Photo By Staff Sgt. Andy Orozco | Marines from Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 29 spray primer paint on a UH-34 from...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION NEW RIVE, N.C. - Marines cherish their history, and through time and effort, the Marines of Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 29 have restored a piece of Marine Corps history.
MALS-29 Marines have been repainting a UH-34 Seahorse from the aviation memorial by the front gate aboard Marine Corps Air Station New River.
The aircraft will be painted to replicate the way it looked in the 1960s, pre-Vietnam War era, said Gunnery Sgt. James Hutchinson, MALS-29 airframe mechanic.
Hutchinson did many hours of research in conjunction with the Aviation Curator for the National Museum of the Marine Corps, to ensure the paint codes, the paint scheme and all markings on the aircraft were historically accurate, said Lt. Col. Robert L. Wiser, MALS-29 commanding officer.
This project has meant a lot to pilots, crew chiefs and other veterans of all sorts who have stopped by during the painting and shared their stories of the aircraft, said Hutchinson.
“This isn’t just another aircraft to them; it’s a piece of their life that has both emotionally and physically affected them in some way and it still does,” he said.
According to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum website, while the UH-34 was originally a private Sikorsky Aircraft, it soon became a popular aircraft with not only the U.S. military, but also foreign nations and several civil operators.
In 1955, the Marine Corps received its first UH-34. It was the workhorse for Marine Corps helicopter units from the late 1950s to 1965. On April 15, 1962, Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 362 deployed to Soc Trang, South Vietnam to support the Army of the Republic of Vietnam against the Viet Cong.
The last UH-34D that served in Vietnam, retired August 1969 at Hue Phu Bai, when the CH-46 Sea Knight was introduced into the service.
“One of the veterans that came down to visit while we were painting had to excuse himself because he got emotionally upset and started crying because he was so happy that we were taking our time to actually bring this aircraft back to life,” said Hutchinson. “A pilot came up to me one day, broke down and told me how much this meant to him. That’s what this project is all about. There’s no ribbon, award or letter of appreciation to say what we are doing here, but it’s those veterans who make this worth it.”
| Date Taken: | 06.07.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 06.07.2013 14:14 |
| Story ID: | 108277 |
| Location: | NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 497 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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