{"product_id":"official-vfa-34-blue-blasters-holiday-patches","title":"Official VFA-34 Blue Blasters Holiday Patches","description":"\u003cp\u003eOfficial VFA-34 Blue Blasters Holiday Patches - Strike Fighter Squadron 34 (VFA-34) officially licensed holiday-themed embroidered patches, NAS Oceana, Virginia.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlue tail colors, nuclear-age callsign, and a combat record that spans decades of Navy strike aviation history — the Blue Blasters bring that identity to every holiday season.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVFA-34 traces its lineage to a fighter squadron commissioned in October 1943, and the Blue Blasters nickname was adopted in 1957, drawn from the squadron's distinctive blue tail markings and nuclear weapon delivery mission. The unit flew A-4 Skyhawks as the first Skyhawk squadron to deploy to the Mediterranean, then transitioned to the A-6E Intruder before redesignation as VFA-34 in 1996 and a move to the F\/A-18C Hornet. The Blue Blasters built a combat record that includes World War II, the Cuban Crisis, Vietnam, Desert Shield, Operations Prairie Fire and El Dorado Canyon, and multiple deployments in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Homeported at NAS Oceana and assigned to Carrier Air Wing Three, the squadron carried that legacy through its final Hornet cruise in 2018 before transitioning to the F-35. A holiday patch edition ties that long operational story to a seasonal tradition that squadrons, crews, and families have used for decades to mark deployments, reunions, and the time of year when distance from home feels most significant. The embroidered format gives the design the texture, color depth, and durability that collectors and veterans expect from a piece meant to last well beyond the season it commemorates.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect For: VFA-34 veterans and alumni, Navy strike fighter collectors, CVW-3 and NAS Oceana community members, F\/A-18 and F-35 enthusiasts, deployment homecoming gifts, holiday shadow box displays, cruise book keepsakes, reunion tables, challenge coin and patch boards, and family members who want a meaningful seasonal tribute to a Blue Blasters sailor. It also suits anyone building a carrier air wing collection that spans the Intruder, Hornet, and Super Hornet eras of Navy aviation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlue Blasters heritage, stitched for the season and built to outlast it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Military, Law Enforcement and Custom Patches by USMCinsignia.com","offers":[{"title":"Christmas","offer_id":68070318407789,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"NYE","offer_id":68070318440557,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0742\/9831\/files\/1024_1_2aa33aca-1656-4b4c-886c-e406ee4e07c5.jpg?v=1794604520","url":"https:\/\/marinepatches.com\/products\/official-vfa-34-blue-blasters-holiday-patches","provider":"MarinePatches.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}