I have the Aviation history Magazine, and heres what I says:

"The Marines didn't exactly santion nose art for WW2 aircraft,
but it flew anyway. In the case of the 323rd, so the story goes, it was inspired by a confrontation between a 6-foot rattlesnake and squadron members near their training base at Cherry Point, N.C. The Leathernecks hung up its skin in their ready room and dubbed their unit 'Death Rattlers.'
Arguably the most sucssesful Marine fighter squadron in the buisness. The unit was credited with downing 124 1/2 Japaneese planes in the matter of a few weeks without any losses. Shown here aboard USS Sicily with an F4U is Vance 'Bud' Yount.
Anyone still want to do it?