Official VMA-223 Bulldogs PVC Tail Flash Patch

VMA-223 Bulldogs PVC Tail Flash Patch

Marine Attack Squadron 223 (VMA-223) – "The Bulldogs"

Commissioned on 1 May 1942 as Marine Fighting Squadron 223 (VMF-223) at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Oahu, Hawaii, the Bulldogs became one of the most storied squadrons in Marine Corps aviation history. Initially equipped with the Brewster F2A Buffalo, the squadron transitioned to the Grumman F4F Wildcat before shipping out for combat, becoming the first Marine fighter squadron committed to battle over Guadalcanal when they landed at Henderson Field on 20 August 1942. As part of the legendary Cactus Air Force, VMF-223 pilots slugged it out with Japanese aviators for control of the skies over the Solomon Islands, producing multiple flying aces including Captain Marion Carl and earning their commanding officer, Major John L. Smith, the Congressional Medal of Honor. The squadron received two Presidential Unit Citations during World War II alone.

Following the war, VMA-223 entered the jet age in July 1950 with the Grumman F9F Panther and was redesignated as a Marine Attack Squadron, emphasizing its evolving ground-attack role. Deployed to Chu Lai, South Vietnam in December 1965, the Bulldogs flew more than 32,000 flight hours and set a record in May 1967 with 1,234 combat sorties—the greatest monthly total for any attack squadron operating in Vietnam. Transitioning to the AV-8B Harrier II in October 1987, VMA-223 deployed aboard USS Saipan for Operation Sharp Edge over Liberia in 1990, supported Operation Desert Storm from Naval Station Rota in 1991, flew combat missions over Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001–2002, and launched strikes during the 2003 invasion of Iraq from USS Kearsarge and USS Bataan. The squadron surpassed 60,000 Class A mishap-free flight hours during a 2006 combat mission over Iraq. Today, VMA-223 remains the last active Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier squadron, assigned to MAG-14 under the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, carrying the distinctive rising sun rudder pattern as an homage to its Pacific War heritage.

Perfect For: VMA-223 veterans and active-duty Bulldogs, MAG-14 and 2nd MAW personnel, Harrier community aviators and maintainers, Guadalcanal and Cactus Air Force historians, and Marine Corps aviation collectors.

This tail flash patch honors one of the longest-serving and most battle-tested attack squadrons in Marine Corps history, from the skies over Guadalcanal to the last flights of the Harrier.