{"product_id":"officially-licensed-usmc-vma-213-hellhawks-minneapolis-squadron-patch","title":"Officially Licensed USMC VMA-213 Hellhawks Minneapolis Squadron Patch","description":"\u003cp\u003eOfficially Licensed USMC VMA-213 Hellhawks Minneapolis Squadron Patch - Marine Fighting Squadron 213 (VMF\/VMA-213) Hell Hawks, Naval Air Station Twin Cities, Minneapolis, officially licensed embroidered patch.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHell Hawks fury, Pacific combat legacy, and Minneapolis Reserve pride stitched into one officially licensed piece of Marine aviation history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVMF-213 was formed on July 1, 1942 at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii, and quickly earned its Hell Hawks name across the South Pacific flying the F4U Corsair. The squadron fought through the Solomon Islands, the Philippines Campaign, and the battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa, accumulating a wartime record of 117 confirmed aerial victories. Alongside VMF-124, the Hell Hawks were among the first Marine squadrons ever assigned to augment a carrier air group, deploying aboard USS Essex with Air Group 4 and bringing Marine fighter aggression directly to fleet carrier operations. Double ace James Cupp scored at least twelve aerial victories with the squadron in the Solomons alone, earning the Navy Cross and three Distinguished Flying Crosses. Following World War II, the squadron was reactivated in the Marine Corps Reserve and based at Naval Air Station Twin Cities in Minneapolis, Minnesota, giving the Hell Hawks a lasting Midwest identity that connects Pacific combat heritage to a postwar Reserve community. This officially licensed embroidered patch honors that full arc of service, from island-hopping Corsair missions to Reserve duty on the Minnesota flight line, making it a meaningful piece for collectors, veterans, and historians who follow Marine aviation lineage with care.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect For: USMC aviation veterans, VMF-213 and VMA-213 alumni, Marine Corps Reserve supporters, Naval Air Station Twin Cities historians, World War II Pacific theater collectors, F4U Corsair enthusiasts, shadow box builders, reunion displays, challenge coin and patch boards, and anyone assembling a serious Marine fighter squadron collection that spans wartime combat and postwar Reserve service.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHell Hawks heritage, officially licensed, and built to honor every mile from the Solomons to Minneapolis.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Military, Law Enforcement and Custom Patches by USMCinsignia.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45446284607597,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0742\/9831\/files\/Leather5Patch_23.png?v=1783697026","url":"https:\/\/marinepatches.com\/products\/officially-licensed-usmc-vma-213-hellhawks-minneapolis-squadron-patch","provider":"MarinePatches.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}