U.S. Marine Corps VMF-223 History

VMF-223 (1942-Present) - Wildcat Squadron with Marion Carl

History:

VMF-223 came into existence on May 1, 1942, when the Marine Corps stood up the squadron at Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Oahu, Hawaii, under the command of Maj. John L. Smith, a steely-eyed tactician who built a formidable unit of 19 pilots, including Capt. Marion E. Carl, a cool-headed Kansan already seasoned from Midway, to fly Grumman F4F-4 Wildcats as the Pacific war intensified. The squadron spent the summer of 1942 at Barbers Point, honing combat skills with the Wildcat’s six .50-caliber guns, and on August 20, 1942, launched from the escort carrier USS Long Island to land at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, joining the Cactus Air Force as one of its earliest fighter outfits, just 13 days after the Marines hit the beach. Under Smith’s leadership, VMF-223 threw itself into the fight, with Carl scoring his first Guadalcanal kill—a Zero—on August 24, kicking off a relentless campaign against Japanese air raids; Smith tallied 19 kills by October, earning a Medal of Honor, while Carl racked up 16.5 victories, cementing his status as a top ace.

The squadron’s Wildcats clashed daily over Ironbottom Sound, often limping back to a cratered airstrip, and by November 1942, when Smith rotated out, Maj. Robert E. Galer took command, adding 13 kills and another Medal of Honor to the unit’s haul. In early 1943, VMF-223 swapped Wildcats for F4U Corsairs under Maj. Richard C. Mangrum, pounding Japanese targets until May 1943, when it returned to MCAS El Toro, California, for a breather.

The squadron redeployed in 1944, flying Corsairs from Green Island and Emirau, hitting Rabaul and beyond, and closed out WWII at Guam in 1945, deactivating on June 30, 1946, at MCAS Miramar.

Reactivated on November 1, 1946, at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, VMF-223 flew F9F Panthers in Korea under Lt. Col. Max J. Volcansek Jr., supporting the 1st Marine Division in 1950-51, then transitioned to FJ-4 Furies by the late 1950s. Redesignated VMA-223 in 1962, it flew A-4 Skyhawks in Vietnam from Chu Lai starting July 1966 under Lt. Col. William G. Johnson, amassing over 40,000 sorties, and shifted to AV-8A Harriers in 1971 at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina. The squadron adopted F/A-18 Hornets in 1987, deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan under Lt. Col. Robert G. Walsh, and today operates AV-8B Harriers as VMA-223 “Bulldogs” at MCAS Cherry Point, its Wildcat roots a distant but proud echo.

Highlights:
Established: May 1, 1942, at NAS Barbers Point, Oahu, under Maj. John L. Smith.
Aircraft (Wildcat Era): F4F-4 Wildcats from 1942 to early 1943.
Guadalcanal (1942-1943): Arrived Henderson Field August 20, 1942, fought with Cactus Air Force through November.
Aces: Maj. John L. Smith scored 19 kills, earned Medal of Honor—left November 1942.
Capt. Marion E. Carl tallied 16.5 kills, a top Marine ace—started August 24, 1942.
Maj. Robert E. Galer added 13 kills, also earned Medal of Honor.
Kills: 110 Japanese aircraft with Wildcats by early 1943, total 159 in WWII.
Corsair Shift: Transitioned to F4U Corsairs in early 1943 under Maj. Richard C. Mangrum.
Later Wars: Korea (F9F Panthers, 1950-51), Vietnam (A-4 Skyhawks, 40,000+ sorties), Iraq/Afghanistan (F/A-18 Hornets).
Current: VMA-223 “Bulldogs” at MCAS Cherry Point, flying AV-8B Harriers.

Marion Carl’s Role with VMF-223

Marion E. Carl was a standout in VMF-223’s Wildcat era at Guadalcanal:

Background: Born November 1, 1915, in Hubbard, Oregon, Carl joined the Marines in 1938, earned his wings in 1939, and flew with VMF-1 before Midway. At Midway (June 4, 1942) with VMF-221, he scored his first kill—a Zero—before joining VMF-223.

Guadalcanal: Arriving August 20, 1942, as a captain under Maj. John L. Smith, Carl flew his first mission on August 24, downing a Zero, and quickly became a linchpin of the squadron. His 16.5 kills (16 confirmed, one shared) came between August and October 1942, mostly Zeros and G4M Betty bombers, making him the Marine Corps’ first ace (recognized after his fifth kill on August 26). On September 9, he was shot down by a Zero, parachuted into the sea, and evaded capture for five days with help from locals before returning to Henderson Field.

Impact: Carl’s tally trailed Smith’s 19 but outpaced many peers, and his survival story boosted morale. He left VMF-223 in late 1942, later commanding VMF-122 in 1943-44 (adding two kills for a WWII total of 18.5), and rose to major general, retiring in 1973. Tragically, he was murdered in 1998 during a home invasion in Oregon.

Wildcat Focus with Carl

VMF-223’s Wildcat era (August 1942-early 1943) at Guadalcanal was a crucible, and Carl’s 16.5 kills were a cornerstone of its 110 Wildcat victories. With Smith’s 19 and Galer’s 13, the squadron boasted three Medal of Honor aces (though Carl’s award was a Navy Cross), driving its WWII total to 159 kills. Arriving August 20, 1942, with F4F-4s, VMF-223 fought from Henderson Field’s muddy chaos, transitioning to Corsairs in 1943.