Rare VAW-11 Patches

[Maverickson]

As the son of a USN two tour Vietnam era attack pilot I grew up understanding the true hardships of what went on in the aerial war over North Vietnam. My late Father was an active participant flying the A-4 Skyhawk in the air war over North Vietnam during Rolling Thunder aboard the USS Oriskany ( CVA-34 ) for two deployments from 1966 through 1968. So, it is only natural that my interest in militria patch collecting is of USN squadron patches as related to this era. With this in mind, it is my pleasure to share some images of two very unusual patches I recently purchased that coincided with my Father's combat deployments.

 

These patches seen below ( cap & matching squadron patch ) look truly fantastic!

 

 

 

 

Until recently, it was my understanding that the mission of VAW squadron's in Vietnam had nothing to do with finding surface to air missile sites within North Vietnam. However, I am aware that these same SAM sites in North Vietnam probability came on to their own about the same time as this VAW-11 Detachment came on line in the Gulf of Tonkin and with great expectations. In 1967 those VAW squadron must have had aspirations of participating in the seeking and destroying those missile sites but I'm not sure that this mission ever came to fruition!

[snake36bravo]

I've never seen those before and your right, they are fantastic.

 

My father had a funny story about the A-4, he worked them at NAS Beeville, TX in the late 70s along with the T-2 Buckeye. The A-4 was so agile and responsive to flight controls that pilots often whacked their helmets into the canopy when banking. He told me a trick was to take a bungee cord and attach it to the seat and then the helmet. This gave enough resistance to solve the problem.

 

:thumbsup:

[Randy]

I think this is a crew patch. It reads Sam apostrophe s, as in searchers belonging to Sam, who was most likely the crew commander. VAW units were used primarily for looking for enemy aircraft, and back then flew E-1s. This looks like it is showing the eyes on an aircraft in the dark (we can find you anywhere). Just my thoughts on this, I'm an Air Force guy but I read a lot about the air war for the entire conflict, and don't recall the VAW units being used this way. Still nice Japanese made patches, and probably more rare if a crew patch. Each carrier had a Det of E-1 aircraft, I have seen a Lima and Kilo Det for this same squadron. Just my .02 cents!

Randy

[Maverickson]

I think this is a crew patch. It reads Sam apostrophe s, as in searchers belonging to Sam, who was most likely the crew commander. VAW units were used primarily for looking for enemy aircraft, and back then flew E-1s. This looks like it is showing the eyes on an aircraft in the dark (we can find you anywhere). Just my thoughts on this, I'm an Air Force guy but I read a lot about the air war for the entire conflict, and don't recall the VAW units being used this way. Still nice Japanese made patches, and probably more rare if a crew patch. Each carrier had a Det of E-1 aircraft, I have seen a Lima and Kilo Det for this same squadron. Just my .02 cents!

Randy

 

Randy, I suspect that you are on the right track with your apostrophe s theory. However, when this VAW-11 Echo Detachmemt got out there in 1966 while aboard the USS TICONDEROGA (CVA-14) the SAM missiles had only first been encountered. As according to readily available sources, apparently the North Vietnamese were first provided with this technology in July of 1965. It seems like a good question to have answered by one of those participating veterans and one which I intend on pursuing!

 

Cheers, Dave

[SuperFudd]

Hi all,

 

A am a veteran of VAW-11 Det C (Charlie) circa 1966. As a Aviation Electronics Technician, Radar, E5, I served aboard the USS Kitty Hawk with the first ever deployment of the E-2A Hawkeye, the plane that eventually replaced the E-1, in October of 1965. The E-2 radar and most certainly the E-1 radar could only track airborne targets, optimally over water. Very low flying or ground targets could not be detected. I doubt either aircraft flew missions over Vietnam, only off shore. There job ws to detect air borne attacks against the fleet. The E-2s could asign and direct intercepting F-4s. I supose they may have had limited capability against sea surface targets.

I have written a lengthy article with photos about my time in the Navy. It can be found on my web site, www dot donsafer dot com.

I would be happy to answer any questions.

[Maverickson]

Hi all,

 

A am a veteran of VAW-11 Det C (Charlie) circa 1966. As a Aviation Electronics Technician, Radar, E5, I served aboard the USS Kitty Hawk with the first ever deployment of the E-2A Hawkeye, the plane that eventually replaced the E-1, in October of 1965. The E-2 radar and most certainly the E-1 radar could only track airborne targets, optimally over water. Very low flying or ground targets could not be detected. I doubt either aircraft flew missions over Vietnam, only off shore. There job ws to detect air borne attacks against the fleet. The E-2s could asign and direct intercepting F-4s. I supose they may have had limited capability against sea surface targets.

I have written a lengthy article with photos about my time in the Navy. It can be found on my web site, www dot donsafer dot com.

I would be happy to answer any questions.

 

Hi Don,

 

Using a little ingenuity I was able to find your website http://www.donsafer.com/11701.html & read your USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) and naval experience during Vietnam. It made for interesting reading. Apparently you came online aboard the USS Kitty Hawk with Charlie Det while my Father finished his first USS Oriskany (CVA-34) combat cruise.

 

Your VAW-11 Charlie Det patch seen on you website looks fantastic! Through my naval aviation patch collecting I have been able to locate two other VAW-11 patches related to that same time frame and one in which you mentioned one of you buddies was attached. That patch would be the Tango patch seen here.

 

 

These VAW-11 Detachment patches are great! I was of the opinion that this next VAW-11 seen below was somehow related to that Tango patch. Can you identify this next one?

 

 

Cheers, Dave

[SuperFudd]

Hi Dave,

 

I sometimes camoflauge my URL and email address a bit so they can't be collected by "bots" and some sites, such as Classmates delete links.

I was aboard the Oriskany for 3 weeks durring Operation Silverlance as I mentioned in my article. My site has photos from that mini cruise.

I see both of the patches you show have variations of the VAW-11 "Super Chicken". VAW-11 was the bigest squadron in the Navy supplying EA1Es, E1Bs or E2As to every CVA and CVS in the Pacific. VAW-12 did the same for the Atlantic fleet. Around 1967 the two squadrons were broken up into many small squadrons instead of detachments of the two large squadrons so any VAW-11 patches you have are from before that time.

I trust by now you know where I got the name SuperFudd.

 

Don

[Maverickson]

Hi Dave,

 

I sometimes camoflauge my URL and email address a bit so they can't be collected by "bots" and some sites, such as Classmates delete links.

I was aboard the Oriskany for 3 weeks durring Operation Silverlance as I mentioned in my article. My site has photos from that mini cruise.

I see both of the patches you show have variations of the VAW-11 "Super Chicken". VAW-11 was the bigest squadron in the Navy supplying EA1Es, E1Bs or E2As to every CVA and CVS in the Pacific. VAW-12 did the same for the Atlantic fleet. Around 1967 the two squadrons were broken up into many small squadrons instead of detachments of the two large squadrons so any VAW-11 patches you have are from before that time.

I trust by now you know where I got the name SuperFudd.

 

Don

 

 

Hi Don,

 

Yes, after going through your website I saw that you mentioned your work up or minicruise while aboard the USS Oriskany. After visiting this great reference of Naval Historical Data http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/ordbat.htm of Carrier Vietnam Combat Cruises and your suggestions I now better understand what you were saying with regards to a timeline for a mother squadron providing Detachments which helps date that last patch.

 

Just prior to my Father joining Air Wing 16 and the USS Oriskany he was attached to the USS Wasp ( CVA-18) in the Atlantic Fleet and I became familiar with the Fudd A/C which were aboard at that time.

 

I appreciate all!

 

Cheers, Dave