Vietnam War-era Huey completes final Marine Corps deployment
The last UH-1N Huey ever to deploy with Marines recently conducted its final flight Nov. 5, ending a storied era of Marine aviation.
The two-bladed version of the Huey recently deployed with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 266 (Reinforced) out of Marine Corps Air Station New River, N.C., in support of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The 26th MEU recently returned from a float in the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation.
The two bladed UH-1N variant has now been replaced by the heavier-hitting four-bladed UH-1Y.
The specific UH-1N that was the last to deploy was also among the oldest in the service’s inventory. It was built before the end of the Vietnam war.
“Aircraft 30 was built in August 1970,” said Capt. Andrew Kingsbury, UH-1N Huey pilot assigned to VMM-266, referring to his helicopter in a Marine Corps news release. “There were one or two that were older, but they were stricken from the record about 15 years ago. This aircraft has seen every major conflict the Marine Corps has been involved in since the 1970s.”
Helo / Explosion / Ghost Marine
I took this photo in 1970 from Hill 327 near Danang.
I don't know how the ghost Marine got in the shot.
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