BuNo: 154824

James D'Angina Assistant Aviation Curator, HISTORY AND MUSEUMS DIVISION, Museum Branch, Marine Corps Curator Section, sent me a picture of their most recent acquisition and stated that the ".....BuNo: 154824 came to us from the Navy but her aircraft card places the aircraft in Vietnam with the Marines in 1968-69 at Phu Bai, with I believe HMM-265, but this was difficult to make out because her aircraft card was very faded. She served with the Marines until 1977 when she was transferred to the Navy. She was flown by HC-8 Squadron out of
Norfolk here to Quantico."

Can anyone confirm the Squadron she was in?

I'll post a picture of the aircraft in visions and update this thread with a link once posted.

https://www.popasmoke.com/visions/image.php?source=4227

Thanks CURT!!!! 😀 😉 :p

I would suggest that Jim check the aircraft inventory card records that are on micro fisch at the Naval Aviation History Center at the Old Navy Yard in DC. They will show what squadron 154824 was in 1968-69. The cards are on film by year and bureau number sequebnce within the year.

IGOR

Not sure I'd classify 154803 being transferred to a reserve squadron as "retired."

154803

154803 is indeed the "saigon bird" that HMM-165, Capt. Gerry Berry, used to remove the Ambassador from the roof of the American Embassy. It was at the reunion piloted by Major Andrew Ryan, self proclaimed "youngest major in the Corps"! The Major was at that time X.O. of HMM-774 a reserve squadron based in Norfolk, although he isn't a reserve officer. Now numbered MQ 411, 154803 isn't really retired, but on active duty in a reserve squadron. Hope this helps.
Semper Fi
Joe

BuNo 154803

See "Visions of Vietnam" #2389 and #2390 showing the "Not a Flyby" at Pensacola ReUnion 2002.

re: BuNo. 154824 follow-up

Received today a copy of a letter and copies of what appear to be of micro fiche from the Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center, Historian..... and I will tell you they are extremely hard to read. The copies are of the poorest quality and I have been to many a library doing genealogy and have a sense of what a readable copy is. I will try to decipher them and try to give a chronology best I can for this bird.

154789, 154796, 154811

These 3 airplanes were assigned to HMM-165 in January 1969 when I was assigned.

154789 transfered to PAR, 31 May 1969

154796 Transfered to PAR, 15 June 1969

154811 crashed 21 June 1969
Incident Date 690621 HMM-165 CH-46D 154811+ Hostile Fire, Crash https://www.popasmoke.com/kia/incidents.php?incident_id=218

buno 154824

I don't know what squadron she was in 'Nam, but she was with HMM-264 during the summer of 1968. I flew her numerous times on Carib 2-68 deployment off the USS Quadalcanal.

re: BuNo. 154824 follow-up

Thanks Paul..... I can just make out that it left Santa Ana from HMMT 302 and as you say aboard the USS Guadalcanal...... and with HMM 264..... it did end up in Phu Bai..... I am trying to set the chronology and when finish will post it back to this thread....

😀

BuNo: 154824

Here are some of the excerpts from the micro fiche..... I only included pertinent dates of transfer or beginning and end service with different units ...... only have pages that cover this time frame.... none before or after.......

BuNo Date Unit Location

(No Build or Procurement Date)

154824 050268 REP MCRTCN
154824 051568 REP MCRTCN

154824 051568 HMM 264 CAMP GARCIA

154824 051568 HMM 264 ABD GUADACAN
154824 120268 HMM 264 ABD GUADACAN

154824 120268 HMMT 302 SANTA ANA
154824 062769 HMMT 302 SANTA ANA
154824 12??69 HMMT 302 SANTA ANA

154824 12??69 HMM 265 PHU BAI
154824 01?170 HMM 265 PHU BAI
154824 060170 HMM 265 PHUBAI

(No information on return to States)

154824 111370 HMM 265 SANTA ANA
154824 111370 HMM 161 SANTA ANA

154824 02?471 HMM 161 SANTA ANA
154824 06?371 HMM 161 SANTA ANA

(No further information)

😀 😉 :p

BuNo. 154824

The history of some aircraft are hard to follow and research. No matter what the "fisch" says, HMM-265 was pulled out of Vietnam in Sep/Oct 1968. The "A" models we had were spread throughout the rest of the Helicopter community. Pretty hard to have the "D" model (154824) in PhuBai with HMM-265 in 1969-1970. HMM-265 was formed up again sometime later at Tustin.

Mele Kalikimaka and Aloha...David::D

HMM-265 LTA

HMM-265 rotated to LTA in November 1969 without aircraft. The unit was reassembled with a few personnel from the squadron and the remainder were H-34 people from the HMMT who had been to school on the CH-46. Eventually they took delivery of CH-46 Super Ds from overhaul until they had a full TO of 24 aircraft.

Wayne Stafford
HMM-265 4/69-10/69 11/69-6/70