or "%kick Tri etwsc.) EVA r efiWir/ )6A the Vol. IV, No. 48 U. S. Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay, T. H. Friday, March 16, 1956 Irish, Hawaiians HMR-161 Completes 'Firm Link' 9 The Irish, Irish-Hawaiians and Amphibious Cdr. ior Kauai LEX the Hawaiians all have ex_uses for Returns Home -to Prepare for LEX celebrating this month-St. Pat- Arrives Here for Conferences rick's Day tomorrow and Prince The Marinp Corps' most famous helicopter squadron returned home The amphibious commander of the large-scale 1st Provisional Ma- Kuhio Day March 26. here at 7:30 a.m. Saturday from a 45-day tour through the as Far East Prince Kuhio was lineal des- rine Air-Ground Task Force exercises on Kauai next month arrived Hawaii-based the the only unit to participate in Operation "Firm Link''. cendent of the last King of Kauai, here Sunday evening. is r:crt. Walter W. Strohbehn, USN, com- eight 'copters left the USS Hancock five miles outside Pearl Harbor and an elected delegate to Con- mander of Amphibious Squadron I, who with his staff, aboard the and flew directly to Kaneohe. gress. USS Henrico, docked at Pearl Harbor March II. The Henrico will Close to 100 officers and men of Marine Helicopter Squae on-161 be the command ship for the returned to their parent organi- April maneuvers. Group 13 ation, Marine Aircraft tion cane that month when they The PhibRon 1 commander and here, with a "high record of ef- transported an entire rifle com- his staff will be conferring here ficiency" for their part in tht pany into a front line position to with Brig. Gen. Edward C. Dyer. SEATO demonstration near Bang- take a strategically important Task Force commander, and his kok, Thailand on Feb. 15-18. hill. staff. for the next two weeks. On hand to greet Maj. David Operation Mauka, as the opera- Riley's squadron was Col. Fred- From that time on, evacuation tion has been designated, is one A. Ramsey, Chief of of wounded, movement of priority erick Jr., of a series of continuing Marine- Staff of the 1st Provisional Ma- supplies and transportation of troops were daily occurences Navy exercises to maintain am- rine Air-Ground Task Force; Col. until phibious the end of the Korean Since operations abreast of Max J. Volcansek, Jr., MAG-13 war. modern developments. commander; and dependents of the that time, the squadron has con- squadron's personnel. tinued to work with Pacific-based The Kauai exercise follows on the heels of Operation COWLEX a weekend of readjust- units in training, with a brief in- .tfti.r in the Aleutians in late January, ment from shipboard life and re- terlude last April while aboard unions. the versatile helicopter ship to Hawaii. men began three weeks of inten- During the Korean conflict, the with elements of the 1st Marine sive preparation for Operation squadron evacuated more than Division from the West Coast, and Mauka which starts the first week 3.000 casualties to hospital ships the 3rd Marine Division atomic in April. and field hospitals and at one age amphibious exercise at Iwo But HMR-161 is geared for time aias supporting two entire Jima last month. quick action. When the squadron regiments on the front lines, ap- Also on the Henrico Sunday :eceived orders for the Bangkok proximately 10.000 Marines. was the 1st Reconnaisance Corn- maneuvers last January, they were pany, from the 1st Marine Divi- only allotted 36 hours to pack up Since arriving here to become sion. and about 130 replacements and board the carrier, USS the Task Force' vertical air arm, for the 4th Marines (Reinf) and Princeton. at Pearl Harbor. the 'copters have continued to MUCH PLANNING is being done here as Navy and Marine com- manders for Operation Mauka and their staffs work out the final Marine Aircraft Group 13. The The squadron added to its rep- prove their versatility and last renonnaisanc.e company of about details for the large scale amphibious exercise on Kauai early in April. utation for adaptability and mo- fall completed airborne training 100 officers and men will be at bility during the SEATO opera- for the 5,000 men of the 4th Ma- Capt. Walter W. Strohbehn, USN, left, discusses the employment of this Windward Air Station until tions when they helped ferry the rines. his command, Amphibious Squadron I, with Brig. Gen. Edward C. later this month, when it will go Marine infantry troops from ship During Operation Dyer, commanding general, Task Force. The nearly 20 Navy ships to Kauai to act as aggressor to shore, moved supplies and car- Mauka next month, the squadron will and 5,000 personnel of COMPHIBRON I will be teamed with 8,000 force for Operation Mauka. ried visiting dignitaries on in- have its chance to prove once again the Marines of the Task Force for the forthcoming tactical test of land, Also arriving Sunday on the spection tours. Marine Corps' USS Noble for participation in For three days, the helicopters concept of a fast sea, air assault in the modern concept. moving force with wide the exercise was the 1st Communi- of 161 were a familiar sight to disper- they sion and "vertical envelopment" by cations Support Company, from the natives of Bangkok as helicopter. the 1st Marine Division. moved constantly between the Top Photographic Spots in Oahu ships and the city's huge airport. The squadron was commissioned For three nights the squadron's January, 1951, at El Toro Ma- personnel were also a familiar rine Corps Air Facility in Cali- Listed to Aid Photo Contestants Fourth Marines sight to the local citizens as they fornia. explored night life in the Orient. Do you have a camera? Does it work? If the answer is "Yes"; Busy Training Ora the last day of the opera- then don't hesitate to enter the Inter-Service Photography Contest. PERSONNEL LOSS CURTAILS tion, the helicopters flew low cov- With Kaneohe Bay's phase one offering of $200 in award certif- er for the 6.000-man parade of For Maneuvers DEPENDENT MEDICAL CARE icates, further recognition may be won for a picture if it is forwarded SEATO troops which wound for While the 2nd Bn., 4th Marines During the period from to Headquarters, Marine Corps for phase two. three miles through the streets (Reinf) was hitting the beach at March I 16, of Bangkok. to April it will be From there, winning photographs and transparencies will be entered Bellows Field last week, the regi- That the squadron now has just necessary to reduce the de- in the final Inter-Service Photo- ment's 1st Bn., was attacking ene- a short period in which to prepare pendent medical care in the graphy Contest which is sched- Sunday, by the Hawaiian Trail my objectives in the rugged and for the April exercise does not out- patient dinic of the main uled at the Pentagon for about and Mountain Club. mountainous terrain of the Ka- bother its personnel at all. As dispensary. June 1. wailoa training area. Third Bn. A short hike, scenic spots will the first helicopter transport Cooperation of all depend- It should be emphasized that 12th Marines, regimental artillery, squadron ever to be committed to include a natural lava bridge that simultaneously was firing from ents is ernestly requested so this contest is for the "shutter- spans and traverses the rim of combat, the squadron had been in that those who require atten- bugging" service personnel and Kaena .Point over the Wainae Korea less than a week before it Koko Head crater, panoramic Mountains into the Makua target tion may receive it. Emergen- not necessarily for those with pro- views xas engaged in rushing supplies of Kaupa Ponds, Hanauma area. des will be treated anytime. fessional ability. Sponsored by Sta- Bay and Koko Head. This area is to a unit of the 1st Marine Divi- local Lt. Col. John A. Lindsay's high- Curtailment of dependent tion special services, the considered a photographer's pa- sion which had beer. ambushed in phase is open to all Marines and spirited 1st Bn. was being put care is only temporary, radise. a mine field. due to Naval personnel stationed at Ka- through every type of difficulty. Arrving in Korea in Sept., 1951, a loss of personnel in the medi- neohe who have been on active Camera fans interested in join- One company, which made a simu_ the squadron's first unique opera- cal department. duty 90 days or more. ing the outing should bring bath- lated helicopter landing, was soon ing suits (for a swim afterward) after knocked out by a theoretical If the reason you haven't en- and provide their own lunch and nuclear weapon. The personnel tered is that you are in a quandary water. Club members and visitors were removed on litters. to to you may as what submit, are meeting on the Richards St. Another company, victims of a find the answer listed below. Ko- side of the Armed Forces YMCA, simulated chemical attack. put on dak Hawaii has compiled a list downtown at 8 a.m. Transportation their gas masks and stormed up Oahu of photographic spots on for will be 35 cents. a steep ridgeline taking their ob- benefit of isle visitors. Contest entries must be black jective. Night training included They are; (1) Waikiki beach: and white, single photos, black probing and defusing ._dummy surfers. catamarans. and canoe and white picture-stories, or color mines that had beer planted by laanchinr: (2) Royal llawishian transparencies.