Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462
HMH-462 Unit insignia
Active	April 15, 1944 - September 10, 1945 March 15, 1944 - present
Country	United States
Branch	USMC
Type	Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron
Role	Assault Support
Part of	Marine Aircraft Group 16 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Garrison/HQ	Marine Corps Air Station Miramar
Nickname	"Heavy Haulers" "The Screw Crew"
Tail Code	YF
Engagements	Vietnam War * Operation Eagle Pull * Operation Frequent Wind Operation Desert Storm Operation Iraqi Freedom

Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 462 (HMH-462) is a United States Marine Corps helicopter squadron consisting of CH-53E Super Stallion heavy transport helicopters. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar Events 44 BC - Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, is stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Assault Support is one of the six functions of United States Marine Corps aviation and is comprised of those actions required to airlift personnel supplies or equipment Marine Aircraft Group 16 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar that is currently composed of four CH-46 The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3rd MAW is the major west coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps. Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS Miramar, formerly Naval Air Station (NAS Miramar is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Tail codes are the markings usually on the vertical stabilizer of U The Vietnam War, also known as the Second Indochina War, or the Vietnam Conflict, occurred in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia Operation Eagle Pull was the American evacuation by air of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on April 12 1975. Operation Frequent Wind was the Emergency evacuation by Helicopter from Saigon, South Vietnam, in April 1975 during the last days The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The squadron, known as the "Heavy Haulers", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 16 (MAG-16) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3rd MAW). Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS Miramar, formerly Naval Air Station (NAS Miramar is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Marine Aircraft Group 16 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar that is currently composed of four CH-46 The 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (3rd MAW is the major west coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps.

History

World War II

Squadrons logo during WWII when they were VMF-462

Marine Fighting Squadron 462 (VMF-462) was activated Marine Corps Air Station El Centro, California on April 15, 1944. Naval Air Facility El Centro or NAF El Centro is a military Airport located six miles (10 km northwest of El Centro, in Imperial County California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Events 1450 - Battle of Formigny: Toward the end of the Hundred Years' War, the French attack and nearly annihilate English Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. On October 10, 1944 the squadron absorbed personnel and equipment from VMF-481 and they were redesignated a fighter pilot replacement training unit. Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Shortly thereafter they transferred to Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California and remained there until the end of the war. Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was a United States Marine Corps Air Station located near Irvine California, at. The squadron was quickly deactivated after the war's end on September 10, 1945^[1]. Events 506 - The Bishops of Visigothic Gaul meet in the Council of Agde. Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar

1950s and early 1960s

On November 1, 1957, 462 was reactivated at Marine Corps Air Facility Santa Ana, California as Marine Helicopter Transport Squadron (Medium) 462 HMR(M)-462. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Tustin Legacy is 1600-acre planned community in Tustin California being developed on the former Marine Corps Air Station Tustin which will include parks a commercial In March, 1958 the squadron received the Sikorsky HR2S-1(CH-37 Mojave), known as the "Deuce. Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout " In July, 1958 the squadron participated in NASA’s abort recovery tests of the Mercury space capsule in the Salton Sea. The Salton Sea is an inland Saline lake, occupying the lowest elevations of the Salton Sink, part of the larger Colorado Desert in Southern During July, 1959 HMR(M)-462 worked with the United States Army in El Paso, Texas to conduct the initial aerial transport tests of the Hawk missile system. The United States Army is a military organization whose primary mission is to "provide necessary forces and capabilities. Development Development of the HAWK missile system began in 1952 when the United States Army began studies into a medium range Semi-active radar homing One year later, the squadron worked with Convair Astronautics Corporation in San Diego to help construct Atlas missile silos. The Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation, commonly known as Convair, was a US aerospace development and manufacturing complex of the 1940s and later The SM-65 Atlas was a missile built by the Convair Division of General Dynamics. Also during 1960, HMR(M)-462 joined with the Federal Aviation Administration, Sikorsky Aircraft, the U. The Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA) is an agency of the United States Department of Transportation with authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation is an American Aircraft manufacturer S. Army, New York Airways and British technical representatives of the Decca Corporation to establish Instrument Flight Procedures for helicopters. This article discusses the helicopter airline which should not be confused with the 1980s startup airline New York Air. During the mid-1960s the squadron changed their logo and began acceptance of the CH-53A "Stallion".

Vietnam War

CH-53 from HMH-462 atop a mountain side base in Vietnam in 1968

In August 1968, the "Heavy Haulers" deployed to the Republic of Vietnam for combat operations. "RVN" redirects here RVN is also the former callsign of a TV station in Wagga Wagga New South Wales Australia Assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 36 at Phu Bai, the squadron was tasked with the tactical retrieval of downed aircraft and heavy equipment during Operation End Sweep. Marine Aircraft Group 36 (MAG-36 is an active air group of the United States Marine Corps, tasked with providing assault support aircraft Phú Bài International Airport is located just south of the central city of Huế, former capital of Vietnam. In October 1969, HMH-462 was transferred to Okinawa to provide support to Marine forces in Japan. Year 1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. is one of Japan 's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1000 km long which extends southwest from Kyūshū In 1975 HMH-462, still stationed in Okinawa, was assigned to the 9th MAB and 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (31st MEU is one of seven Marine Expeditionary Units currently in existence in the United States Marine Corps. In April of that year the "Heavy Haulers" participated in the evacuation of Phnom Penh, during Operation Eagle Pull. Phnom Penh ( Khmer: ភ្នំពេញ official Romanization Phnum Pénh; pʰnum pɯɲ is the Capital Operation Eagle Pull was the American evacuation by air of Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on April 12 1975. Several days later, HMH-462 particpated in the evacuation of Saigon, during Operation Frequent Wind^[2]. Operation Frequent Wind was the Emergency evacuation by Helicopter from Saigon, South Vietnam, in April 1975 during the last days Shortly thereafter, the squadron was embarked upon the USS Hancock and sailed back towards Cambodia to participate in the rescue operation of the SS Mayaguez. The Mayaguez rescue was completed before the Hancock arrived on station and the Hancock returned to Subic Bay.

Post Vietnam and the 1990s

After nearly ten years of continuous overseas service, HMH-462 was relocated to Marine Corps Air Station Tustin, California and assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 16. Marine Corps Air Station Tustin is a former United States Marine Corps air station, located in Tustin California. They also participated in the Unit Deployment Program to MCAS Futenma, Okinawa, In December 1989, a squadron detachment was assigned to participate in coup contingency operations in the Republic of the Philippines as part of Marine Aircraft Group 90. To reduce the number of unaccompanied tours and improve unit continuity the Commandant of the Marine Corps, (CMC established the Unit Deployment Program (UDP to provide for Marine Corps Air Station Futenma or MCAS Futenma is a United States Marine Corps base located in Ginowan city on the island of Okinawa The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP

In August 1990, the "Heavy Haulers" were assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 70 and deployed to Jubayl, Saudi Arabia as part transport, MEDEVAC, VIP, and FARP support to MAG-70/16 and I Marine Expeditionary Force operations. Jubail ( Arabic: "الجبيل" Al Jubayl) is a city in the Eastern province on the Persian Gulf coast of Saudi Medical evacuation, often termed MEDEVAC or medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being Revolutionary Armed Forces of the People (in Portuguese: Forças Armadas Revolucionarias do Povo) the armed wing of PAIGC during the struggle against The 1st Marine Expeditionary Force is a Marine Air Ground Task Force (MAGTF of the United States Marine Corps primarily composed of the 1st Marine Division

In February 1991, the squadron relocated to Tanajib, Saudi Arabia, where it provided support for Operation Desert Storm. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi Following the conclusion of hostilities, the squadron returned to MCAS Tustin. During March of 1991, the squadron received the 1990 Chief of Naval Operations Safety Award. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. In September, the squadron reached another milestone when it completed 15,000 class A mishap free flight hours.

In 1992 it was also announced that HMH-462 had been selected for transition to the CH-53E Super Stallion. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout In June, the Heavy Haulers took possession of their first CH-53E Super Stallion and began the transition process.

In 1996, the squadron reached another milestone when it completed 28,000 class A mishap free flight hours. In May of the same year, after completing another unit deployment to Okinawa, Japan. The "Heavy Haulers" received the Heavy Helicopter Squadron of the Year Award from the Marine Corps Aviation Association for 1996.

In March 1997, HMH-462 surpassed 30,000 class A mishap free flight hours. After returning home in May 1998 from another unit deployment cycle. They became the first helicopter squadron in MAG-16 to make the transition from Tustin to MCAS Miramar, California. In December of the same year, HMH-462 surpassed yet another class A mishap free flight hour milestone of 35,000 hours and received the Heavy Helicopter Squadron of the Year award for 1998.

The Global War on Terror

HMH 462 served in Operation Iraqi Freedom from February of 2003 to September of 2003 and Operation Enduring Freedom from September of 2004 to May of 2005. They flew many missions supporting logistics and combat missions involving insertion and extraction of special forces groups. The squadron is currently preparing for another deployment in support of the Global War on Terror ^[3].

See also

• United States Marine Corps Aviation
• List of active United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons

References

This article incorporates text in the public domain from the United States Marine Corps. While other nations have Marines who are aviators only the United States Marine Corps has its own dedicated Aviation arm This is a list of all of the active Squadrons that currently exist in the United States Marine Corps, sorted by type The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone

Notes

Books

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