VP-47

Patrol Squadron 47 (VP-47), also known as "The Golden Swordsmen", is a maritime patrol squadron of the United States Navy based at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, attached to Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing Two. The squadron currently flies the P-3C Orion, and is scheduled to transition to the P-8A Poseidon within the next few years.

Squadron History

VP-47 was officially established as VPB-27 at Naval Air Station Harvey Point, North Carolina on June 1, 1944 during World War II and deployed to Hawaii equipped with PBM Mariner aircraft. The squadron participated in the Okinawa Campaign in 1945. When the war finished the squadron undertook courier services in the Western Pacific until VPB-27 returned to Hawaii and was redesignated VP-47.

After relocating to North Island Naval Air Station, San Diego. the squadron flew patrols along the west coast of the United States from Alaska to Mexico. The squadron deployed detachments to Saipan, Naval Air Station Sangley Point, Philippines and Oppama, Japan in January 1950. With the outbreak of the Korean War, VP-47 increased its deployment to Japan flying patrol missions and courier routes in the Western Pacific. At the end of the Korean War, VP-47 had made three deployments in support of United Nations forces in Korea and relocated to Naval Air Station Alameda, California and was re-equipped with P5M Marlin seaplanes. Here the squadron acquired the new P5M-2 seaplane. Adopting as their motto, "The Best in the West," VP-47 flew the Navy's most modern seaplanes on four deployments to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. The next five years were highlighted by winning the Dual Pilot Aircraft Safety Award in 1955, the Commander Naval Air Pacific Forces "Fleet Battle Efficiency" Award in 1956 and the Chief of Naval Operations Safety Award for seaplanes in 1957 with over 7,000 accident-free hours flown.