{"product_id":"official-hal-3-seawolves-ball-cap","title":"Official HAL-3 Seawolves Ball Cap","description":"\u003cp\u003eOfficial HAL-3 Seawolves Ball Cap - Helicopter Attack Squadron (Light) Three, the U.S. Navy's only dedicated rapid-reaction gunship squadron, embroidered ball cap.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eScramble the Seawolves — the call sign, the legend, and the Brown Water Navy identity that defined one of Vietnam's most decorated aviation units.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eActivated on 1 April 1967 at Vung Tau, South Vietnam, HAL-3 was built entirely from volunteers who answered a Navy-wide call to form an unprecedented gunship squadron. Flying heavily armed UH-1 Huey helicopters, the Seawolves provided close fire support to Navy river patrol boats, SEAL teams, Army troops, and South Vietnamese forces across the Mekong Delta. Operating on 24-hour alert, crews could scramble from dead asleep to airborne in under three minutes, reaching firefights within fifteen minutes of a call. By the time the last detachment stood down in March 1972, the squadron had logged more than 120,000 combat sorties, suffered 44 killed in action, and earned six Presidential Unit Commendations, five Navy Crosses, 31 Silver Stars, and 219 Distinguished Flying Crosses. The unit's iconic insignia — a fire-breathing wolf bearing a trident and an Ace of Spades shield in the red and gold of the South Vietnamese flag — remains one of the most recognized emblems in naval aviation history. This ball cap carries that emblem forward, giving veterans, families, and collectors a wearable tribute to the men who flew low, fast, and without hesitation over the rivers of Vietnam.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect for HAL-3 Seawolves veterans, Brown Water Navy supporters, Vietnam-era naval aviation collectors, SEAL community members who flew alongside the squadron, military historians, reunion attendees, shadow box builders, and family members honoring a loved one's service in one of the Navy's most storied and decorated helicopter units.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSeawolves heritage, worn with the pride of 120,000 sorties and the men who flew every one of them.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MarinePatches.com - Custom Patches, Military and Law Enforcement","offers":[{"title":"Black","offer_id":45709461782637,"sku":null,"price":30.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0742\/9831\/files\/Group_24_30dbada8-2be5-4590-9370-cd4bd770ab46.png?v=1787849272","url":"https:\/\/marinepatches.com\/products\/official-hal-3-seawolves-ball-cap","provider":"MarinePatches.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}