Official VMFA-312 Checkerboards JOPA Patch — USMC Marine Fighter Attack Squadron F/A-18 Hornet Embroidered Patch From Corsairs over Okinawa to Hornets over Baghdad, the Checkerboards have been in every fight that mattered. This JOPA patch carries that weight. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 312 (VMFA-312) was commissioned on June 1, 1943, at Page Field, Parris Island, South Carolina, under the command of Major Richard M. Day. Armed with F4U Corsairs and assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 31, the Checkerboards trained through 1944 before deploying to the Pacific and seeing their first combat in the skies over Okinawa in 1945 — where Major Day himself was killed in action by anti-aircraft fire. When the Korean War broke out, the Checkerboards deployed with MAG-12 from MCAS El Toro, flying Corsairs in close air support of the 1st Marine Division during the Battle of Chosin Reservoir and later conducting carrier operations aboard USS Bataan. It was aboard Bataan that the Checkerboards made aviation history — Captain Jesse Folmar shot down a MiG-15 jet fighter with 20mm cannon fire from his piston-engine F4U, making VMFA-312 the first prop squadron to down a jet in aerial combat. The squadron transitioned through Panthers, Furies, and Crusaders before receiving the F-4B Phantom II in 1966 at MCAS Beaufort, where VMFA-312 trained combat aircrews for Vietnam. In 1979, the Checkerboards became the first 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing fighter squadron to deploy to the Western Pacific under the Unit Deployment Program. After transitioning to the F/A-18A Hornet in 1987 and upgrading to the F/A-18C Night Attack variant in 1991, the squadron deployed aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt with Carrier Air Wing 8, flying combat missions over Yugoslavia during Operations Provide Promise and Deny Flight, over Iraq during Operation Southern Watch, and earning the 1993 Marine Corps Aviation Association’s Robert M. Hanson Award as Fighter Squadron of the Year. The Checkerboards deployed aboard USS Enterprise in 2003 and became the first squadron in the air wing to release ordnance in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Based at MCAS Beaufort under MAG-31 and the 2nd MAW, the Checkerboards carry a motto that says it all: "Fight’s On!" • Embroidered USMC fighter attack squadron JOPA (Junior Officer Protection Association) patch • Dense stitching with merrowed border for lasting durability • Hook and loop backed for easy wear on flight suits and gear • Bold Checkerboard insignia detail built for the ready room and beyond • Sharp construction for daily wear or proud display Perfect For: VMFA-312 Checkerboards pilots and maintainers past and present, F/A-18 Hornet aircrew, F-4 Phantom veterans, MAG-31 and 2nd MAW Marines, MCAS Beaufort personnel, CVW-8 carrier air wing veterans, and any junior officer or Marine who served with the Checkerboards. A standout addition to any Marine fighter aviation collection or squadron ready room display.
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