Naval Air Station Wildwood (NASW) Aviation Museum announced the upcoming arrival of a Marine Corps icon: AV-8B Harrier II+ BuNo 164554. The aircraft will be part of the museum’s collection and will be on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, Florida. This combat-proven aircraft is scheduled to arrive by truck on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 4 (subject to change based on transport logistics) and will be carefully moved into the museum’s historic 92,000 square foot WWII-era Hangar #1 shortly after arrival. For updates on the move-in process and exhibit information, follow NAS Wildwood Aviation Museum on social media or visit usnasw.org.
Accepted into service on Aug. 31, 1993, with Marine Attack Squadron VMA-542, the aircraft later served with the renowned VMA-223 “Bulldogs.” During its distinguished career, this Harrier flew 219 Combat Missions and logged 755 Combat Flight Hours In support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Its final flight took place on Dec. 1, 2024, out of MCAS Cherry Point. While not the last Harrier operated by the squadron, it remains one of the final actively flown aircraft of its type — a symbol of Marine Corps aviation at its finest.
What makes the AV-8B Harrier II+ so iconic is its ability to perform vertical and/or short take-offs and landings (V/STOL), allowing it to operate from forward operating bases, aircraft carriers, and austere airstrips close to combat zones, without the need for long runways. Designed for close air support, the Harrier could rapidly respond to troops in contact, deliver precision strikes and loiter over battlefields in ways that few other jets could.
VMA-223’s lineage stretches back to World War II, when it was first commissioned as Marine Fighter Squadron 223 (VMF-223). On Aug. 20, 1942, VMF-223 became the first Marine fighter squadron committed to combat during the Battle of Guadalcanal, landing at the embattled Henderson Field and joining the legendary Cactus Air Force. In just under two months of fierce aerial combat against seasoned Japanese pilots out of Rabaul, the Bulldogs shot down 83 enemy aircraft, including that of famed Japanese ace Junichi Sasai.
Following Guadalcanal, VMF-223 transitioned to the Vought F4U Corsair and continued to serve with distinction in campaigns across the Philippines and Okinawa, earning two Presidential Unit Citations for their valor. Now, with the arrival of AV-8B Harrier II+ BuNo 164554 at NAS Wildwood, on a base that also trained Corsair pilots during WWII, the legacy of the “Bulldogs” comes full circle, bridging 80 years of Marine aviation history in one storied location.
