VFA-2 Bounty Hunters Plaque, 14, Mahogany, Navy

A beautifully carved 14 inch solid wood plaque of the VFA-2 Bounty Hunters!  Collect all your squadrons with truly artistic craftsmanship of the Navy’s finest symbols.

The use of naval aviation insignia is a modern form of heraldry that dates back to the early period of naval aviation in the 1920’s and captures many proud moments of its history. The practice fosters a sense of pride, unit cohesion and contributes to high morale, esprit de corps and professionalism within the community. It also serves as an effective means of preserving a command’s tradition, continuity of purpose and recognition, as traced through its lineage. The following rules are provided to ensure that all command insignia and slogans are in keeping with the highest traditions of the proud naval aviation heritage.

The First Fighting Two

By the mid-point of 1921, the Fleet Air Squadrons had been reorganized, providing an aviation force for each fleet with the squadron as the basis. The Air Squadrons, Pacific Fleet, were Spotting Squadrons Four and Three, Combat Squadrons Four (established on 23 September 1921) and Three, and Seaplane Patrol Squadron One. The USS AROOSTOOK was the flagship and tender for the Air Squadrons. The Commanding Officer of Combat Squadron Four was LCDR William Masek. It is believed that Spotting Four and Three, Combat Four and Three, and Seaplane Patrol One were the first formally organized and numbered fleet squadrons to be home-based at Naval Air Station San Diego. From the date the Air Squadrons, Pacific Fleet, were formed at the end of 1919 to the mid-1921 period, aviation units were identified simply as “shipplane,” “landplane,” and “seaplane” squadrons.

A name that was to stick for many years was assigned the North Island based squadrons in June 1922: “Aircraft Squadrons, Battle Fleet.” They had previously been named “Air Detachment, Pacific Fleet,” “Air Forces, Pacific Fleet,” and finally “Air Squadrons, Pacific Fleet.” A reorganization was underway at mid-year to merge the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets into the U.S. Fleet. The Atlantic-based squadrons were renamed “Aircraft Squadrons, Scouting Fleet.” Later that year, the squadron numbers were changed so that all squadrons were numbered serially by class in the order where they were initially authorized. The use of letter abbreviations to indicate mission was also adopted: “F” – Fighting; “O” – Observation; “T” – Torpedo Bombing; “B” – Bombing; etc. “V” meant Heavier-than-Air. Thus; “VF” would indicate “Fighting Squadron, Heavier-than-Air.” Combat Squadron Four was officially re-designated Fighting Squadron Two on the 1 July 1922. Fighting Two was equipped with the Vought VE-7SF biplane. The c ollier USS JUPITER was converted to the carrier USS LANGLEY (CV-1), the first aircraft carrier operated by the United States Navy, and was commissioned at Norfolk on 20 March 1922. In July, Congress authorized conversion of the unfinished battle cruisers LEXINGTON and SARATOGA to aircraft carriers. Thus, before the Battle Fleet Squadrons were to see the first carrier, two more were on the way.

As the year wore on, North Islanders, including VF-2, followed the LANGLEY story with intense interest, as it was known the carrier would ultimately be assigned to San Diego. On 17 October 1922, the first carrier takeoff was made from the LANGLEY. The pilot was Lieutenant V. C. Griffin in a Vought VE-7SF. The first landing on the LANGLEY was made 26 October 1922. A year later, still waiting for the LANGLEY, possibly the shortest takeoff on record was scored by one of four planes of Fighting Squadron Two, when the four were en route to San Francisco 15 October 1923. They were forced to land