VP-44 (1951-91)

Patrol Squadron 44
VP-44 insignia
Active	29 January 1951-28 June 1991
Country	United States of America
Branch	United States Navy
Type	squadron
Role	Maritime patrol
Nickname(s)	Golden Pelicans Budmen
Engagements	Korean War Vietnam War
Aircraft flown
Patrol	PBM-5 Mariner P5M-1 Marlin P-2 Neptune P-3 Orion

This VP-44 was a long-lived Patrol Squadron of the U.S. Navy. The squadron was established on 29 January 1951 at NAS Norfolk, Virginia and disestablished 40 years later, on 28 June 1991, at NAS Brunswick, Maine. Units of the squadron made 40 major overseas deployments. Its nickname was the Golden Pelicans from 1961-1991, and it was also known as the Budmen from 1989-1991. The squadron had four different insignia during its lifetime, featuring a marlin, King Neptune, a cartoon pelican, and, finally, a more formal pelican design. It was the fourth squadron to be designated VP-44, the first VP-44 was redesignated as VP-61 on 6 January 1941, the second VP-44 was redesignated VPB-44 on 1 October 1944 and the third VP-44 was disestablished on 20 January 1950.

The squadron was assigned to these home ports, effective on the dates shown:

The squadron first received the following aircraft on the dates shown:

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons.

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