USMC Helicopter Squadrons
$12.00
Only 53 items left in stock
Bulk Patch Pricing
Embroidered
Minimum order: 25
25-49: $6.00 each
50-99: $5.00 each
100-199: $4.00 each
200-299: $3.00 each
300+: $2.50 each
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Officially Licensed USMC VMF(N)-542 Tigers Squadron Patch - Marine Night Fighter Squadron 542, officially licensed embroidered patch representing the Tigers of the Pacific War.
Night hunters over Okinawa, Presidential Unit Citation earners, and the Marine Corps night fighter identity that defined radar-guided aerial combat in the Pacific.
VMF(N)-542 was commissioned on 6 March 1944 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, and assigned the F6F Hellcat night fighter from the start. The squadron deployed to Ulithi Atoll in the Caroline Islands by late October 1944, flying combat air patrols before moving forward to the Battle of Okinawa in early April 1945. Night operations launched from Yontan Airfield on 15 April, and within days the Tigers had opened their aerial account over the island. By the end of the Okinawa campaign, the squadron was credited with destroying eighteen Japanese aircraft and conducting rocket attacks across the Ryukyu Islands chain. Those actions earned VMF(N)-542 the Presidential Unit Citation, one of the most distinguished unit-level honors in the American military. Major Robert B. Porter and Captain Wallace E. Sigler also became the first night fighter pilots to reach ace status on Okinawa during that same period. The Tigers name carried forward through subsequent redesignations, connecting the original night fighter identity to decades of Marine aviation service across Korea, Vietnam, and beyond. This officially licensed embroidered patch preserves the World War II-era squadron identity in a format built for display boards, shadow boxes, flight jackets, and serious unit-history collections.
Perfect For: USMC aviation veterans, World War II Pacific theater collectors, Okinawa campaign historians, Marine night fighter enthusiasts, VMF(N)-542 family members and descendants, shadow box builders, challenge coin and patch board displays, squadron reunion gifts, and anyone assembling a serious Marine Corps aviation collection anchored in verified wartime lineage and Presidential Unit Citation heritage.
Tigers of the Pacific night sky, stitched in thread and preserved for the collection.
If you want to swap patches on/off gear, choose hook & loop (velcro). If you’re attaching permanently to uniforms or fabric, choose sew-on. If you want quick application on compatible fabric, choose iron-on / heat seal (when offered). Backing options are shown on the page and update based on the variant you select.
Size is shown on the product page and updates with the variant you select (example: 3"). If you’re mounting on a hat or small panel, choose smaller sizes; for plate carriers and display boards, larger sizes fit better.
If the product is officially licensed, it will say “Officially Licensed” in the title and/or in the product details. If it doesn’t, it’s still a legitimate product—just not part of a licensed program.
Yes. If you see a note like “bulk reruns available,” that means we can support group orders or reruns. If you don’t see it, contact us with the unit/squadron and quantity and we’ll confirm options.
Yes—custom solutions are available (patches, name tags, lanyards, apparel). Use the custom request page and include artwork, size, backing preference, and quantity.
