VF-3 VF-6 VF-31 Navy Fighter Squadron Patch Felix

The story begins with VF-3, one of the Navy’s earliest and most famous fighter squadrons. Flying F4F Wildcats from the decks of the USS Saratoga and USS Enterprise during the desperate early days of World War II, VF-3 pilots helped turn the tide of the Pacific War. Under the command of men like Lt. Cmdr. John S. “Jimmy” Thach—creator of the famed “Thach Weave” dogfighting tactic—the squadron forged its reputation in blood and brilliance. From the Coral Sea to Midway, they faced Japan’s best and proved that courage and ingenuity could triumph against overwhelming odds.

VF-3 later became VF-6, carrying Felix forward into a new chapter of naval air combat. Their F6F Hellcats dominated the skies, achieving staggering kill ratios as the U.S. Navy seized control of the Pacific. Their victories at Tarawa, the Marshalls, and the Marianas became hallmarks of American air superiority. The image of Felix carrying his bomb came to represent not just a squadron—but a mindset: deadly, playful, and unrelentingly precise.

As the Navy evolved into the jet age, Felix’s spirit found a permanent home in VF-31, “The Tomcatters.” From F9F Panthers and F-4 Phantoms to the mighty F-14 Tomcat, VF-31 carried the Felix insignia through every era of aviation progress. During the Cold War, they stood as the tip of the spear—intercepting Soviet aircraft, flying deterrent patrols from carriers across the world’s oceans, and defending the fleet with lethal accuracy. When the Tomcat era ended in 2006, it was VF-31 that flew the Navy’s final F-14 combat mission, closing a chapter in aviation history with the same pride that began it.

Today, VF-31 continues to serve, flying the advanced F/A-18E Super Hornet—still bearing the proud emblem of Felix the Cat. That mischievous grin and falling bomb remain the oldest active fighter squadron insignia in U.S. naval aviation, a living thread tying together nearly a century of courage, innovation, and airborne mastery.

The VF-3, VF-6, and VF-31 “Felix” patch is a salute to that unbroken lineage. It honors the pilots and deck crews who took to the skies in every era—men and women who carried the spirit of Felix from propellers to supersonics, from the Pacific to the Persian Gulf. It is more than a symbol—it’s a mark of heritage, wit, and unwavering precision.