Marine Attack Squadron (VMA)-223 is one of four AV-8B Harrier squadrons assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 14, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. Its mission is to provide offensive air support, armed reconnaissance, and air-defense for Marine expeditionary forces.
History
World War II
VMF-223 logo during World War II
Marine Fighter Squadron 223 (VMF-223) was commissioned on 1 May 1942 at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Oahu, Hawaii.[1] The "Bulldogs" first operational aircraft was the Brewster F2A Buffalo. They left Hawaii for combat equipped with the Grumman F4F Wildcat. VMA-223 became the first fighter squadron committed to combat during the Battle of Guadalcanal when they landed at Henderson Field on 20 August 1942.[2] Upon arriving, the squadron became part of the Cactus Air Force and for the next two months slugged it out with Japanese pilots, based out of Rabaul, for control of the skies over Guadalcanal. VMF-223 departed the island on 13 October 1942 having accounted for 83 enemy aircraft shot down including that of Japanese ace Junichi Sasai.[3] The two leading aces in the squadron were the commanding officer, Major John L. Smith, with nineteen confirmed shoot downs and Marion E. Carl who was credited with sixteen.[4] Smith was to be awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism and Captain Carl would earn the first of his two Navy Crosses for these actions.[3] These victories would come at the cost of six pilots killed and six wounded, and only eight Wildcats still operational.[5]
In December 1965, the "Bulldogs" once again were called upon for combat duty in the Far East, this time at Chu Lai, South Vietnam. Supporting allied ground forces, they flew more than 32,000 flight hours. In May 1967, the squadron flew a record 1,234 combat sorties, by far the greatest monthly total for any attack squadron operating in Vietnam. In February 1970, after nearly 5½ years in the Far East, the "Bulldogs" were reassigned to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and returned to MCAS El Toro.[citation needed]
Post Vietnam & 1990s
In May 1975, the squadron received the new A-4M Skyhawk aircraft. During July 1976, VMA-223 transferred from MCAS Yuma to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. During August 1977, VMA-223 returned from Japan and joined the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, stationed at Cherry Point, North Carolina. During the late 1970s until transition in 1987 VMA-223 flew the A-4M Skyhawk. VMA-223 operated the last production A-4M aircraft painted in a special commemorative paint scheme with the flags of all nations who had operated the A-4 Skyhawk on the sides of the fuselage of the aircraft. In October 1987, VMA-223 transitioned to the McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II.[citation needed]
Last built A-4 Skyhawk in flight in February 1979
VMA-223 Harriers carry the distinctive 'rising sun' rudder pattern as an homage to the squadron's history in World War II. In 1989 the a portion of the squadron deployed aboard USS Nassau attached to HMM-264 for a 6-month deployment. They visited Italy, Spain, Portugal, Monaco, France, Israel and other countries.[citation needed]
A VMA-223 Harrier taxis at Al Asad Iraq in January 2006
March 1990 marked the second Sixth Fleet Deployment for the "Bulldogs" aboard USS Saipan in support of the 22 MEU. This detachment participated in Operation Sharp Edge, flying armed combat air patrol missions in support of the non-combatant evacuation operations (NEO) over Liberia. In January 1991, the "Bulldogs" deployed a six-plane detachment to Naval Station Rota, Spain for operations in support of Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. The Bulldogs briefly occupied the decks of the USS Nassau and the Iwo Jima. The detachment remained at Rota through February, training with Spanish Forces.[citation needed]
VMA-223 deployed to Iraq late in the summer of 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During a combat mission over Iraq on 10 February 2006 the squadron surpassed the 60,000 Class A mishap-free hours mark.[6] This milestone is even more impressive considering the maintenance and safety issues associated with the AV-8B aircraft.[7]
Starting in October 2011, to April 2012 VMA-223 was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
VMF-223 pilots in 1944. Marion Carl is seated in the center.
In USN and USMC aviation squadrons, a flying ace or fighter ace is a naval aviator or naval flight officer credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The following Marines from VMA-223 have been credited with more than five victories:
^Miller, Alan C.; Kevin Sack (December 2002). "The Widow-Maker". The Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 25 November 2005. Retrieved 17 June 2006.
Carl, Marion (1994). Pushing the Envelope: The Career of Fighter Ace and Test Pilot Marion Carl. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press. ISBN1-59114-866-9.
Jones, Brett A. (1978). A History of Marine Attack Squadron 223. Washington D.C.: History and Museums Division, Headquarters Marine Corps.
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