Fighter Squadron 28 (VF-28) WW2

Fighter Squadron 28 (VF-28) flew the Grumman F6F Hellcat during the Central Pacific campaign of 1943-1944, striking Japanese-held islands from the Gilberts and Marshalls through the Marianas as the Navy drove westward toward Japan. Serving aboard USS Monterey (CVL-26) as part of Carrier Air Group 28, VF-28 was one of the US Navy fighter squadrons that secured American control of the Pacific skies during World War II.

Aboard USS Monterey

USS Monterey (CVL-26) earned 11 battle stars and is notable for having future President Gerald R. Ford serve among her crew as an athletic officer and anti-aircraft battery commander. During Typhoon Cobra in December 1944, fires broke out aboard Monterey after aircraft broke loose on the hangar deck. Ford narrowly escaped being swept overboard while fighting the fires, an incident he later described as his closest brush with death.

VF-28 deployed aboard USS Monterey from 1943-1945, flying combat sorties during Central Pacific and Philippines Campaign. The squadron provided fighter cover for the fleet, escorted bomber strikes against Japanese targets, and conducted fighter sweeps to destroy enemy aircraft on the ground. Alongside squadrons like VF-26, VF-28 was part of the carrier air power that won the Pacific War.

Aircraft: The Grumman F6F Hellcat

The Grumman F6F Hellcat compiled a 19:1 kill ratio against Japanese aircraft,the highest of any fighter in the Pacific Theater. Between its combat debut over Marcus Island on August 31, 1943, and VJ-Day, Hellcat pilots claimed 5,223 aerial victories, accounting for 56 percent of all Navy and Marine air-to-air kills. Armed with six .50-caliber Browning machine guns and capable of carrying 2,000 pounds of ordnance, the F6F was equally lethal in air combat and ground attack.

The pilots of VF-28 earned their place in history. Honor them with authentic Navy squadron gear.