MARINES     VMO-1

April 1956 - July 1964       

MAG 26 , 2nd  Marine Aircraft Wing, Aircraft, FMF, Atlantic

MCAF New River , Jacksonville , NC

1962

From "Kaman Rotor Tips" , Apr 1962 - page 7 :                         "VMO-1  HOKs Qualify For Carriers"

A whole squadron of HOKs flew out to the carrier USS Thetis Bay off the coast of North Carolina recently for a period of carrier qualification and shipboard indoctrination for 10 pilots attached to VMO-1, MAG-26, MCAF New River, NC. It was the first time this squadron of HOK has been given the opportunity to carrier qualify.

VMO-1 is called upon from time to time to send a couple of HOK's with other squadron detachments from MAG-26 when they go aboard carrier for cruises, and therefore, their combat readiness was elevated considerably by all of the available squadron pilots being able to carrier-qualify at one time.

Under normal operations, the pilots of VMO-1 are under the operational control of the 2nd Marine Division, Camp Lejeune, and fly missions in support of ground forces in maneuvers at the Marine Corps Base, and at Vieques, Puerto Rico where they have one HOK in support of the battalion there.

HOK-1  129820 ER 143 VMO-1  -  "Kaman Rotor Tips" , Apr 1962 - page p7

1963

From "Kaman Rotor Tips" , Dec63 - Jan64  - page 9 :                         "VMO-1 Rescues Three"

While on detached duty, OH-43D crews from VMO-1, MAG-26, MCAF, New River, NC., rescued two marines and a civilian from shark-infested waters. Saved were the pilot and crewman of a light observation plane which crashed near the USS Okinawa while coming in for a landing.

An OH-43D, piloted by 1stLt D. P. Reichert, was loaded with cargo slings at the time. The helicopter landed on the ship, dropped the slings, took aboard Sgt C. W. Revier and Cpl B. Hilmandolar as crewmen, then flew to the crash site. The rescuees were hoisted to the OH-43D from their life raft and taken aboard the ship for medical treatment.

Several days later another OH-43D was on its way from St. Thomas to the naval station at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, when Capt George G. Evans and his co­pilot, Capt Jacob W. Moore, intercepted a radio call on SAR frequency between a Coast Guard SA-16 and the naval station tower. A civilian had been sighted in a water-filled boat and rescue operations were underway. Captain Evans joined in the search and, guided by smoke flares dropped from the SA-16, located the boat. The lone occupant was hoisted to safety and flown to shore.

1964

From "Kaman Rotor Tips" , Oct-Nov 1964  - page 3-4  :                       "VMO-1's  Mission to Peru"

By Capt G.F. Gallagher, Capt R.N. Moore, WO. R.L. Norton – as told to 1^st Lt S.C. Spink, Information Services Officer.

A short while ago marines from VMO-1, MAG-26, MCAF, New River, N, C. played a leading role in the helicopter rescue of 11 sick, injured or wounded Peruvian road engineers from the dense Amazon Basin jungle near Iquitos in Northern Peru. The engineers had been sur­rounded and under attack by hostile Indians for several days. Flying in OH-43D’s, the marines were part of a combined rescue operation involving the Peruvian Air Force, the U. S . Air Force and the U. S. Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic. A request from the Peruvian govern­ment for aid for the beleaguered party put the wheels in motion. Following alert of the rescue control center at Albrook AFB, C. Z. , USAF C-130's airlifted two marine OH-43D's from Howard AFB to Iquitos, Peru , 600 miles north of Lima. The helicopters normally operated from the USS Guadalcanal which was taking part in training exercises in the Caribbean area.

OH-43D  129823  ER 142  VMO-1 - "Kaman Rotor Tips" , Oct-Nov 1964 

Assigned  aircraft :

129803  12 Apr 1956  -  01 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263

129811  12 Apr 1956  -  01 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263 , back 12 Feb 1960  -  18 Jan 1961

129816  12 Apr 1956  -  21 Sep 1956  damaged, SOC

129810  07 Jun 1956  -  28 May 1958  to HMRC-263 , back 12 Feb 1960  -  02 Mar 1961

129837  14 Sep 1956  -  01 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263

138101  xx Oct 1956  -  01 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263

138102  12 Oct 1956  -  01 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263

129806  18 Oct 1956  -  20 Dec 1956

139971  09 Nov 1956  -  01 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263 , back 26 Feb 1960  -  08 Oct 1961

139972  20 Nov 1956  -  01 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263 

139976  31 Jul 1957  -  01 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263 

139977  01 Aug 1957  -  01 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263 , back 19 Aug 1960  -  03 Jan 1963    :   "9977 ER"    "146?"   (1962)

139979  01 Aug 1957  -  01 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263 , back 13 Oct 1960  -  01 Dec 1962   crashed    :   "9979 ER"    "147"

139980  06 Jun 1957  -  01 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263 , back 12 Feb 1960  -  09 May 1960   w/o

139981  01 Aug 1957  -  01 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263 , back 20 Jan 1961  -  24 Feb 1963

139988  30 Jul 1957  -  01 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263    :   "ER  25"  

139989  07 Oct 1957  -  01 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263

139993  07 Oct 1957  -  01 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263 , back 12 Feb 1960  -  27 Jan 1961

139990  10 Oct 1957  -  03 Apr 1958

139991  30 Oct 1957  -  27 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263

129835  29 May 1958  -  01 Jun 1958  to HMRC-263 , back 12 Feb 1960  -  09 Mar 1961

139994  12 Feb 1960  -  23 Dec 1963

129838  12 Feb 1960  -  31 Aug 1961   :  "9838 ER"    "141"      (1960)

139978  12 Feb 1960  -  01 Jun 1962 , back  08 Jun 1963  -  07 May 1964

139975  08 Jun 1960  -  24 Jul 1962

139989  29 Jul 1960  -  13 Jul 1964

125528  11 Oct 1960  -  20 Jul 1964

129820  01 Feb 1961  -  02 Aug 1962  w/o, SOC    :   "8820 ER"    "143"   (1962)

129802  06 Jun 1962  -  20 Dec 1963    :   "9802 ER"    "150"    (ca 1962)

129823  26 Jul 1962  -  09 Sep 1964     :   "9823 ER"    "142"    (1964)    (storage Oct 73  ER ...)

139982  21 Sep 1962  -  13 Apr 1964

139999  10 Nov 1962  -  xx May 1964

139997  08 Jul 1963  -  20 Nov 1963

129828  20 Aug 1963  -  20 Jul 1964

139988     "ER  25"  

129838  "9838 ER"    "141"      1960

 129823  "9823 ER"    "142"      1964        ,  storage  ER...   Oct73

 129820  "8820 ER"    "143"     1962

 139977  "9977 ER"    "146?"    1962

 139979  "9979 ER"    "147"

 129802  "9802 ER"    "150"      ca 1962