Fighter Squadron 69 (VF-69) WW2

VF-69 flew from a ship with an extraordinary record. USS Randolph (CV-15) was an Essex-class carrier that survived a kamikaze strike while anchored at Ulithi Atoll on March 11, 1945,one of the few carriers hit while not at sea. A twin-engine Japanese bomber, part of Operation Tan, crashed into Randolph's aft flight deck, killing 25 and wounding 106. She was repaired in two weeks and returned to combat for the Okinawa campaign and final strikes against Japan.

Fighter Squadron 69 (VF-69) served aboard USS Randolph (CV-15) as part of Carrier Air Group 69 during World War II. Flying the Grumman F6F Hellcat in the Pacific Theater from 1945, VF-69 participated in carrier operations across the Pacific Theater, striking Japanese-held islands, providing fleet air defense, and supporting the island-hopping campaign that drove American forces from the Gilberts to Japan's doorstep.

The Grumman F6F Hellcat

The Grumman F6F Hellcat was the fighter that broke Japanese air power in the Pacific. Designed as a direct response to the A6M Zero,using intelligence from a captured specimen,the Hellcat combined a 2,000-horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine with rugged construction, self-sealing fuel tanks, and 212 pounds of cockpit armor. The result was a fighter that could outclimb, outdive, and outgun the Zero while absorbing punishment that would have destroyed lighter aircraft.

VF-69 was part of the massive expansion of Navy fighter strength during the final year of the Pacific War. The squadron flew combat sorties during Pacific operations, providing fleet air defense and conducting strike missions against Japanese forces from USS Randolph's flight deck.

Carry the history. VF-69 t-shirts, hoodies, and heritage gifts,built for those who remember what these squadrons gave.