Table Of Content:vIICHAEL L. ROBERTS
~NITED' TATES
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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-
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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
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