By Keith A. Milks (2003)
Special to the [Marine Corps] Times

In 1954, Sikorsky Aircraft entered its latest helicopter, the S-58, in an Air Force, Army, and Navy-sponsored competition for a new helicopter. The three services turned down the S-58 in favor of other aircraft.

Dissatisfied when the chosen helicopter proved unsuitable, however, the Navy and Army ordered production of the S-58. In time, the Air Force would buy former Navy S-58s as search-and-rescue aircraft.

But, in the meantime, the Marine Corps also decided to adopt the S-58, which, for several years, was given a different name by each service branch using it. That changed in 1962 when the Defense Department issued a directive calling for standardization and the aircraft was redesignated the UH-34.

Over the production life of the UH-34, five models were built, with the most common variant being the UH-34D. A total of 1,825 of all models were built in the United States, while foreign companies under license built 525 more.

The Marine Corps ultimately would employ 520 of the aircraft beginning in 1955.

Powered by a Wright R-1820-84 radial-piston engine, the UH-34 was unique in that it was one of the last piston-engine helicopters to be produced. In time, turbines would dominate the market. The UH-34 had a maximum speed of 125 mph, a climb rate of 1,500 feet per minute and a 225-mile combat radius.

Despite being 65 feet long, 16 feet tall and having a 56-foot rotor diameter, the UH-34 was relatively light, weighing only 7,600 pounds. This primarily was due to a fuselage constructed from a lightweight magnesium alloy. It could carry 12 to 18 troops and had a maximum takeoff weight of 13,000 pounds. Armament usually was in the form of two M60 machine guns.

For the Corps, the first operational employment of the UH-34 came in early 1962 when Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 362 deployed to South Vietnam and participated in Operation Shufly in support of South Vietnamese forces. For next three years, Marine squadrons rotated in and out of Vietnam, flying support missions until American involvement moved beyond the advisory stage.

The UH-34 -- as awkward looking as it was -- proved to be a capable combat helicopter, though it did have drawbacks.

The high cockpit made a tempting target for enemy gunners, and its interior design hampered easy transit between cockpit and cargo area.

But these shortcomings were more than tolerable to crewmen who cherished the UH-34 for its ability to absorb damage and remain airworthy.

With introduction of the CH-46 in early 1966, the days of the UH-34 were numbered and the aircraft began disappearing from frontline operational squadrons. But when a Marine Corps-wide safety grounding of the CH-46 was ordered in late 1967, the UH-34 returned to service, albeit temporarily. The last UH-34 left Vietnam in 1969 and all models were retired within two years. During its seven years in Vietnam, 134 of the aircraft were lost to enemy fire or accidents.

The UH-34 is one of the few aircraft that can boast operational service with each of the military branches. Additionally, Marine Helicopter Squadron 1 used the UH-34 to transport the president, while the CIA-backed "Air America" operation used the aircraft for clandestine missions in and out of Laos during the 1960s and 1970s.

A popular export item, the UH-34 has been used by more than 25 nations.

Affectionately called the "Dog" by its crewmen, the UH-34 remained the mainstay of Marine medium-lift helicopter squadrons for more than 10 years.

In 1974, a Marine UH-34 that had seen operational service in Vietnam was put on display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C., and restored aircraft may be found at aircraft parks throughout the country.