Officially Licensed USMC VMFA(AW)-533 Hawks Leather Patch — Night Fighters Since '43
From Hellcats at night over Okinawa to Hornets at night over Iraq — the Hawks own the dark.
VMFA(AW)-533 "Hawks" is one of the most storied squadrons in Marine Corps aviation. Commissioned in 1943 as VMF(N)-533 "Black Mac's Killers" — one of only three Marine night fighter squadrons — they flew F6F-5N Hellcats equipped with radar in the Pacific, claiming the most aerial victories of any night fighter squadron in WWII and producing the first Marine night fighter ace, Captain Robert Baird. Through the decades, the Hawks flew Tigercats, Banshees, Cougars, Skyhawks, A-6 Intruders (logging over 10,000 combat sorties in Vietnam), and then transitioned to the F/A-18D Hornet in 1992, becoming the first all-weather fighter attack squadron in 2nd MAW at MCAS Beaufort. They earned a Presidential Unit Citation for operations during Iraqi Freedom, and in late 2024, VMFA-533 received their first F-35B Lightning II. This leather patch honors the Hawks' enduring legacy.
Perfect For: VMFA(AW)-533 Hawks Marines and veterans, F/A-18D Hornet community, A-6 Intruder alumni, MCAS Beaufort squadrons, MAG-31 and 2nd MAW personnel, and anyone who respects 80+ years of Marine Corps night fighting excellence.
VMFA-533 Hawks — owning the night since 1943.