As a result of the reorganization , CAEWW-12 , Detachment 59 was commissioned VAW-123 on 1 April 1967 , at NAS Norfolk , Virginia . The commissioning date of April 1 , 1967 , makes VAW-123 one of the oldest VAW Squadron in the United States Navy . In June 1967 VAW-123 set sail aboard for Vietnam , thus becoming the first East Coast VAW squadron to go to war . On July 29 , 1967 , while serving in the Gulf of Tonkin , USS '' Forrestal '' suffered an onboard fire resulting in the death of 134 crew members , 161 injured , 21 aircraft damaged or destroyed and millions of dollars in damage to the ship . USS '' Forrestal '' returned to Norfolk with VAW-123 and the rest of the ship 's crew and Airwing . VAW-123 had no loss of any personnel or have any personnel injured in the fire but some of the squadrons E-2A aircraft had very minor damage from the fire and explosions aboard the ship
suffered an onboard fire
1967 USS Forrestal fire
VAW-123