VP 44 Golden Pelicans (U.S. Navy) Black Coffee Mug

VP 44 Golden Pelicans (U.S. Navy) The VP 44 Golden Pelicans were a U.S. Navy flight squadron active during World War II, primarily based at Naval Air Station Alameda in California. Named after the Golden Pelican, the official emblem of the San Francisco Bay area, this squadron was part of the Patrol Bombing Squadron (VP) series within the U.S. Navy's patrol and reconnaissance aviation groups. The VP 44 operated a variety of aircraft, including the Consolidated PBY Catalina, during their service from 1942 to 1945. Their missions encompassed anti-submarine warfare, convoy escort, and search and rescue operations in the Pacific Theater. Notable among their accomplishments was the sinking of a Japanese submarine in 1943. The VP 44 was disestablished at the end of World War II but remains an important part of U.S. Navy aviation history.