{"product_id":"officially-licensed-usmc-vmfa-542-tigers-pvc-patches","title":"Officially Licensed USMC VMFA-542 Tigers PVC Patches","description":"\u003cp\u003eOfficially Licensed USMC VMFA-542 Tigers PVC Patches - Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 542 (VMFA-542) Tigers F-35B Lightning II Officially Licensed PVC Patch, MAG-14, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, MCAS Cherry Point.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEight decades of Tiger identity, from Pacific night skies over Okinawa to fifth-generation strike missions on the east coast of the United States.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVMFA-542 was commissioned on 6 March 1944 as a Marine night fighter squadron and flew its first combat missions from Yontan Airfield during the Battle of Okinawa. The Tigers carried that aggressive identity through the Korean War in F7F Tigercats, then into Vietnam where the squadron flew four combat tours and delivered more than 20,000 tons of ordnance across Southeast Asia. After decades of Harrier operations that included amphibious deployments, Operation Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and strikes during Operation Odyssey Dawn from USS Kearsarge, the Tigers retired their last AV-8Bs in December 2022 and transitioned to the F-35B Lightning II. VMFA-542 is now the first operational fifth-generation squadron in II Marine Expeditionary Force, based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point under Marine Aircraft Group 14 and the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. The squadron's mission set spans close air support, offensive anti-air warfare, strike coordination and reconnaissance, and electronic warfare. This officially licensed PVC patch captures that layered identity in a durable, field-ready format built for display panels, flight bags, shadow boxes, and unit collections.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect For: VMFA-542 Tigers veterans and active-duty Marines, F-35B Lightning II aviation enthusiasts, MAG-14 and 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing collectors, MCAS Cherry Point alumni, Marine Corps aviation historians, Harrier and Phantom II heritage collectors, deployment keepsake displays, shadow boxes, challenge coin and patch boards, reunion gifts, and anyone building a serious Marine fighter attack squadron collection that spans World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the fifth-generation era.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTigers lineage, eight decades strong, and officially licensed for the collection that demands the real thing.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Military, Law Enforcement and Custom Patches by USMCinsignia.com","offers":[{"title":"Full Color","offer_id":50508653068397,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Blackout","offer_id":50508653101165,"sku":null,"price":15.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0742\/9831\/files\/20260916-110030.jpg?v=1790290753","url":"https:\/\/marinepatches.com\/products\/officially-licensed-usmc-vmfa-542-tigers-pvc-patches","provider":"MarinePatches.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}