USMC VMF-225 Death Dealers Leather Squadron Patch
Marine Fighting Squadron 225 (VMF-225) – "The Death Dealers"
Marine Fighting Squadron 225 was commissioned on 1 January 1943 at Marine Corps Air Station Mojave, California, under the command of Captain Jack R. Amends. Equipped with the legendary Vought F4U Corsair, VMF-225 deployed to the South Pacific and from August 1944 to January 1945 participated in numerous combat operations in the New Hebrides Islands, providing air superiority and ground attack support during the grinding island-hopping campaign against Japanese forces. Returning to the United States in February 1945, the squadron was stationed at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, with interim basing at Mojave, Santa Ana, and Edenton.
Redesignated Marine Attack Squadron 225 (VMA-225) on 15 June 1952, the squadron transitioned through a succession of iconic attack aircraft including the AD Skyraider in 1954 and the A-4D Skyhawk in 1958. In April 1966, the squadron received the Grumman A-6 Intruder and was redesignated VMA(AW)-225 to reflect its new all-weather attack capability. Deployed to Da Nang Air Base, Vietnam in January 1969, the squadron's primary mission was to provide close air support and direct air support for allied ground forces in the I Corps area of South Vietnam, attacking and destroying surface targets day and night in all weather conditions. The squadron was reactivated on 1 July 1991 at MCAS El Toro as VMFA(AW)-225, now known as the "Vikings," and became the first Marine Corps fighter squadron deployed to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in January 2003, flying combat sorties from Ahmed Al Jabar Air Base in Kuwait. The Vikings transitioned from the F/A-18D Hornet to the F-35B Lightning II in January 2021 and are now based at MCAS Yuma under MAG-13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing.
Perfect For: VMF-225 and VMFA-225 veterans from any era, 3rd MAW and MAG-13 personnel, Corsair and Intruder enthusiasts, Vietnam-era Marine aviation veterans, and WWII Pacific Theater collectors.
This leather patch honors the Death Dealers' legacy—from Corsair combat over the Pacific islands to precision strikes in the skies over Iraq.
