USMC Helicopter Squadrons
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Embroidered
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25-49: $6.00 each
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Official VFA-97 Warhawks Line Rats Shoulder Patch - Strike Fighter Squadron 97 (VFA-97) Warhawks Flight Line Maintainers Embroidered Shoulder Patch, NAS Lemoore.
Warhawks pride, flight-line grit, and the quiet backbone of carrier aviation stitched into one shoulder patch.
VFA-97 was established on 1 June 1967 as Attack Squadron 97 (VA-97) and redesignated a strike fighter squadron on 24 January 1991. Flying the A-7A Corsair II on its first WESTPAC deployment aboard USS Constellation in 1968, the Warhawks flew their first combat missions against targets in Vietnam and never stopped building on that legacy. Over decades of deployments, the squadron transitioned through the F/A-18A and C Hornet, the F/A-18E Super Hornet, and now flies the F-35C Lightning II assigned to Carrier Air Wing Two out of Naval Air Station Lemoore. The Warhawks earned 24 Sea Service Deployment Ribbons and multiple Battle E awards across conflicts from Vietnam to Operation Enduring Freedom, where the squadron delivered over 453,000 pounds of ordnance in a single ten-week period. The Line Rats designation honors the enlisted maintainers, plane captains, and flight-line crew whose hands keep every aircraft mission-ready between sorties. These are the sailors who work before dawn and after dark, turning wrenches, checking systems, and launching jets that the rest of the world only sees from a distance. A shoulder patch in this format captures that identity precisely, giving the people who do the work a piece that reflects their role rather than the cockpit.
Perfect For: VFA-97 Warhawks veterans and active-duty maintainers, Navy aviation flight-line crew, plane captains, NAS Lemoore alumni, F-35C and Super Hornet ground support personnel, carrier air wing collectors, shadow box displays, cruise book keepsakes, reunion gifts, and anyone building a unit-history collection around the enlisted backbone of naval strike fighter aviation. It is especially meaningful for Line Rats and their families who want a patch that speaks directly to the flight-line experience rather than the squadron's pilot-facing identity.
Warhawks on the line, stitched for the hands that keep the jets flying.
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.
