:vIICHAEL L. ROBERTS ~NITED' TATES / I N A / / A VIATION PATCHES AIRCRAFT/ ArrACK SQUADRONS/ HELICOPTER SQUADRONS MICHAEL L. ROBERTS SchifferMilitary/Aviation History Atglen, PA FOREWORD I nsignias are the modern form of heraldry of the knights of old. In the armed services insignias serve as a form ofshorthand that iden tifies an individual's service, rank, authority, specialty and organi zation. The organizational insignia, from the plain to very involved de sign, expresses a pride in oneselfand his or her organization. From this pride springs self-discipline, the essence of respect for self, for service and for country. The first semi-official Navy organizational insignias began to ap pear in the fledging NavalAeronautical Organization in the early twen ties with the establishment ofthe Bureau ofAeronautics in 1921 and a year later the formation offighting, scouting, observation, seaplane pa trol and torpedo plane squadrons. By 1927, the now familiar High Hat, Felix the Cat and VF-2's Flying Chiefs squadron insignias began ap pearingonthe sidesofthe Navy's nimble, brightly coloredbiplanefight Acknowledgements ers. Bythe beginningofWorldWarII all Navy aviation squadrons, most The following are honorably mentioned for giving me the encour agementneededfor thisproject: N. av.al.and Reserve airstations, and even aircraft carriers had distinctive InSIgmas. DougBarnard RobertDugger DaveRobinson During the SecondWorldWar aviation squadrons, surface ships and DavidBernstein RichardHassler DaleStockam RobertBiondi John Lombardo JamesTownley submarines, and shore establishment organizational insignias abound, WilliamCain Keith Morey LloydWalton establishing a high esprit de corps within each individual in that unit. StanChin' J.L. PeteMorgan WayneWeidner Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny and a host of other charac ters truly went to war with all branches of the armed services on the Thepatchesdepictedinthisbookarefromtheauthor'spersonalcol lectionandarepresentedforhistoricalpurposesonly,andtoserveas sides of tanks, planes and ships bridges. In fact in 1943, the Navy told aguideforhistorians, collectors, anddesigners. its squadrons to knock off using Donald Duck so often for proposed . . . This book is not intended to be the complete authority on the InSIgmas. subject.Itdepictsover1000patchesfromWorldWarIItothepresent. Theimagesonpages6,35,38,84,thefrontcoverandendsheets I remember all the displays of insignias in Life Magazine ads and are officialU.S. Navyphotographs. collecting bottle caps and stickers from boxes of cereal during the war that had aviation insignias on them. We all knew what the insignias of BookDesignbyMichaelL.Roberts& RobertBiondi. the Flying Tigers, Eagle squadron, 94th Fighter and VF-31 squadrons Copyright©1995byMichaelL.Roberts. LibraryofCongressCatalogNumber:95-67624 looked like, what kind of planes they flew and how they performed in combat. When I grew up I was able turn my childhood dream into real Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisworkmaybereproducedorusedinanyformsorbyanymeans graphic,electronicormechanical,includingphotocopyingorinformationstorageandretrievalsys itywhen Ibecame aNavalAviator.Acquiring thatfirst patch inTraining tems.-withoutwrittenpermissionfromthecopyrightholder. Squadron One and having it sewn on my flight jacket meant I had ar PrintedinChina. ISBN:0-88740-801-X rived and was truly a part of that unit. As my career progressed, so did Weareinterestedinhearingfromauthorswithbookideasonrelatedtopics. the number ofpatches on my flight jacket until I ran out ofroom. Each patch on my jacket, as well as those that adorn thejackets ofmy fellow PublishedbySchifferPublishingLtd. NavalAviators, aircrew, and squadron/shipmates have aspecialmemory 77LowerValleyRoad Atglen,PA 19310 and, in many cases, a long history behind them. Pleasewriteforafreecatalog. Thisbookmaybepurchasedfromthepublisher. My interest in insignias is historical and Iwas fortunate to be able to Pleaseinclude$2.95postage. Tryyourbookstorefirst. continue to gather information on Navy and MarineCorps aviation or- --------------------;01-------------------- CONTENTS ganizationswhileIwasinthe Navy. Frequenttrips toWashington, D.C., allowed me to spend considerable time at the NavalAir and Operational Histories offices where I collected as much information as I could on Aircraft Attack 7 Navy/Marine squadrons. I have been lucky to be able to be in aposition Cargo 13 to share much of this information as insignia editor for THE HOOK CarrierAirborne EarlyWarning 13 magazine, the TailhookAssociation's quarterly journal of carrier avia CarrierAnti-Submarine 33 tion. In this capacity I have produced the magazine's patch page, a fea ElectronicWarfare 14 ture for 16 years, and answered all insignia inquiries. I quickly learned Fighter 15 Helicopter 30 that it is next to impossible to identify every insignia because there are Patrol 31 so many, and many are unidentifiable, even with the help ofthe histori Training 33 ans at the NavalAirHistory officewhere all Navy aviation insignias are Miscellaneous 34 supposed to be officially approved. This book serves as a valuable guide for the insignia collector and Missiles AllTypes 36 lovers of Navy patches in providing color pictures of past and present active and Reserve Navy aviation squadrons, ships, aircraft and shore HelicopterSquadrons organizations. Itwill help the serious collectors and thosegetting started HAL: Attack (Light) 39 to identify patches in their collections. Mike's collection ofNavy insig HC: Combat Support 40 nias is vast and I thank him for sharing his collection with all ofus. HCS: Combat Support (Strike) 49 HCT: Combat Support (Training) 49 HM: Mine 49 Doug Siegfried, CDR USN (Ret) HS: Anti-Submarine 52 THE HOOK Magazine HSL: Anti-Submarine (Light) 61 Insignia Editor HT: Training 82 HU: Utility 83 Fixed Wing Squadrons ATU: AdvancedTraining Unit.. 85 FASRON: FleetAir Service 85 VA:Attack 85 VA(AW):Attack (All Weather) 110 VAH: HeavyAttack 110 RVAH: Reconnaissance HeavyAttack 114 VAHM: HeavyAttack (Mine) 116 VAK: Tanker 116 VAL: Attack (Light) 116 VAN: Attack (Night) 117 VAQ: Tactical ElectronicWarfare 117 BARRIER:Airborne Early Warning 123 YAW: CarrierAirborne Early Warning 123 RVAW: Replacement Carrier Early Warning 132 VB: Bomber 132 VC: Composite 133 CruiserScouting 137 Unknown 138 . Index 139 Glossary ; 142 --------------jG)}------------ AIRCRAFT A-ISkyraiderDriver A-3SkywarriorTheWhale A-3SkywarriorForever A-3Skywarrior A-3SkywarriorKillerWhale A-3Skywarrior30thAnniversary1952-1982 A-4SkyhawkTheProfessionalsPreference A-4SkyhawkTheProfessionalsPreference AIRCRAFT -----------------------l(}jl----------------------- A-4Skyhawk A-4Skyhawk35thAnniversary1953-1988 A-4SkyhawkPlaneCaptain A-6Intruder A-6ElectricIntruder A-6FlightoftheIntruder A-4SkyhawkTailhooker RA-50Vigilante A-6IraqiIntruder A-6FIntruder A-6IntruderOperationDesertStorm RA-5CVigilanteUnarmed& Unafraid A-6Intruder A-6Intruder A-6ESWIPIntruder A-6ESystemslWeaponsllntegrationProgramIntruder A-6DesertStormIntruder AIRCRAFT AIRCRAFT ----------------------101----------=------------- ----------------------1G)r---------------------- A-6Intruder25thAnniversary 1963-1988 A-6IntruderAnyTime,AnyPlace,AnyWeather A-6IntruderTheMission,Attack 6AIntruder A-6Happy Intruders EA-6BProwler A-6Intruder A-6IntruderHARMShooter A-6IntruderAnyTimeBaby -6BProwler EA-6Prowler EA-6Prowler A-6IntruderMadeintheUSA A-6Intruder A-6IntruderHusseinHunter -6Prowler EA-6Prowler EA-6Prowle.r20YearsStillJammin' AIRCRAFT AIRCRAFT ----------------------~Gf---------------------~-- ---------------------1(01--------------------- EA-6BProwlerDEFTACQualified EA-6BProwlerADVCAP EA-6BProwler20thAnniversary 1990 A-12MediumAttack21stCentury C-2GreyhoundCOD A-7CorsairII A-7ECorsairIIEchoDriver A-7ECorsairIIHarleyoftheFleet C-9BSkytrainII A-7CorsairIIFleetsFinest1966-1991 A-7CorsairIIEndofanEra1963-1990 A-12McDonnell-Douglas/GeneralDynamics UC-12BUte C-130Hercules C-130HerculesOldGuard E-2Hawkeye AIRCRAFT AIRCRAFT -------------------------j@)----------------------~- ----------------------I@I---------------------- E-2Hawkeye E-2CHawkeye E-2Hawkeye1000 HIDemon F-3HDemonDriver F-3HDemonDocotor E-2CHawkeyeYouCanRun,ButYouCan'tHide E-2CHawkeyeGroup2 E-2HawkeyeSickemBaby IPhantomII F-4PhantomIIPhlyer F-4PhantomIIPhlyer E-2HawkeyeNATOAWACS E-2Hawkeye300HawkeyeTraps E-6A ·1 StudPhlyer F-4SPhantomIIUSN/USMC F-4SPhantomII AIRCRAFT AIRCRAFT -----------------------l@f----------------------- --------------'------------{@r---------------------- F-4PhantomIIDriver F-4PhantomIIPlaneCaptain F-4PhantomIIPherret F-4PhantomII F-4PhantomII F-4SPhantomII F-4PhantomII --4PhantomII1000Hours F-4PhantomII2000Hours F-4PhantomII3000Hours F-4PhantomII3500Hours F-4PhantomIIPhixer F-4PhantomII30thAnniversary1958-1988 F-4PhantomII30thAnniversary 1958-1988 F-4PhantomII30thAnniversary F-4PhantomII30thAnniversary1958-1988 F-4PhantomIIPhantomPhanatics f'-4PhantomII4000Hours F-4PhantomIIRECCE2500Hours F-4PhantomIIRECCE3000Hours F-4PhantomII LifeSupport PhabulousPhantoms1958-1988 USN/USMC/USAF AIRCRAFT AIRCRAFT -----------------------i@l---------------------- -------------------------I@I----------------------
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