History
During the Second World War, the United States Army proposed the creation of a highly expendable military unit consisting of soldiers convicted of felonies to serve on the most dangerous missions that had little to no chance of survival. The unit was nicknamed the Suicide Squadron. Among their hazardous duties were attempts to take a small atoll in the Pacific known as Dinosaur Island.
Because of the Squadron's role, morale and discipline in the group was low while casualties were high. This changed late in the war when the Squadron was put under the command of Captain Richard Flag, who managed to make the group a more efficient fighting unit, despite the feuds among its members.
Following the end of the war, the Suicide Squadron was put under the umbrella organization of Task Force X and became a covert force known as the Suicide Squad.
Notes
A team featured in Star-Spangled War Stories #110-111 is also referenced as "Suicide Squadron", but it is not clear whether it is a formal designation. In some issues (e.g. Star-Spangled War Stories #126) the name "Suicide Squad" is only used in the cover. It is possible that the name was at some point a generic, informal designation for any small military teams expected to go through unusually high dangers (such as those assigned to missions around Dinosaur Island).
See Also
- 14 Appearances of Suicide Squadron (New Earth)
- 2 Images that include Suicide Squadron (New Earth)
- Team Gallery: Suicide Squadron (New Earth)
Links and References
- Suicide Squad at Wikipedia
Footnotes