The keel of USS Oriskany (CVA-34) was laid down 1 May 1944 in the New York Shipyard and she was launched in 1945. Her completion was suspended from 12 August 1947 until after the outbreak of hostilities in Korea. Then she was rushed to completion and commissioned 25 September 1950.

Oriskany, an Essex Class carrier, has a displacement of 27,100 tons, length of 888 feet, width of 147 feet 6 inches, and can reach a speed of 33 knots. She has a complement of 3,460 crewmen and can carry 80 aircraft.

Following carrier qualifications for Air Group 102, Oriskany departed San Diego on 15 September 1952 to aid United Nations forces in Korea. She joined Fast Carrier Task Force 77 off the Korean coast 31 October and began combat operations against the Korean mainland. Her aircraft struck hard with bombing and strafing attacks against enemy supply lines. They downed two MiG-15 jet fighters and damaged a third.

“Big O” as she was affectionately called, was involved in action in the Vietnam War, when on 26 October 1966, a disastrous fire broke out on the flight deck, resulting in the loss of 44 sailors, with and additional 156 six injured. Oriskany served the fleet with great distinction in two wars but was decommissioned 25 July 1989.

This patch was worn by pilots of VF-192 during their 1954 cruise to the Orient, when they participated in filming “The Bridges at Toko-Ri.”