VP-56 Dragons Paque, 14, Mahogany, Navy

14 inch solid wood carved plaque of the VP-56 Dragons. Each plaque is carefully carved and painted to provide a unique piece you’ll proudly be able to display.

VP-56, nicknamed the Dragons, was a long-lived Patrol Squadron of the U.S. Navy, having held that designation for 38 years from 1953-1991. It was the second squadron to hold the VP-56 designation. This article is about the second VP-56, but includes the lineage of the first one.

1 Jul 1946: VP-900 was established at NAS Anacostia, D.C. It came under the operational control of FAW-5 and administrative control of the Naval Air Reserve Training Command. The squadron was one of 21 naval reserve squadrons established after the war to accommodate the large number of aircrews recently released from active duty and utilize the enormous stocks of aircraft on the inventory. The squadron flew the PBY-5A/6A Catalina seaplane and the PV-2 Harpoon landplane.

15 Nov 1946: All patrol squadrons were redesignated. Regular Navy squadron designations began with 1 and reserve patrol squadron designations began with 5. VP-900 was redesignated VP-ML-71. The ML for reserve patrol squadrons included twin-engine medium amphibian seaplanes, as well as twin-engine land-based bombers. Regular Navy patrol squadron ML designations were for twin-engine medium landbased bombers only. The amphibian medium seaplanes like the PBY-5A were in the AM category.

Feb 1950: VP-ML-71 was redesignated VP-661 during the reorganization of the Naval Air Reserve units in 1949, but the redesignation did not take effect until February 1950. During this period the number of Naval Aviation reserve squadrons was reduced from the 1949 total of 24 to 9.

15 Sep 1950: VP-661 was called to active duty as a result of North Korean forces invading the Republic of South Korea on 25 June 1950. The squadron reported for duty to Commander Naval Air Force Atlantic Fleet at NAS Norfolk, Va. At the start of hostilities Navy patrol forces on active duty numbered just 20 squadrons, and it quickly became apparent that this meager figure was inadequate to meet the increased demands. By the end of 1950 seven reserve patrol squadrons were called to active duty to augment the regular Navy patrol squadrons. After reporting for duty at NAS Norfolk, Va., the squadron was sent to NAS Corpus Christi, Tex., for six weeks of transitional training in the PBM-5 and PBM-5S2 Mariner seaplane.

May 1953: The first of the squadron’s new P5M-1 Marlin seaplanes began to arrive as replacements for the aging PBM Mariners. Pilots and ground crew personnel were sent to the Glenn L. Martin P5M school in Baltimore, Md., for training in operation and maintenance of the new aircraft.

Feb 1958: The Dragons came to the assistance of sister squadron VP-45 when one of its aircraft became frozen in the ice at NAS Norfolk. A group of volunteers from VP-56 found and old WWII amphibious tractor and made their way to the aircraft over the ice. They were able to chop the aircraft out of the ice and tow it to the beach.

25 Jan–Jun 1961: VP-56 received its first Lockheed P2V-7 Neptune and began transitioning from the Marlin seaplane. Transition training was completed by 8 June 1961.

1 Oct–Nov 1962: VP-56 deployed a detachment of five aircraft to NAS Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. On 22 October 1962, President John F. Kennedy announced the imposition of quarantine on Cuba after photographic intelligence analysis had ascertained the presence of numerous medium-and long-range intercontinental missile sites. On 24 October 1962, the squadron moved the rest of its aircraft to Cuba. The Dragons and 14 other patrol squadrons played a key role in the surveillance of Soviet bloc vessels approaching Cuba, and later the verification count of missiles being removed. The squadron returned to NAS Norfolk in late November 1962, after earning a letter of commendation for their efforts.

15 May 1966: The Dra