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EXTREMELY RARE, ORIGINAL, AUTHENTIC US NAVY PATCH. The previous owner, a retired Navy officer and former Chief of Naval Reserve, later worked at Lockheed and other aircraft manufacturers. He played a role in the development of the F-22 and other aircraft. He was a passionate collector, particularly of patches related to the projects and groups he was involved with. This ensures that his patch collection, acquired during his years of service, is authentic and not recent reproductions. This unique patch commemorates the coordinated attack in 1986 by the US Navy’s A-6 Intruder and A-7 Corsair, along with the US Air Force’s F-111 Aardvark, on Libyan bases. The patch features the phrase “PAYBACK IS A BITCH” at the top, aircraft designators at the bottom, and illustrates the coordinated effort of these aircraft. The F-111s flew 3,500 miles to deliver their ordnance. The Intruders/Corsairs launched from their carrier in the Mediterranean Sea. The patch has a “thin plastic over very tight cheesecloth” backing. It has a “merrowed black” border and a “light blue twill background”. No Velcro on the back. Dimensions are shown in the photos (the ruler on the right is 6). This patch is part of the finest Intruder patch collection I’ve ever seen. It comes from a retired US Navy Captain’s collection, which I recently acquired. This is an original, one-of-a-kind item, so don’t miss your chance to own this piece of history. VA, A-6 Intruder, A-7 Corsair, VMA, USMC, VMA(AW), VAQ, EA-6B Prowler, EA-18G Growler, VAW E-2 Hawkeye, VF F-14 Tomcat, VFA F-18 Hornet/Super Hornet, VP P-3 Orion, P-8 Poseidon. US Navy, Carrier Air Wing (CVW), Mediterranean and Western Pacific cruises, Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf operations. Key operations include Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, Operation SOUTHERN WATCH, Operation NORTHERN WATCH, Desert Fox, Desert Shield, Desert Storm.