USMC Helicopter Squadrons
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USMC VMF-311 WWII Patch
Marine Fighting Squadron 311 (VMF-311) — "Tomcats" — World War II Heritage Patch
Marine Fighting Squadron 311 was commissioned on 1 December 1942 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, in the national call-to-arms following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 31 of the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing and commanded by Major Ralph K. Rottet, the squadron quickly transitioned from SNJ Texan trainers to the newly fielded Vought F4U-1 Corsair. On 6 October 1943, VMF-311 participated in one of the earliest American catapult operations involving the Corsair when 21 F4Us launched from the USS Nassau (CVE-16) bound for the Pacific Theater.
During America's island-hopping campaign, VMF-311's mission was to isolate Japanese forces on bypassed islands, deny their escape, and prevent their use of airstrips. The squadron operated from Wallis Island, the Marshall Islands, and eventually moved to Okinawa in March 1945, where it became the first Marine squadron to use fighter aircraft for dive-bombing missions. Flying the F4U-1C armed with four 20mm cannons and 5-inch rockets, the Tomcats destroyed 71 Japanese aircraft in a four-month period during the Battle of Okinawa and downed their first enemy aircraft on 7 April 1945.
VMF-311's legacy of firsts continued through Korea — where it flew the first Marine jet combat mission on 10 December 1950, amassing 18,851 combat sorties — and Vietnam, where it logged an astonishing 54,625 combat sorties and dropped 105,000 tons of ordnance. Legendary aviators including future astronaut and Senator John Glenn and Hall of Fame baseball player Ted Williams flew with the squadron during the Korean War.
Perfect For: VMF-311 and VMFA-311 Tomcats veterans, World War II Pacific Theater aviation enthusiasts, Corsair aficionados, Korean War Marine jet pioneers, and USMC fighter heritage collectors.
From Cherry Point to Okinawa — the Tomcats of VMF-311, where Marine aviation legends were born in the skies of the Pacific.
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.
