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Visited the Miramar Marine Aviation Museum Sunday. Although it was closed, I noted the BU#of the H-34 on display there (150219).
I was surprised to see that, although it's painted in HMM-163 colors (also my in-country squadron), I flew this bird out of Danang with HMM-361 in September '65.
You guys might want to check your log books to see if you can point to 150219 and tell your grand kids about your good ole days in this specific bird.
Posted : 2004-03-22 19:21
🙂 I have a few flights in that "OLD DOG" Aug, Sept. '66 when I was with HMM-161 up in Phu Bai.
Tom Knowles
HMM-161, VMO-2
Posted : 2004-03-23 09:24
Miramar H-34
Norm -
A little additonal info for you on that '34. I live just south of Miramar. Approx. four years ago, after having driven by the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum a number of times and seeing the '34 outside on display, I decided to go on the base and talk to those that were running the Museum. My main reason for doing so was to talk to them about the paint job that it had on it at the time.
Instead of the way it appears now, it was painted in a god awful shade of chartreuse and had no squadron markings on it. Loving the "Dog" as we all do, I couldn't stand the thought of it looking the way it did anymore. As luck would have it, the day I went to the Museum, the '34 was missing from its usual display pad. It seems that they had just taken it into the restoration hangar to redo the paint job.
One thing led to another and the next thing I knew I was over at the hangar looking at. They were in the beginning stages of stripping the old paint job. Once I told them that I had flown '34s in-country, they asked me if I had any suggestions on a new paint scheme. I suggested that they paint it up in the HMM-163 paint job with the "Evil Eyes" on the clamshell doors. I thought it would be the most impressive paint job. The decision was a tough one though, as I had been in HMM-361 as well.
Since that time, we have displayed the aircraft at every annual Miramar Airshow and it has been a big hit. Just wish it was flyable so that I could take it around the pattern a couple of times! Also, I have now been writing the newsletter for the Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation going on four years. The summer '04 edition due out on July 1st, will have some of your comments about your visit to the Museum in it.
Semper Fi,
Rog
HMM-361, '67
Posted : 2004-03-29 10:57
I flew her too!
Well, I must say, this bird, if the BuNo. is correct made the rounds.... I flew it while with HMM 363... from my log book I flew her first in Oct '67 and last Sept '68..... she was in our squadron for my entire tour.
😀 😉 :p
Posted : 2004-03-29 15:32
