Officially Licensed US Navy VF/VFA-31 Tomcatters Squadron Leather Patch — Felix Has Nine Lives and 90 Years of Kills
The second-oldest fighter squadron in the Navy. Three wars' worth of aerial kills. One bomb-carrying cartoon cat.
VFA-31 "Tomcatters" is a Strike Fighter Squadron flying the F/A-18E Super Hornet out of NAS Oceana, Virginia, assigned to Carrier Air Wing 8. The Tomcatters trace their lineage back to VF-1B in 1935, making them the second-oldest active Navy squadron — and the only U.S. Navy squadron to score confirmed aerial kills in three wars: World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. They've flown everything from biplanes to the F6F Hellcat, F-4 Phantom, and the iconic F-14 Tomcat (VF-31 was the last operational Tomcat squadron in the Navy). Their mascot, Felix the Cat running with a bomb, has graced Navy aircraft since 1929. This leather patch honors one of the most storied lineages in naval aviation — from the deck of USS Langley, the Navy's first carrier, to the flight deck of USS Gerald R. Ford.
Perfect For: VFA-31 Tomcatters aircrew and veterans, F-14 Tomcat community, CVW-8 personnel, NAS Oceana squadrons, Felix the Cat military patch collectors, leather flight jacket enthusiasts, and anyone who knows the Tomcatters have been at this longer than most.
VFA-31 Tomcatters — Felix always lands on his feet.
