VT-7 Memorial Patch — Training Squadron 7 Eagles Memorial Embroidered Patch Honor the fallen — VT-7 Eagles remember their own. This memorial patch honors the fallen aviators and crew members of Training Squadron 7 (VT-7), the "Screaming Eagles." VT-7 operates the T-45C Goshawk advanced jet trainer at NAS Meridian, Mississippi, training the next generation of Navy and Marine Corps tactical jet pilots. The inherent risks of military flight training mean that training squadrons occasionally experience the devastating loss of student aviators and instructor pilots. This memorial patch, referencing specific losses including those known by "Talon 17" and the names Burch and Hershey, preserves the memory of those who gave their lives pursuing their dream of becoming naval aviators. Memorial patches in the training command carry a particularly poignant weight — these losses occur during the earliest stages of an aviator's career, before they even reach the fleet. The young men and women lost in training were pursuing the highest calling in naval aviation, and their sacrifice is honored by every subsequent student who straps into a T-45 Goshawk and takes to the skies. This patch ensures that the VT-7 Eagles never forget those who were lost along the way. Perfect For: VT-7 Eagles instructor pilots and alumni, families of fallen VT-7 aviators, T-45 Goshawk community members, CNATRA training command personnel, memorial patch collectors, and all who honor the sacrifice of student naval aviators lost in training. Never forgotten — VT-7 Eagles honor the fallen.
