{"product_id":"official-vmf-224-bengals-throwback-pvc-patch","title":"Official VMF-224 Bengals Throwback PVC Patch","description":"\u003cp\u003eOfficial VMF-224 Bengals Throwback PVC Patch - Marine Fighter Squadron 224 (VMF-224) Fighting Bengals World War II Heritage PVC Patch, throwback design honoring the squadron's original Pacific Theater identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCactus Air Force grit, Henderson Field history, and Fighting Bengals pride locked into one durable throwback piece.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVMF-224 was commissioned on 1 May 1942 at Barbers Point, Hawaii, and arrived at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, in the middle of a Japanese air raid on 30 August 1942. Flying Grumman F4F Wildcats as part of the Cactus Air Force, the Bengals were led by Medal of Honor recipient Major Robert Galer and credited with destroying over sixty Japanese aircraft in less than two months of combat. The squadron earned a Presidential Unit Citation for its defense of Henderson Field and produced Captain Marion E. Carl, the Marine Corps' first flying ace. After Guadalcanal, the Bengals transitioned to the Vought F4U Corsair, fought through the Marshall Islands Campaign, and flew infantry support and counter air missions during the Battle of Okinawa, accounting for an additional fifty-five enemy aircraft destroyed. The squadron carried that combat legacy through Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and beyond, eventually transitioning to the F\/A-18D Hornet and later the F-35B Lightning II at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina. This throwback PVC patch reaches back to the VMF-224 designation and the original Bengals identity that was forged over the Pacific in 1942, giving collectors and veterans a clean, field-ready piece that honors the squadron at its most storied moment.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect For: Marine aviation veterans, VMF-224 and VMFA-224 alumni, World War II Pacific Theater collectors, Cactus Air Force enthusiasts, Henderson Field historians, shadow box builders, challenge coin and patch board displays, reunion gifts, and anyone preserving the lineage of Marine fighter aviation from the Wildcat era through the modern F-35B. It also suits family members and supporters who want a respectful, research-backed tribute to the pilots, maintainers, and ground crews who defined the Fighting Bengals name under fire.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBengals throwback heritage, earned over Henderson Field and carried forward through every generation of Marine fighter aviation.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Military, Law Enforcement and Custom Patches by USMCinsignia.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45495898308717,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0742\/9831\/files\/4Patch_41_31489974-b228-4284-84d6-d6eda3eb677e.png?v=1784820582","url":"https:\/\/marinepatches.com\/products\/official-vmf-224-bengals-throwback-pvc-patch","provider":"MarinePatches.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}