VFA-213 Blacklions Plaque

VFA-213 Fighting BlackLions Plaque A beautifully carved 14 inch solid wood plaque of the VFA-213 Blacklions!  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 Fighting BLACKLIONS of VFA-213 were commissioned on 22 June 1955 at NAS Moffett Field , California . The BLACKLIONS flew the F-2H3 Banshee during their first deployment aboard USS BON HOMME RICHARD (CV-31). They transitioned to the F-4D Skyray for their next two deployments on USS LEXINGTON (CV-16). By their third WESTPAC deployment aboard the “LEX,” they were flying the F-3H2 Demon, which gave the squadron the capability to shoot the newly released AIM-7 Sparrow Air-to-Air missile.   In June 1961, the squadron moved to San Diego , California where they were based at NAS Miramar, “FIGHTERTOWN USA .” Three years later, in February 1964, the BLACKLIONS took a huge step forward in fighter capability by accepting the first of their new F-4 Phantoms. In November 1965, VFA-213 joined Carrier Air Wing 11 (CVW-11) and began the first of six combat deployments to the South China Sea aboard USS KITTY HAWK (CV-63) where they flew numerous missions over Southeast Asia in the Vietnam War. This deployment marked the first use of the Phantom as a conventional bomber, which was a role destined to make the Phantom a mainstay of the US Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.  Throughout the war, the BLACKLIONS flew over 11,500 combat missions and delivered in excess of 6,000 tons of ordnance. On 20 December 1966, LT D. A. McRae and ENS D. N. Nichols downed an enemy AN-2 Colt for the squadron’s first kill. In March 1971, VFA-213 became the first fleet squadron to fly the Phantom more than 1,000 hours in a single month.   In December 1976, VFA-213 transitioned to the Navy’s premier supersonic fighter, the F-14A Tomcat. In April 1982, the BLACKLIONS added a new mission as they began training with the Tactical Air Reconnaissance Pod System (TARPS) and in September 1982, VF-213 deployed aboard USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65). During Indian Ocean Operations, the BLACKLIONS achieved a new milestone by flying the longest Tomcat flight from a carrier on a 1,775-mile TARPS mission.   The BLACKLIONS deployed again to the Western Pacific in 1988 where they took part in Operation PRAYING MANTIS, a naval conflict with Iran on 18 April 1988. The BLACKLIONS won the prestigious “BOOLA BOOLA” award in March 1989 for their aggressive professional completion of all missile test firings.   In 1991, the BLACKLIONS deployed on USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN’s maiden WESTPAC cruise in support of Operation DESERT STORM. Day and night Combat Air Patrol flights by the BLACKLIONS over Kuwait enforced the United Nations’ sanctions on Iraq , while TARPS missions recorded the devastation of Kuwait oil fields.   In 1992, VF-213 won the coveted “MUTHA” award for espirit de corps and took honors as the Pacific Fleet’s top fighter squadron when they won the 1992 Fighter Derby. The squadron deployed for the second time aboard USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN in 1993 and participated in Operation SOUTHERN WATCH over Iraq and Operation RESTORE HOPE in Somalia . Upon their return, VF-213 began a turnaround for their next deployment, during which they again won the “MUTHA” award.   In 1995, the BLACKLIONS again deployed aboard “ABE” in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH. The maintenance department was