AV8 Ace – "Warhawk" 45th Fighter Squadron

The 45th Fighter Squadron was activated in December 1940 at Wheeler Field, Hawaii, as part of the 15th Pursuit Group tasked with defending the Hawaiian Islands. Flying the Curtiss P-36 Hawk and Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, the squadron was caught in the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Many of its aircraft were destroyed on the ground during the surprise assault, but surviving pilots and ground crews rapidly regrouped, restoring damaged aircraft and resuming air defense patrols over Hawaii in the critical days following the attack. 

As the war progressed, the squadron transitioned from homeland defense into an operational combat and training unit, eventually deploying to the Central Pacific. Re-equipped with the powerful Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and later the long-range North American P-51 Mustang, the 45th prepared for very-long-range escort missions supporting the strategic bombing campaign against Japan. In early 1945, the squadron deployed to Iwo Jima shortly after the island’s capture, where its pilots flew ground attack missions supporting Marines and later escorted Boeing B-29 Super fortress bombers deep into Japanese territory. 

From bases on Iwo Jima, the 45th Fighter Squadron conducted fighter sweeps against Japanese airfields, attacked transportation networks and military targets, and helped defend Allied invasion forces from kamikaze attacks during the Okinawa campaign. The squadron continued long-range escort operations over the Japanese homeland until the end of the war, playing an important role in securing Allied air superiority in the Pacific. Following Japan’s surrender, the unit returned to Hawaii before being inactivated in 1946, leaving behind a distinguished legacy tied directly to both Pearl Harbor and the final air offensives of World War II.

The tri-blend fabric creates a vintage, fitted look. And extreme durability makes this t-shirt withstand repeated washings and still remain super comfortable.

• 50% polyester, 25% combed ring-spun cotton, 25% rayon
• Fabric weight: 3.4 oz/yd² (115.3 g/m²)
• Pre-shrunk for extra durability
• 40 singles
• Regular fit
• Side-seamed construction
• Blank product sourced from Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, or the US

Disclaimer: The fabric is slightly sheer and may appear see-through, especially in lighter colors or under certain lighting conditions.