Leyte (CV 32) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 111 text:

HQ Mag 1 1 Officers HQ Mag 11 Men

Page 110 text:

E. W. SEEDS COL., U. S. AA. C. Commanding Officer Mag 1 I ! ■ ■ ■ ■ — | f ■■: ft ■ -j- j | IL — ■— ■-; Command and Staff

Page 112 text:

TV TARINE Fighting Squadron 223 was first commis- - i - J - sioned in Hawaii May 1, 1942, with Capt. John L. Smith, who was later to win the Medal of Honor while leading his men at Guadalcanal, as the first Commanding Officer. It ' s first aircraft were F4F ' s and F2A ' s. In July, 1942, the squadron boarded the U.S.S. Long Island and late in August flew into Guadalcanal where it was one of the first two fighter squadrons to see action there. Capt. (now Lt. Col.) Marion E. Carl, later holder of the world ' s speed record, was another famous member of the original squadron. VMF-223 stayed in Guadalcanal until November, with its pilots establishing a brilliant war record. During this period the squadron engaged the Japanese pilots dailv and shot down over 150 enemv planes. Early in 1943, Lt. Col. Carl brought the squadron to the Solomons again. Flying F4U-l ' s, the squadron fought in enemy campaigns up through the chain of islands; Guad- alcanal, Munda, Vella Lavella, Bougainville. Then in early 1945, it jumped over into the Philippines, and finally into Okinawa in the summer of 1945 where it took part in the final attacks against Japan. The squadron returned to the United States, in early 1946, and was based at El Toro, California, for two years. During much of this time the squadron was a training unit for pilots being converted from torpedo bombing and dive bombing to fighter work. In June, 1948, the squadron was tran sferred to Marine Aircraft Group Fourteen at Cherry Point, North Carolina, and in July to Marine Aircraft Group Eleven. In early 1949, the squadron participated in the Carib- bean maneuvers, and during the past year prior to present cruise was on several qualification cruises in the Atlantic.