1942: Air Station Ewa Oahu Hawaii
From the end of WWII and the Korean war: Bulldogs operated at Marine Corps. Air Station El Toro and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point.
Naval Air Station Atsugi, Japan
FEB 1970: Marine Corps. Air Station El Toro, California.
JUN 1972: Moved to Marine Corps. Air Station Yuma, Arizona.
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Air Wings

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Deployments

August 1942: F4F-4 - Guadalcanal
10-23-64 to 05-16-65 Det T: A-4C - USS Yorktown CVS-10
Dec 1965 - Nov 1966: A-4E - Chu Lai, RVN
Feb 1967 - 1968: A-4E - Chu Lai, RVN
1968 - Jan 1970: A-4C - Chu Lai, RVN

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Aircraft

1942: Brewster F2A Buffalo.
1942: Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat.
JUN 1943: Chance Vought F4U-1 Corsair.
1945: Chance Vought F4U-4 Corsair.
1953: Grumman F9F-4 Panthers.
AUG 1957: North American FJ-4 Fury.
JAN 1961: Douglas A4D-2N (A-4C) Skyhawk.
Circa 1966: Douglas A-4E Skyhawk.
AUG 1970: Douglas A-4F Skyhawk.
1975: A-4M Douglas Skyhawk.
OCT 1987: McDonnel Douglas AV-8B Harrier.
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Commanding Officers

1942: Major John L. Smith, USMC
1969: Lt. Col. M. S. Newbill, USMC
8-77 to 7-78: Lt. Col. R. H. Melville, USMC
19?? - June? 1982: Lt. Col Booth, USMC
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Events

May 1, 1942 commissioned:
Marine Fighter Squadron two two three was commissioned May 1, 1942 at Marine Corps. Air Station Ewa Oahu, territory of Hawaii, assigned to MAG 23.
August 1942:
The first squadron committed to combat in skies of Guadalcanal equipped with eighteen Grumman F4F-4 "Wildcats"
August 1942:
Commanding Officer Major John L. Smith was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
1942:
Major Marion E. Carl became the Marine Corps. first "ace"; awarded two Navy Crosses.
June 1943:
Grumman Wildcats replaced by the Chance Vaught F4U-1 Corsair.
From the end of WWII and the Korean war:
Bulldogs operated at Marine Corps. Air Station El Toro, Marine Corps. Air Station Cherry Point; Aboard the aircraft carriers: USS Leyte, USS Wright, USS Saipan, USS Franklin D. Roosevelt, USS Taraw, USS Midway and USS Bennington. All the time flying F4U-4 "Corsairs" then changing over to Grumman F9F-4 "Panthers" during the Korean War.
December 1954:
Returned to Marine Corps. Air Station El Toro from a deployment in Japan.
August 1957:
Accepted and trained in FJ-4 Fury
1959:
VMA 223 was in Lebanon to assist the Lebanon Government. As a result of this deployment, VMA 223 had painted a cobra on forward portion of all aircraft fuselage to signify the operation.
January 1961:
Accepted the Douglas A4D-2N, later designated as the A-4C Skyhawk.
July 1962:
During VMA 211's Iwakuni deployment about 25 personnel were loaned to assist VMA 223's flight operation at Udon, Thailand. VMA 223 flew close air support sorties into Laos assisting Air America's operations. VMA 223, had deployed from Atsugi, Japan on Air America's request.
October 1964 to May 1965:
VMA-223 Det T deployed USS Yorktown (CVS-10) flying A-4C Skyhawks.
December 1965:
Deployed to Chu Lai, RVN with the A-4E Skyhawk.
December 1968:
Deployed to Chu Lai, RVN with the A-4C Skyhawk.
1965 - February 1970:
Supported military operations in Vietnam including 1,234 sorties flown in May 1967, and delivering 1,723 tons of ordnance in December 1968
February 1970:
TransPac the Squadron Skyhawk to Marine Corps. Air Station El Toro, California.
August 1970:
Received the A-4F Skyhawk.
June 1972:
Moved to Marine Corps. Air Station Yuma, Arizona.
1975:
Became the first Fleet Squadron to recieve the Douglas A-4M Skyhawk, the most advanced version of Skyhawk series.
May 1976:
All nine Fighter and Attack Squadrons in the Marine Air Wing competed in a 3 day Air to Ground firepower exercise. VMA-223 with the new "A-4 Mikes" won top honors. The Bulldogs deployed to Iwakuni, Japan for 12 month tour.
August 1977:
Returned to CONUS relocating to Marine Corps. Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.
May 1981:
Deployed to Iwakuni, Japan for six months.
May 1982:
Returned to CONUS at Marine Corps. Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina.
1983-1987:
Deployed numerous times participating in excercises throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
1987:
VMA-223 was the last (as they were the first) operational A-4M squadron on the East Coast.
October 1987:
Transitioned to McDonnel Douglas AV-8B Harrier.
May 1989:
Aboard the USS Nassau (LHA-4) in support of the 26th MEU.
September 1989:
With the exception of personnel deployed on the USS Nassau (LHA-4), VMA-223 deployed to CFB Cold Lake Canada for training with Canadian Forces.
March 1990:
Deployed aboard USS Saipan (LHA-2) supporting the 22nd MEU. Participated in "Operation Sharp Edge" flying armed combat air patrol missions supporting non-combatant evacuation operations in Liberia.
January 1991:
Deployed a 6 plane detatchment to NAS Rota Spain for contingency operations supporting "Operation Desert Shield/Storm"
June 1991:
Deployed abourd USS Wasp (LHD-1) with 10 Harriers, supporting the 26th MEU.
December 1993:
VMA-223 took delivery of the AV-8B II Plus Radar/Night Attack Harrier.
1994:
Deployments to Hill Air Farce Base, Utah; 29 Palms, California; Indian Springs, Nevada
1994:
VMA-223 developed the first Harrier night system capabilities on the east coast.
October 1994:
Deployed aboard USS Nassau (LHA-4) with the 22nd MEU. Flew sorties as part of operations "Provide Promise", "Sharp Edge", and "Deny Flight" supporting United Nations operations in Bosnia.
September 1996:
Changed back to the day attack Harrier.
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Awards

No info yet.
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Sources

Cpl. Veronica Davis.
Doug Foreback.
Masaaki Hayakawa.
Takafumi Hiroe.
Tom Leavens
Sam Melville.
Frank J. Mirande.
C. J. Tapia.
Rusty Williams.
Robert Bensle

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