Lineage
  15Feb1943  established  VF-1 (Fighting Squadron)
  15Jul1943  redesignated VF-5 (Fighting Squadron)
  15Nov1946  redesignated VF-5A (Fighting Squadron)
  16Aug1948  redesignated VF-51 (Fighter Squadron)
  31Mar1995  disestablished

Nickname
  15Feb1943  -      1946? Fighting Hellcats
       1946? - 31Mar1995  Screaming Eagles

Deployments
  VF-5A  31Mar1947 - 16Jun1947  F8F-1/F6F-5P  CV-38   CVAG-5  S-1xx   WestPac
  VF-5A    Mar1948 -   Mar1948  FJ-1/F8F-1    CV-21   CVAG-5  S-1xx   EastPac
  VF-51  01May1950 - 01Dec1950  F9F-3         CV-45   CVG-5   S-1xx   Korean War
  VF-51  28Jun1951 - 25Mar1952  F9F-2         CV-9    CVG-5   S-1xx   Korean War
  VF-51  20Nov1952 - 25Jun1953  F9F-5         CVA-45  CVG-5   S-1xx   Korean War
  VF-51  12Mar1954 - 19Nov1954  F9F-6         CVA-47  CVG-5   S-1xx   WestPac
  VF-51  10Jul1957 - 09Dec1957  FJ-3          CVA-31  CVG-5   NF-1xx  WestPac
  VF-51  05Mar1960 - 11Oct1960  F4D-1         CVA-14  CVG-5   NF-1xx  WestPac
  VF-51  10May1961 - 15Jan1962  F8U-1         CVA-14  CVG-5   NF-1xx  WestPac
  VF-51  19Jul1962 - 17Sep1962  F8U-2NE       CVA-64  CVG-5   NF-1xx  Norfolk to San Diego around the Cape Horn
  VF-51  03Jan1963 - 15Jul1963  F-8E          CVA-14  CVG-5   NF-1xx  WestPac
  VF-51  14Apr1964 - 25Nov1964  F-8E          CVA-14  CVW-5   NF-1xx  Vietnam War
  VF-51    Aug1965 -   Aug1965  F-8E          CVA-14  CVW-5   NF-1xx  EastPac
  VF-51  28Sep1965 - 13May1966  F-8E          CVA-14  CVW-5   NF-1xx  Vietnam War
  VF-51  05Jan1967 - 22Jul1967  F-8E          CVA-19  CVW-5   NF-1xx  Vietnam War
  VF-51  27Jan1968 - 10Oct1968  F-8H          CVA-31  CVW-5   NF-1xx  Vietnam War
  VF-51  18Mar1969 - 29Oct1969  F-8J          CVA-31  CVW-5   NF-1xx  Vietnam War
  VF-51  02Apr1970 - 12Nov1970  F-8J          CVA-31  CVW-5   NF-1xx  Vietnam War
  VF-51    Sep1971 -   Oct1972  F-4B          CVA-43  CVW-15  NL-1xx  EastPac
  VF-51  12Nov1971 - 17Jul1972  F-4B          CVA-43  CVW-15  NL-1xx  Vietnam War
  VF-51  09Mar1973 - 08Nov1973  F-4B/G        CVA-43  CVW-15  NL-1xx  Vietnam War
  VF-51  05Dec1974 - 02Jul1975  F-4N          CVA-43  CVW-15  NL-1xx  WestPac
  VF-51  04Oct1976 - 21Apr1977  F-4N          CV-42   CVW-19  NM-1xx  Med
  VF-51  30May1979 - 25Feb1980  F-14A         CV-63   CVW-15  NL-1xx  WestPac
  VF-51    Jan1981 -   Feb1981  F-14A         CV-63   CVW-15  NL-1xx  EastPac
  VF-51  01Apr1981 - 23Nov1981  F-14A         CV-63   CVW-15  NL-1xx  WestPac
  VF-51  01Mar1983 - 29Oct1983  F-14A         CVN-70  CVW-15  NL-1xx  Norfolk to Alameda
  VF-51  30May1984 -   Jul1984  F-14A         CVN-70  CVW-15  NL-1xx  RIMPAC'84
  VF-51  13Oct1984 - 24May1985  F-14A         CVN-70  CVW-15  NL-1xx  WestPac, Indian Ocean, North Arabian Sea
  VF-51    May1986 - 02Jul1986  F-14A         CVN-70  CVW-15  NL-1xx  RIMPAC'86
  VF-51  12Aug1986 - 05Feb1987  F-14A         CVN-70  CVW-15  NL-1xx  WestPac, Indian Ocean
  VF-51  15Jun1988 - 16Dec1988  F-14A         CVN-70  CVW-15  NL-1xx  WestPac, Indian Ocean
  VF-51  18Sep1989 - 08Nov1989  F-14A         CVN-70  CVW-15  NL-1xx  NorPac, WestPac
  VF-51  01Feb1990 - 31Jul1990  F-14A         CVN-70  CVW-15  NL-1xx  WestPac, Indian Ocean
  VF-51  18Oct1991 - 11Dec1991  F-14A         CV-63   CVW-15  NL-1xx  Norfolk to San Diego
  VF-51  19Jun1992 - 02Aug1992  F-14A         CV-63   CVW-15  NL-1xx  RIMPAC'92
  VF-51  03Nov1992 - 03May1993  F-14A         CV-63   CVW-15  NL-1xx  WestPac, Persian Gulf
  VF-51  24Jun1994 - 22Dec1994  F-14A         CV-63   CVW-15  NL-1xx  WestPac, Indian Ocean