Officially Licensed USMC VMFA-212 Lancers Leather Squadron Patches — 66 Years of Combat From Guadalcanal to the Global War on Terror
Indian Joe started the fight at 9-to-1 odds over Guadalcanal. The Lancers never stopped swinging.
Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 212 — the Lancers — is one of the most battle-hardened squadrons in Marine Corps aviation history, with combat service spanning World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, and Operation Enduring Freedom. Originally activated as VMF-212, the "Hell Hounds," at MCAS Ewa, Hawaii on March 1, 1942, the squadron deployed to the South Pacific in F4F Wildcats just months later. Under their legendary first commander, Major Harold "Indian Joe" Bauer, the Hell Hounds earned a Presidential Unit Citation defending the Allied foothold at Guadalcanal as part of the famed Cactus Air Force, destroying over 64 enemy aircraft — including that of Japanese ace Toshio Ohta. Bauer himself engaged enemy aircraft at 9-to-1 odds while critically low on fuel, downing four dive bombers in a single pass. The squadron fought through New Caledonia, Bougainville, the Philippines, and Okinawa before the war ended. In Korea, redesignated as VMA-212, the Lancers flew AU-1 Corsairs from Kimpo Airfield near Seoul, providing devastating close air support until the armistice in 1953. The "Lancers" name was born in 1963 when the squadron received the F-8 Crusader — the medieval knight theme inspired by the aircraft's name. In 1965, VMFA-212 became the first Marine jet squadron deployed aboard an aircraft carrier in combat when they sailed aboard USS Oriskany. During the Vietnam War's Easter Offensive in 1972, the Lancers surged from Hawaii to Da Nang in F-4J Phantoms, flying 1,588 sorties and accumulating over 3,000 combat hours. After transitioning to the F/A-18C Hornet in 1988, the Lancers deployed to Bahrain for Desert Shield and Desert Storm, then became permanently stationed at MCAS Iwakuni, Japan under MAG-12 and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. They were among the first Marine squadrons to deploy after September 11, 2001. After 66 years of continuous distinguished service, VMFA-212 was deactivated in 2008. This leather patch carries the legacy of a squadron that fought in every major American conflict of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Perfect For: VMFA-212 Lancers veterans, F-4 Phantom and F/A-18 Hornet crews, MCAS Iwakuni and MCAS Kaneohe Bay alumni, MAG-12 and 1st MAW Marines, Guadalcanal and Cactus Air Force historians, and anyone who proudly served with the Lancers.
Once a Lancer — always a Lancer.
