Collection: VFA-192 World Famous Golden Dragons

The World Famous Golden Dragons trace their lineage to March 26, 1945, when the squadron was established as VF-153 at NAS Atlantic City. After several redesignations, the squadron became VF-192 in 1950 and entered combat during the Korean War flying the F4U Corsair. The Dragons supported Marines at the Chosin Reservoir and participated in the 1951 attack on the Hwachon Dam. The squadron later entered the jet age with the F9F Panther, and its appearances in the films Men of the Fighting Lady and The Bridges at Toko-Ri helped inspire the name “World Famous Golden Dragons.”

Redesignated VA-192 in 1956, the Golden Dragons later flew the A-4 Skyhawk and A-7 Corsair II in extensive combat operations during the Vietnam War. Among the squadron's most distinguished aviators was Lieutenant Commander Michael J. Estocin, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism during missions against heavily defended targets in North Vietnam. The Golden Dragons completed seven Vietnam combat deployments and built a distinguished record of strike operations and carrier aviation.

VA-192 was redesignated VFA-192 in 1986 as the squadron transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet. The Golden Dragons later flew combat missions during Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and other operations. The squadron transitioned to the F/A-18E Super Hornet beginning in 2013 and continues to fly the single-seat Super Hornet today, carrying forward more than eight decades of Naval Aviation history.