VMFA-112 Cowboys F-18 Leather Shoulder Patch
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 112 (VMFA-112) "Cowboys"
Originally activated as Marine Fighting Squadron 112 (VMF-112) on 1 March 1942 at San Diego, California, the squadron deployed to Henderson Field on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands flying Grumman F4F Wildcats, joining the legendary Cactus Air Force with Marine Aircraft Group 11. The squadron's pilots included Medal of Honor recipient Lieutenant Jefferson J. DeBlanc, and future VMF-214 "Black Sheep" commander Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington briefly led VMF-112 in 1943. Transitioning to the F4U Corsair, the squadron's 140 confirmed air-to-air kills by war's end ranked it third among all Marine Corps squadrons.
Reactivated as a reserve unit at NAS Dallas, Texas, on 1 July 1946, the squadron changed its nickname from "Wolf Pack" to "Cowboys" in July 1967 in honor of the local Dallas Cowboys NFL team. VMFA-112 flew the F-8 Crusader, became the first Marine Air Reserve squadron to receive the F-4 Phantom II, and on 18 January 1992 retired the last active F-4S Phantom in Marine Corps service. The Cowboys transitioned to the F/A-18A Hornet, flying their first sortie on 8 October 1992, and deployed to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, in 2009 as the last fighter/attack squadron to leave Iraq.
Currently based at NASJRB Fort Worth, Texas, under MAG-41 and the 4th Marine Aircraft Wing, VMFA-112 continues to fly the F/A-18A++ Hornet and is scheduled to begin conversion to the F-35C Lightning II by fiscal year 2029.
Perfect For: VMFA-112 Cowboys veterans, Marine Corps Reserve aviators, F/A-18 Hornet pilots, 4th MAW personnel, World War II Cactus Air Force historians, and Marine fighter aviation collectors.
Celebrating a squadron whose combat legacy spans from the desperate skies over Guadalcanal to modern-day reserve readiness, carrying forward a tradition of excellence forged in the fires of the Pacific War.
