Fighter Squadron 64 (VF-64) WW2

Fighter Squadron 64 (VF-64) flew the Grumman F6F Hellcat from USS Lexington (CV-16) as part of the unprecedented expansion of US Navy air power during World War II. By 1945, the Navy had over 100 aircraft carriers in the Pacific,the most powerful naval air force ever assembled, and VF-64 was part of that force.

Aboard USS Lexington

USS Lexington (CV-16), the "Blue Ghost," earned 11 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation during World War II. Named to honor the Lady Lex sunk at Coral Sea, the new Lexington was reported sunk by Tokyo Rose so many times that the Japanese propagandist gave up trying,earning her the nickname Blue Ghost. She served from the Gilberts through the final strikes on Japan. Today she is a museum ship in Corpus Christi, Texas.

VF-64 served as part of Carrier Air Group 64 from 1945, participating in strikes against the Japanese home islands in 1945, when American carriers operated within sight of the enemy mainland, hitting airfields, factories, and warships in harbors across Honshu and Kyushu. The squadron provided fighter cover for the fleet and struck Japanese military targets during Japan homeland strikes.

Aircraft

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-64 earned their place in history. Honor them with authentic Navy squadron gear.