I make no bones about it, this is an unofficial history of the Jolly Rogers. Mind me, I strive for the accuracy of the information contained in this website, but I care little about formal lineages and traditions.
This is the history of the Jolly Rogers as I see it, derived from my research and that of my friends. We all know about the twists and turns of history, about the official kings and queens and noble deeds, and how fragile those fairy tales turn to be under the merciless eye of the historian and the relentless brush of the archeologist.
If you care for the words inscribed on the tombs in the cathedrals, you could do far worse than point your browser to the official pages available at:
Navy Aviation Squadron Lineage and Naval Aviation Command Insignia
If, on the other hand, you care to follow the path of the Bones and the jack of the Jolly Rogers you came to the right place.
This is a history of pirates, corsairs and buccaneers, that took the most merciless flag of the seas to symbolize their intend to bring hell to the enemies of their nation. The skull and crossed bones insignia was first painted on the fuselage of a Vought F4U-1 Corsair in 1943. Sixty-one years of history, and counting.
Well, not really sixty-one years. There were a few without Bones. And that's what I care about, naval aircraft proudly displaying the Jolly Rogers. No Bones, no history, no matter how much some may complain. After all, I am not an unfortunate junior officer being pressed by the skipper to cook some cock and bull story to feed the media, or to decorate some cruise book.
And so I'll start by saying these words: the Jolly Rogers are nomadic pirates that were born in the ready room of VF-17 back in good ol' 1943; they took their flag to VF-61 by the honored way of descent, and to VF-84 and VF-103 by the ancient right of conquest. And these words I am set to prove.
Your comments, corrections, additions, photos, complaints, are most welcome. E-mail me using the link bellow.