WHIRLYBIRDS U.S. Marine Helicopters in Korea by Lieutenant Colonel Ronald J. Brown U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, Retired Marines in the Korean War Commemorative Series About the Author ieutenant Colonel Ronald J. LBrown, USMCR (Ret), is a freelance writer, a high school football coach, and an educa- THIS PAMPHLET HISTORY, one in a series devoted to U.S. Marines in the tional consultant. The author of Korean War era, is published for the education and training of Marines by several official histories (A Brief the History and Museums Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C., as part of the U.S. Department of Defense observance of History of the 14th Marines, the 50th anniversary of that war. Editorial costs have been defrayed in part With Marines in Operation by contributions from members of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. To plan and coordinate the Korean War commemorative events and activi- Provide Comfort, and With ties of the Sea Services, the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard have Marine Forces Afloat in Desert formed the Sea Services Korean War Commemoration Committee, chaired by the Director, Navy Staff. For more information about the Sea Services’ Shield and Desert Storm), he commemorative effort, please contact the Navy-Marine Corps Korean War was also a contributing essayist for the best-selling book, Commemoration Coordinator at (202) 433-4223/3085, FAX 433-7265 (DSN288-7265), E-Mail: [email protected], Website: The Marines, and was the sole author of A Few Good www.history.usmc.mil. Men: The Fighting Fifth Marines. After almost four years KOREAN WAR COMMEMORATIVE SERIES active duty from 1968 to 1971, Brown returned to teach- DIRECTOR OF MARINE CORPS HISTORY AND MUSEUMS ing high school for the next three decades; intermittent- Colonel John W. Ripley, USMC (Ret) ly, he served as an activated reservist traveling to Korea GENERAL EDITOR, KOREAN WAR COMMEMORATIVE SERIES among other places. He is a combat veteran of both the Charles R. Smith Vietnam and Persian Gulf conflicts. He spent 20 years as EDITING AND DESIGN SECTION, HISTORY AND MUSEUMS DIVISION W. Stephen Hill, Visual Information Specialist a reservist with Mobilization Training Unit DC 7, the Catherine A. Kerns, Visual Information Specialist Reserve unit that supports the History and Museums Division. Lieutenant Colonel Brown commanded the U.S. Marine Corps Historical Center 1254 Charles Morris Street SE training unit before retiring from the Marine Corps Washington Navy Yard DC 20374-5040 Reserve in 1996. He is the author of an earlier pamphlet 2003 in this series, Counteroffensive: U.S. Marines from PCN 190 00410 500 Pohang to No Name Line. Operations in West Korea, v. 5 (Washing- Museums Division, HQMC, 1982). Sources ton, D.C.: Historical Division, HQMC, Other books reviewed included: Cdr The most important sources used in 1972). Other official histories consulted Malcolm W. Cagle and Cdr Frank A. preparing the pamphlet are the various offi- were: Robert F. Futrell, The United States Manson, The Sea War in Korea (Annapolis: cial Service histories and several mono- Air Force in Korea, 1950-1953 (Washing- U.S. Naval Institute, 1957); Col Robert D. graphs produced by the Marine Corps as ton, D.C.: Office of Air Force History, Heinl, Soldiers of the Sea: The U.S. Marine well as primary documents and oral history 1983); and James A. Field, Jr., History of Corps, 1775-1962 (Annapolis: U.S. Naval interviews held by the Marine Corps United States Naval Operations: Korea Institute, 1962); Robert Jackson, Air War Historical Center located in Washington, (Washington, D.C.: Navy History Division, Korea (Osceola, WI: Motorbooks Inter- D.C. Selected secondary works were also 1962). national, 1998); Allan R. Millett, Semper used to provide context and technical infor- Monographs used included: Capt John Fidelis: The History of the United States mation. C. Chapin, Fire Brigade: U.S. Marines in the Marine Corps (New York: Macmillan, 1980); The starting point for this study of Pusan Perimeter (Washington, D.C.: History Lynn Montross, Cavalry of the Sky (New Marine Corps helicopter operations in and Museums Division, HQMC, 2000); York: Harper and Brothers, 1954); Wayne Korea was the five volume History of U.S. LtCol Kenneth J. Clifford, Progress and Mutza, H-13 Sioux (Carrollton, TX: Marine Operations in Korea, 1950-1953 Purpose: A Developmental History of the Squadron/Signal Books, 1995); Edwin H. including: Lynn Montross and Capt U.S. Marine Corps (Washington, D.C.: Simmons, The United States Marines: The Nicholas A. Canzona, The Pusan Perimeter, History and Museums Division, HQMC, First Two Hundred Years (New York: v. 1 (Washington, D.C.: Historical Branch, 1973); MajGen John P. Condon, Corsairs To Viking, 1974); Gordon Swanborough and G-3 Division, HQMC, 1954); Lynn Montross Panthers: U.S. Marine Aviation in Korea Peter M. Bowers, United States Navy and Capt Nicholas A. Canzona, The Inchon- (Washington, D.C.: History and Museums Aircraft Since 1911 (London: Putnam Seoul Campaign, v. 2 (Washington, D.C.: Division, HQMC, 2002); LtCol Eugene W. Aeronautical Books, 1976); and Warren R. Historical Branch, G-3 Division, HQMC, Rawlins, Marines and Helicopters, 1946- Young, The Helicopters (Alexandria, VA: 1955); Lynn Montross and Capt Nicholas A. 1962 (Washington, D.C.: History and Time-Life Books, 1982). Canzona, The Chosin Reservoir Campaign, Museums Division, HQMC, 1976); LtCol History and Museums Division oral his- v. 3 (Washington, D.C.: Historical Branch, Gary W. Parker, A History of Marine tory transcripts provided observations by: G-3 Division, HQMC, 1957); Lynn Medium Helicopter Squadron 161 (Wash- LtCol Clifford V. Brokaw III; Capt Norman Montross, Maj Hubard D. Kuokka, and ington, D.C.: History and Museums G. Ewers; Maj Vincent J. Gottschalk; Capt Major Norman W. Hicks, The East-Central Division, HQMC, 1978); and LtCol Gary W. Andrew L. McVicars; Capt Gene W. Front, v. 4 (Washington, D.C.: Historical Parker and Maj Frank M. Batha, Jr., A Morrison; Maj Elton Mueller; Capt Clarence Branch, G-3 Division, HQMC, 1962); LtCol History of Marine Observation Squadron W. Parkins; 1stLt John L. Scott; and 2dLt Pat Meid and Maj James M. Yingling, Six (Washington, D.C.: History and Patrick G. Sivert. WHIRLYBIRDS U.S. Marine Helicopters in Korea by Lieutenant Colonel Ronald J. Brown, USMCR (Ret) n Sunday, 25 June protecting Kimpo Airfield near the that the Marine Corps was the last 1950, Communist South Korean capital actively American military Service to North Korea unex- engaged menacing North Korean receive helicopters, but was the pectedly invaded its planes and promptly downed three first to formulate, test, and imple- southern neighbor, of the five Soviet-built Yak fighters. ment a doctrine for the use of the American-backed Republic of Soon thereafter American military rotary-wing aircraft as an integral Korea (ROK). The poorly equip- forces operating under the aus- element in air-ground combat ped ROK Army was no match for pices of the United Nations operations. The concept of mann- the well prepared North Korean Command (UNC) were committed ed rotary-wing flight can be traced People’s Army (NKPA) whose to thwart a Communist takeover of back to Leonardo da Vinci’s armored spearheads quickly thrust South Korea. Thus, only four years Renaissance-era sketches, but across the 38th Parallel. The and nine months after V-J Day more than four centuries passed stunned world helplessly looked marked the end of World War II, before vertical takeoffs and landings on as the out-numbered and out- the United States was once again by heavier-than-air craft became a gunned South Koreans were quick- involved in a shooting war in Asia. reality. The Marines tested a ly routed. With the fall of the capi- The United Nations issued a rotary-wing aircraft in Nicaragua tal city of Seoul imminent, worldwide call to arms to halt during the Banana Wars, but that President Harry S. Truman ordered Communist aggression in Korea, experiment revealed the Pitcarin General of the Army Douglas and America’s armed forces began OP-1 autogiro was not ready for MacArthur, Commander in Chief, to mobilize. Marines were quick to military use. Autogiros used rotary Far East, in Tokyo, to immediately respond. Within three weeks a wings to remain aloft, but they did pull all American nationals in South hastily formed provisional Marine not use spinning blades to get air- Korea out of harm’s way. During brigade departed California and borne or to power the aircraft so the course of the resultant non- headed for the embattled Far East. autogiros were airplanes not heli- combatant evacuation operations Among the aviation units on board copters. Some aviation enthusiasts, an unmanned American transport the U.S. Navy task force steaming however, assert that the flight data plane was destroyed on the ground west was a helicopter detachment, accumulated and rotor technology and a flight of U.S. Air Force aircraft the first rotary-wing aviation unit developed for autogiros marked were buzzed by a North Korean Air specifically formed for combat the beginning Marine Corps heli- Force plane over the Yellow Sea operations in the history of the copter development. It was not without any shots being fired. On 27 Marine Corps. Although few real- until 1939 that the first practical July, an American combat air patrol ized it at the time, this small band of American helicopter, aircraft de- dedicated men and their primitive signer Igor I. Sikorsky’s VS-300, ON THE COVER: A Sikorsky HRS-1 flying machines were about to rad- finally moved off the drawing transport helicopter from HMR-161 ically change the face of military board and into the air. The U.S. sets down behind 1st Marine Division lines to pick up waiting Marines.