly bow out until VMA-223 "Bulldogs" flew a five-ship sundown formation and vertical landing at Cherry Point on 3 June 2026. As submitter SSgt Sally put it, it ended up not being the last Harrier demo, but it was a cool gimmick to buy at the airshow.