From the late 1950s until the CH-46 entered service in 1965, the UH-34 operated as the mainstay of Marine Corps helicopter units. Ultimately the Marine Corps took delivery of 515 UH-34Ds.
Early in 1965, Operation SHUFLY ended as U. S. Marine and Army units landed in Vietnam following the Tonkin Gulf resolution, and took the lead in the war against the Viet Cong. In March 1966, the more capable turbine-powered CH-46A began to replace the UH-34s. However, in August 1967, several fatal crashes caused by tail pylon failures resulted in the grounding of the CH-46As, and the haggard, but reliable H-34 remained in service until resolution of the CH-46 structural problems. In August 1969, the last Marine UH-34D in Vietnam was retired from HMM-362 at Hue Phu Bai.
15 August 1969 – Missions consisted of command & control, visual reconnaissance and administrative & liaison. The squadron flew 15.1 hours, 28 sorties and accomplished 11 tasks. It carried 24 passengers and 0.4 tons of cargo. No fire incidents were reported. Squadron operationally stood down as of 2400.
Looking over the After-action reports, other than test hops and antenna checks, the last flights on 15 Aug 1969 were:
1. pilot-Purcell, CP-Davis, C/C-Daniels, Gunner-Slatter, from 0700-unk for 4.7hrs. Their mission took them to MMAF, LZ 11, to LZ 23, back to Phu Bair, to Quang Tri, to LZ Kiwi, to Quang Tri, Phu Bai, to LZ 23 to LZ 11, back to Phu Bai. Zero mission points.
2. A flight of two: pilot-LtCol Schlarp, CP-Morgan, C/C-Gy Escotto, Gunner-Cronin; 2nd aircraft: pilot-Hooten, CP-Garntner, C/C-McCallum, Gunner-Tucker, other-Musolf from 0820-1155 for 4.2hrs. Their flight took them to Quang Tri, to LZ Owl X 4, to Vandegrift and then back to Phu Bai. This was good for one mission point.
3. That evening was a Mortar Watch: pilot-Carlton, CP-Maj Anderson, C/C- R.E. Elder, Gunner-L.R. Barnes at 2250-0115 for 2.4hrs. No mission points.
16 August 1969 – Operational standdown. Maintenance hops accounted for 0.8 hours, 1 sortie and 1 task.
17 August 1969 – Operational standdown. Maintenance hops accounted for 0.6 hours, 5 sorties and 2 tasks.
18 August 1969 – Operational standdown. A squadron flyover accounted for 16.9 hours, 18 sorties and 17 tasks. HMM-362 conducted ceremonies for the termination of flight operations in the Republic of Vietnam. There was an assembly of squadron personnel followed by a sixteen-plane flyover and simultaneous shutdown of all aircraft. Historical notes were read and a precision blade folding team demonstration followed. The squadron colors were cased, delivered and retired.
On 18 August 1969, the Phu Bai ceremonies were held marking the end of the combat role of the UH-34s. Two days later, the squadron, now under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Jack E. Schlarp, flew the final six aircraft to DaNang for shipment back to the United States.
At the time of the last combat flight, General Leonard F. Chapman on 1 January 1968, sent a message to the Sikorsky plant in Connecticut, In it he said: “As the last UH-34 is phased out of Marine Corps forces in Vietnam, it is appropriate to express our appreciation for the outstanding record compiled by this aircraft. Over 500 of these helicopters have flown one and a half million flight hours in 15 years. They have proven their dependability in an amazing variety of roles. They have accomplished every task from space capsule recovery to disaster relief in peacetime, and assault troops lifts to medical evacuations in war. In the rigorous combat environments in Vietnam, they have proven the marine Corps concept of helicopter assault. Many hundreds of Marines owe their lives to this aircraft. As we look to the future with more modern aircraft, the UH-34 takes its place in our memories along with such aircraft as the F-4F, SBD, and F4U as one of the giants of Marine Aviation.” [Marines & Helicopters, 1962-1973 By William R. Fails]
19 August 1969 – Operational standdown. The ferrying of squadron aircraft to DaNang for induction into overhaul (sig) accounted for 4.8 hours, 8 sorties and 8 tasks.
20 August 1969 – Operational standdown. The ferrying of squadron aircraft to DaNang for induction into overhaul (sig) accounted for 4.2 hours, 6 sorties and 6 tasks. All flight operations are now terminated.
21 August 1969 – Chop to CG FMFLant.
Nixon’s troop withdrawal plan began on 14 Jul with BLT 1/9 leaving for Okinawa. HMM-165 was the first 1stMAW unit to leave on 14 Aug. The last UH-34D squadron, HMM-362, departed RVN on 21 Aug for FMFLant to be redesignated HMH-362 with H-53s. They were the first unit of the 1st MAW in Vietnam in 1962. The H-34 had proven “to be the most dependable aircraft in the Wing’s helicopter inventory”.
The Sikorsky UH-34D served the Marine Corps in Vietnam for seven years. During that period, enemy action and operational accidents downed 134 of the venerable helicopters. To this day, whether they were pilots, crew chiefs, gunners or maintenance troops, the Marines who operated H-34s (which they affectionately labeled the “Dog”) all fervently believe that “When you’re out of H-34s, you’re out of helicopters.”
Contributions by Romy Myszka, Ben Cascio, Berle J Sigman, and hmm-364.org
To be more correct, the 46s had more than a “couple” of accidents. When the 46s could not fly safely, 34s were used to carry Marines, supplies, and medical evacuations. Tough birds, indeed! More than one had an engine cylinder shot/blown off in flight and continued flying until post-flight inspection revealed a lost cylinder. Pilots reported no problems with the bird when asked if they experienced any issues during the last hours of the flight that day. Yeah, we were proud to have been a part of the 34 crews who took a licken but kept on tickin’. Semper Fi, HMM361