VMA - 223 Marine Attack Squadron 223 ( VMA - 223 ) is a United States Marine Corps fixed wing attack squadron that consists of AV - 8B Harrier ( V / STOL ) jets . The squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point , North Carolina and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 14 ( MAG - 14 ) and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing ( 2nd MAW ) . The squadron uses " Stone " as its radio callsign . Mission . 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 . Marine Fighter Squadron 223 ( VMF - 223 ) was commissioned on May 1 , 1942 at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa , Oahu , Hawaii . 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 August 20 , 1942 . Upon arriving , the squadron became part of the Cactus Air Force and for the next two months slugged it out with Japan ese pilots , based out of Rabaul , for control of the skies over Guadalcanal . VMF - 223 left the island on October 16 , 1942 having accounted for 110½ enemy aircraft shot down including that of Japanese ace Junichi Sasai . 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 creditied with sixteen . Smith was to be awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism and Captain Carl would win the first of his two Navy Cross es for these actions . These victories would come at the cost of six pilots killed and six wounded , and only eight Wildcats still operational . After being equipped with the new Chance - Vought F4U Corsair , the " Bulldogs " continued to fight in such places as the Philippines and Okinawa . Two Presidential Unit Citation s were awarded and affixed to the squadron ' s battle colors during the war . Following transfer from Marine Corps Air Station El Toro to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in 1948 , VMA - 223 became a carrier squadron . The squadron deployed to the Mediterranean Sea in 1949 aboard the USS Leyte ( CV - 32 ) . The " Bulldogs " entered the Jet Age in July 1950 , receiving their first jet aircraft , the F9F Panther . In August 1957 , the squadron was equipped with the North American FJ - 4B Fury . A relatively short time later in January 1961 , the Fury was replaced by the Douglas A - 4 Skyhawk . Vietnam War . 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 . 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 dorsal hump of the aircraft . In October 1987 , VMA - 223 transitioned to the McDonnell Douglas AV - 8B Harrier II . VMA - 223 Harriers carry the distinctive ' rising sun ' rudder pattern as an homage to the squadron ' s history in WWII . In 1989 the a portion of the squadron deployed aboard the USS Nassau ( LHA - 4 ) attached to HMM - 264 for a 6 - month deployment . They visited Italy , Spain , Portugal , Monaco , France , Israel and other countries . March 1990 marked the second Sixth Fleet Deployment for the " Bulldogs " aboard the " USS Saipan " ( LHA - 2 ) 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 detachment remained at Rota through February , training with Spanish Forces . Global War on Terror . VMA - 223 flew combat missions over Afghanistan in the beginning phases of Operation Enduring Freedom in 2001 – 2002 . In January 2003 , the squadron deployed onboard as part of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade ( 2nd MEB ) . After arriving in the Northern Persian Gulf it cross - decked to and began flying combat missions in support of the 2003 invasion of Iraq . During this time , the squadron surpassed 50 , 000 mishap - free flight hours . VMA - 223 deployed to Iraq late in the summer of 2005 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom . During a combat mission over Iraq on February 10 , 2006 the squadron surpassed the 60 , 000 Class A mishap - free hours mark . This milestone is even more impressive considering the maintenance and safety issues associated with the AV - 8B aircraft . Starting in October 2011 , to April 2012 VMA - 223 was deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom . Squadron aces . A flying ace or fighter ace is a naval aviator 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 :