VP-23

Patrol Squadron 23
VP-23 Patch (1953-1985)
Active	1 July 1930 – 1 October 1944 17 May 1946 – 28 February 1995
Country	United States
Branch	U.S. Navy
Type	Squadron
Role	Anti-Submarine and Maritime Patrol
Part of	Patrol Wing (PatWing) Five
Garrison/HQ	Brunswick Naval Air Station, Brunswick, Maine
Nickname(s)	Seahawks
Decorations	Navy Unit Commendation – 5 Sep 1979 to 4 Mar 1980 Meritorious Unit Commendation – 9 Sep 1970 to 31 Oct 1970 Meritorious Unit Commendation – 15 Feb 1981 to 29 Jul 1981 Meritorious Unit Commendation – 5 May 1990 to 10 Nov 1990 Navy Expeditionary Medal – 1 Oct 1976 to 30 Sep 1977 Navy Expeditionary Medal – 21 Nov 1979 to 1 Dec 1979 Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal – 23 Oct 1983 to 21 Nov 1983 Southwest Asia Service Medal – Oct 1990 to 10 Nov 1990 Joint Meritorious Unit Award – 15 Aug 1990 to 12 Oct 1990 Battle "E" (1976)
Aircraft flown
Patrol	Martin T4M Consolidated P2Y PBY Catalina PB4Y-2 Privateer P-2 Neptune (P2V) P-3 Orion

VP-23, Patrol Squadron 23, known as the Seahawks, was a U.S. Navy fixed-wing, anti-submarine and maritime Patrol Squadron based at Brunswick Naval Air Station, Brunswick, Maine, USA. It was disestablished on February 28, 1995.

Squadron history

Pre-1946

Established as VP-10S on 1 July 1930, and subsequently redesignated VP-10F on 17 July 1933, VP-10 on 1 October 1937, VP-25 on 1 July 1939, and as VP-23 on 1 August 1941. It became VPB-23 on 1 October 1944, and was disestablished on 25 January 1946.

1946 to 1995

PB4Y-2 "Privateer" of VP-23

The squadron was re-established as Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Three (VPW-3) on 17 May 1946, but was redesignated as Meteorology Squadron Three (VPM-3) on 15 November. It was redesignated Heavy Patrol Squadron (Landplane) Three (VP-HL-3) on 8 December 1947 (as the second squadron to be assigned the VP-HL-3 designation), and to Patrol Squadron Twenty Three (VP-23) on 1 September 1948 (the third squadron to be assigned the VP-23 designation). The squadron was finally disestablished on 28 February 1995.

Deployments

• 19 May 1952: VP-23 deployed to Argentia, Newfoundland, for three months of advanced base training in cold weather operations, relieving VP-24.
• January 1953: VP-23 deployed to the Spanish Air Base at Reus, Tarragona, Spain, for one week of training with Spanish Air Force personnel. At the end of the week the squadron flew to Port Lyautey, French Morocco.
• June 1953: VP-23 deployed to Argentia, Newfoundland, with a detachment at Thule AFB, Greenland.
• April 1955: VP-23 deployed to Bermuda with new jet-assisted A/C. A three-aircraft detachment was maintained at Lajes, Azores.
• July 1962 – January 1963: After successfully locating and tracking the Columbian pirate ship Anzoátegui in February 1963, VP-23 maintained a three aircraft detachment at Leeward Point in Guantanamo, Cuba, after the Cuban Missile Crisis began in September of that year and maintained surveillance of the approaches to Cuba for the next several years.
• October 1970 – March 1971: VP-23 was deployed to Suda Bay, Crete; Sigonella, Sicily, Rota, Spain, and Lajes, Azores.
• 13 June – 14 November 1974: Naval Station Rota, Spain, and NAF Lajes (Lajes Field), Azores.
• 2 July – 17 December 1975: Naval Air Station Bermuda, Bermuda, and (Lajes Field), Azores.
• 1 December 1976 – 5 May 1977 at Naval Station Rota, Spain, and NAF Lajes (Lajes Field), Azores.
• 1978: March – September, Naval Station Rota, Spain, and NAF Lajes (Lajes Field), Azores.
• September 1979 – March 1980: Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland. In February 1980 split deployment to Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean in response to the 1980 Iran Hostage Crisis.
• 15 February – 29 July 1981: Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland.
• 1982: Naval Station Rota, Spain, and NAF Lajes (Lajes Field), Azores.
• 1983: Naval Air Station Bermuda.
• 1984: Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily.
• 1986: Naval Station Rota, Spain/Lajes Field, Azores.
• 1987: Naval Air Station Keflavik, Iceland.
• 1988 – 1989: Naval Station Rota, Spain, and NAF Lajes (Lajes Field), Azores.
• 1990: Naval Air Station, Bermuda; UNITAS: Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Brazil.
• 1992 – 1993: Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily, and Operations Desert Shield and Southern Watch.

Notable personnel

• Austin Boyd, author.
• Michael Foreman, Mission Specialist on STS-123 and STS-129.
• Rear Admiral Jeffrey Lemmons.
• Michael McKinnon, CEO of Hygenall Corporation.
• Rear Admiral Mark Skinner.

See also

• History of the United States Navy
• List of inactive United States Navy aircraft squadrons
• List of United States Navy aircraft squadrons

References

• VP-23 Home Page from VP Navy.Org
• "Third VP-23" DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN NAVAL AVIATION SQUADRONS—Volume 2 (from VP-23.org)

External links

• VP-23 Association Website
• VP-23 Pages from Military.Com
• Patrol Squadron 23 - Primarily from '50s and before
• History Page from VP Navy.Org
• Official VP-23 History from DICTIONARY OF AMERICAN NAVAL AVIATION SQUADRONS—Volume 2, Chapter 3, pgs. 141-152
• Squadron History from Dave's Warbirds
• VP-23 Patch History
• Biography of Francis H. Clifton, VP-23/VPB-23, USN
• Photo of the crew of the Patrol Squadron 23 (VP-23) PBY-5A that found the approaching Japanese fleet's Midway Occupation Force