Officially Licensed USMC VMA-223 Great American Bulldogs Leather Patch — The Original Cactus Air Force Brawlers
From Guadalcanal to the Global War on Terror, the Bulldogs have never stopped fighting.
VMA-223 was commissioned on May 1, 1942, at Ewa Field, Hawaii, and immediately went to war. The Bulldogs became the first fighter squadron committed to combat during the Battle of Guadalcanal, landing at Henderson Field on August 20, 1942, where they joined the legendary Cactus Air Force. In just two months, they shot down over 110 enemy aircraft, producing aces like Major John L. Smith (Medal of Honor, 19 kills) and Captain Marion Carl (Navy Cross, 16 kills). The Bulldogs have flown everything from F4F Wildcats to F4U Corsairs to A-4 Skyhawks, and transitioned to the AV-8B Harrier II in 1987. As the last Marine Corps Harrier squadron still operating, VMA-223 carries a legacy that stretches from the jungles of the Pacific to the skies over Iraq and Afghanistan. This leather patch honors eight decades of attack aviation excellence.
Perfect For: VMA-223 Marines past and present, Harrier pilots and maintainers, Guadalcanal history buffs, and anyone who knows that the Bulldogs bite back.
Eighty-plus years of dropping ordnance and taking names — the Great American Bulldogs don't quit.
