Marion, I was the CO of 461 from November 1974-June 1976 and the call sign of the squadron was 'Haley'. Since they didn't change call signs that often, that may have been the call sign for the squadron at the time of this accident.

Call signs

Sturk,
I remember the New River radio was fairly informal at that time, and I remember the VMO-1 guys using "Romeo" over the air a bit, but that may have been test hops, etc. The "Heavies" were always "Charlie Juliet", but I'm sure the Misson that day had a REGULAR, mission specific call sign.
I was at New River that day (HMM-365) and lost a brother in that crash.:(

HMH-461 and VMO-1 Call Signs

In 1969-70-71 I was the S-2 and ALO of 2nd Field Arty Grp at Camp Lejeune and flew often with VMO-1, during the time LtCol "Tank" Meyers was the CO. I believe the call sign that we used at that time was "Yazoo". I flew nearly every week in the OC-10's and as I recall it was "Yazoo". Unfortunately, due to a rather nasty divorce, the plaintiff destoryed all military records and memorabilia that I had amassed while in the Corps, so I do not have a logbook to verify!

Duke Dearing

HMH-461 & VMO -1 call signs.

I'll back Bill Phillip's statement up to 1970 re: Haley. The tail letters were CJ (hence the ALO suggestion).

VMO-1 (Hueys) HMH-461 & 362 all shared the delaware hangar, until VMO-1 got the Broncos and moved across the field, into the MATG-40 hangars.

Don't tell the VA that I remembered that...

Hooper

VMO-1 Call sing

As I recall, the tail code on the OV-10's was ER, (Not OC-10's as in my previous post). We did have some Hueys there and they got a couple of N Models in just before I left in May 1971. HMH-461's tail code was CJ but I did not fly with them and don't know what their call sign was. But I am pretty sure VMO-1's call sign was "Yazoo".

Duke Dearing

Echo Romeo it was

I was in VMO1 at the time. I still have the local newpaper account of the midair. Our Huey was on an internal load hop, so no Crew Chief. For some strange reason i have saved that days flight schedule showing the assigned crew and internal load requirements. ER was on each of our vertilcal tail booms.

The 1st MAW Command Chronologies from about 1965 to 68 often had a repro of the Wing Status Board which showed each squadron and its assigned callsign. Maybe the 2d MAW did as well?

The Marine Corps Archives probably can get you a copy. The snail mail address is:
Archives Section
The Library of the Marine Corps
Alfred M. Gray Research Center
Marine Corps University
2040 Broadway Street
Quantico, VA 22134

Phone: (703) 784-4685

call signs

I was in HMM-264 (home base - New River) deployed on the USS Guadalcanal when this accident happened. At that time, we simply used our Squadron letter ID and tail number on the radio. Example, EH-88. I don't recall using call signs like we used in 'Nam.

1967 New River Mid-air

Retired Marine Leon Coxe was the MAG-26 FRAG Officer at the time of the accident. He reports that HMH-461 was "Camel Driver" and VMO-1 was "Yazoo".

VMO-1 Call Sign

I was attached to VMO-1 Avionics from Oct. 68 to Dec.72. The tail letters were ER (Echo Romeo) and the call sign was Yazoo for both the Hueys and OV-10s. This crash came up constantly. Before this accident, at New River, the helicopters would take off directly from their area on the flight line which was the prime reason for the accident.

Flight line take offs

I was a crew chief and section leader with VMO-1 from Feb 68 til Oct 69 and we never took off directly from the parking area. We always air taxied to the active runway for take off and the reverse comming back.

Huey's air taxiied

Jardo,
This may have been because of the 1967 accident that procedures changed. I was in HMM-365 at the south end of the then "new" hangar at New River when this happened and I remember UH-1's launching from their taxiway on occasion. However, they usually didn't intersect their departure with runway headings, but would turn out over the "hover pad" located near the runway, south side.

Jardo's correct

Jardo you are correct. In my two tours with VMO-1, 66-67 and 69, we almost always taxied the 900 feet to the threshold of 23 or 19. Since we were a training squadron, our instructors made the new guys follow protocol.

paul sheehan;19797 wrote: I was in HMM-264 (home base - New River) deployed on the USS Guadalcanal when this accident happened. At that time, we simply used our Squadron letter ID and tail number on the radio. Example, EH-88. I don't recall using call signs like we used in 'Nam.

The call sign for HMM-264 was "HIGHWAY" in 1965 per the list in Appendix 3 of Jul 1st MAW Command Chronology. I don't know when it changed.