Officially Licensed USMC VMFA-122 Flying Leathernecks Squadron Patches — From Wildcats to Lightning
First in jets. First in the air demo game. Still first in the fight.
VMFA-122 "The Flying Leathernecks" carries one of the most distinguished lineages in Marine Corps aviation. Originally commissioned in March 1942, the squadron fought in the Pacific Theater during WWII, earning distinction during the Solomon Islands campaign. Reactivated in 1947 flying the FH Phantom, VMFA-122 became the first Marine squadron to employ jet-propelled aircraft and fielded the only Marine aerial demonstration team — the original "Flying Leathernecks" — who toured the country for two years before transitioning to the F2H Banshee. In April 1951, they became the first Marine jet squadron qualified for both day and night carrier operations. The squadron deployed to Vietnam in 1967, flying 2,540 sorties from Da Nang and dropping 4,800 tons of ordnance, then flew 629 sorties during the Siege of Khe Sanh in February 1968 alone. After decades in F-4 Phantoms and F/A-18 Hornets, the Flying Leathernecks transitioned to the F-35B Lightning II in 2017, conducting their first stealth fighter flight from MCAS Yuma in March 2018. This patch honors a squadron that has been writing Marine aviation history for over 80 years.
Perfect For: VMFA-122 Flying Leathernecks past and present, F-35B Lightning pilots and maintainers, MCAS Yuma personnel, F-4 Phantom and F/A-18 Hornet veterans, and anyone who appreciates a squadron that was first in jets and still leading the way.
Flying Leathernecks — first to fly jets, first to show off, and still dropping the hammer.
