Sherman

Comments: I am currently researching the military career of Maj. Sherman Melvin "Red" Tandvig, who among other units, served with HMR-161 in Korea, flying HRS helicopters. Tandvig also served as one of the peace delegation pilots, flying Allied military personel to the peace talks inside North Korean held territory. Tandvig, while serving with HMR-163, served as one of two pilots who flew the Chief of Police of the Pasadema Police Department over the 1952.1953 Rose Parade, providing the first ever helicopter traffic control for the police department. If anyone has any additional information regarding Mr. Tandvig, I would enjoy hearing from you.

Keywords: Tandvig, HRS, HMR-161, USMC, HMR-163

Crew Chief HR-7

Comments: I was with 161 52-54 Crew Chief HR-7 until it crashed then NCOIC of Hyd. shop Returned with John (Stud) Schmidt, Bob Hallman,

Keywords: Art HR-7

HMX-I HMR-161

Comments: VERTICAL ENVELOPMENT WAS CONCEIVED AT THE MARINE CORPS BASE IN QUANTICO,VA, WHILE FINDING A SOLUTION TO DEVELOP THE TECHNIQUE OF CONDUCTING AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS IN THE ATOMIC AGE. WITH THE FORE-THOUGHT OF LT.GEN.ROY S.GEIGER, AND GEN.ALEXANDER A.VANDEGRIFT ON 1,DEC.,1947, MARINE HELICOPTER SQUADRON ONE,(HMX-1) WAS COMMISSIONED AT MCAS QUANTICO,VIRGINIA, COLONEL EDWARD C.DYER IN COMMAND. WITH TWO SIKORSKY HO3S-1 HELICOPTERS, HMX-1 DEVELOPED TECHNIQUE AND TACTICS, LIAISON,RECONNAISSANCE,EVACUATION OF WOUNDED,RESCUE OF DOWNED FLYERS,OBSERVATION,GUN SPOTTING,MESSINGER SERVICE,RESUPPLYING SMALL UNITS,AMPHIFIOUS OPERATIONS, ETC.,ETC. IN NOV.1948 THEY DEVELOPED (PHIB-31), THE WORLD'S FIRST MANUAL, ENTILTED "AMPHIBIOUS OPERATIONS --EMPLOYMENT OF HELICOPTERS". ON 25,JUNE,1950 WHEN EIGHT DIVISIONS OF NKPA TROOPS CROSSED THE 38TH. PARALLEL IN KOREA, AND THE USA WAS AT WAR. THE US MARINES WERE ORDERED TO ACTIVATE A REGIMENTAL COMBAT TEAM, AND THE 1ST.PROVISIONAL MARINE BRIGADE WAS ACTIVATED YNDER THE COMMAND OF BRIGADIER GENERAL EDWARD A.CRAIG, AND WAS BUILT AROUND THE 5TH.MARINE REGIMENT, AND THE 33RD.MARINE AIR GROUP(MAG-33),OF THE 1ST. MARINE AIR WING. 6,534 OFFICERS AND MEN PREPARED TO GO TO KOREA. ON 7,JULY,1950, HMX-1 WAS ORDERED TO SEND 8 OFFICERS, AND 30 ENLISTED MEN TO THE 1ST. PROVISIONAL BRIGADE FOR ASSIGNMENT TO MARINE OBSERVATION SQUADRON 6(VMO-6)OF MAG-33. THESE HMX-1 MARINES WOULD FLY AND MAINTAIN FOUR HO3S-1 HELICOPTERS, AND WOULD BE THE FIRST HELICOPTER UNIT ORGANIZED FOR COMBAT. ON 14,JULY,1950 HMX-1, UNDER VMO-6, COMMANDED BY MAJOR VINCENT J.GOTTSCHALK, EMBARKED ON THE USS BADOENG STRAIT(CVE-116) BOUND FOR KOREA. THE US MARINES WERE ON THEIR WAY TO WAR FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH HELICOPTERS. THEY LANDED AT PUSAN, KOREA ON 2,AUG.,1950, AND GENERAL CRAIG MADE A RECONNAISSANCE OF THE AREA IN AN HO3S-1. A NEW AREA OF COMMAND AND CONTROL ON THE BATTLEFIELD. THE NIGHT OF 8,AUG.,1950 FOUND CAPTAIN VICTOR A ARMSTRONG FLYING THE "FIRST" NIGHT MEDEVACE, BY LIFTING A WOUNDED REGIMENTAL SURGEON TO SAFETY. VMO-6 WAS AT THE 15,SEPT.1950 ASSAULT AT INCHON. ON THE 16TH.,CAPTAIN ARMSTRONG LANDED HIS HO3S-1 AT THE NEWLY CAPTURED KIMPO AIRFIELD, WITH GENERAL LEMUEL C.SHEPHERD JR., AND COLONEL VICTOR H. KRULAK AS HIS PASSENGERS. AFTER SEOUL WAS LIBERATED ON 12,OCT.1950 THE US MARINES WERE BACKLOADED ON SHIPS AT INCHON, TO BE MOVED TO THE EAST COAST OF KOREA. THE MARINES LANDED WONSAN IN NOV.1950, AND BECAME SO EXTENDED THAT THEY HAD UNITS AT HAGARU, SOME 50 MILES FROM MAJOR GENERAL OLIVER P. SMITH, THE 1ST.DIVISION COMMANDER'S CP AT HUNGNAM, AS PER US ARMY X CORPS ORDERS, WHICH BROUGHT STAFF PROBLEMS. THE MAIN SUPPLY ROUTE TO THE CHOSIN RESERVOIR HAD TO BE STRENGTHENED, AND AN AIRSTRIP AT HAGARU WAS TO BE CONSTRUCTED. THE HELICOPTERS OF VMO-6 PROVIDED THE ONLY MEANS OF CONTACT BETWEEN THESE ISOLATED GROUPS. THE 1ST. MARINE DIVISION MADE THEIR BREAKOUT ATTACK FROM YUDAM-NI TO HUNGNAM AT THE FIRST OF DEC.1950. VMO-6 BROUGHT IN MEDICAL SUPPLIES, AND FLEW OUT MEDEVACS. THE US MARINES WERE BACKLOADED FROM HUNGNAM(10-24,DEC.1950) AND TAKEN BACK TO PUSAN. VMO-6 FLEW 1,544 FLIGHTS, 1,625 FLIGHT HOURS. 1951 SAW VMO-6 CONTINUNING TO SUPPORT THE 1ST. MARINE DIVISION. THE MARINES KNEW THEY NEEDED TRANSPORT HELICOPTERS CAPABLE OF CARRING 5 OR 6 COMBAT MARINES DURING AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULTS. MARINE TRANSPORT HELICOPTER SQUADRON 161(HMR-161) WAS COMMISSIONED 15, JAN.1951 AT MCAS EL TORO,CA, UNDER THE COMMAND OF LTC.GEORGE W.HERRING. WITH 43 OFFICERS, AND 244 MEN, AND 15 SIKORSKY HRS-1 HELICOPTERS, HMR-161 SAILED FOR KOREA ON 15,AUG.,1951. THE HRS-1 WAS A TRANSPORT HELICOPTER CAPEABLE OF CARRING 5 OR 6 COMBAT MARINES. HMR-161 ARRIVED AT PUSAN,KOREA ON 2,SEPT.,1951. THE 1ST. MARINE DIVISION ATTACKED IN THE PUNCHBOWL AREA IN EASTERN KOREA. HMR-161 MOVED TO THE FRONT AT FIELD X-83, NEAR CHONDO-NI, WITH VMO-6.HMR-161 WAS THEN FLYING IN OPERATION WINDMILL, MOVING 800 POUND LOADS, AND RETURNING WITH WOUNDED MARINES. IN 28 FLIGHTS. HMR-161 MOVED 18,848 POUNDS OF CARGO, AND MEDEVACED 74 CASUALTIES. ON 20,SEPT.,1951 HMR-161 FLEW OPERATION SUMMIT IN HEAVY FOG, AND GOT THE MARINES AND SUPPLIES TO THE OBJECTIVE, HILL-884. ON 27,SEPT.,1951 HMR-161 CONDUCTED THE "FIRST" NIGHT TROOP LIFT OF COMBAT MARINES IN OPERATION BLACKBIRD. THEY LIFTED 200 MARINES OF E COMPANY, 2ND.BATTALION, 1ST. MARINES TO PUNCHBOWL WITH NO MOONLIGHT, IN MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN, IN TWO HOURS AND TEN MINUTES. HMR-161 IN OPERATION BUMBLEBEE(11,OCT.,1951)WITH 12 HELICOPTERS LIFTED THE 3RD. BATTALION, 7TH. MARINES, AND EQUIPMENT, IN 156 FLIGHTS,MARINE TROOPS LIFTED 958, AVERAGE WEIGHT PER MAN, 240 POUNDS, TOTAL WEIGHT LIFTED 229,920 POUNDS, ONER-ALL FLIGHT TIME 5.5 HOURS, TOTAL FLIGHT TIME 65.9 HOURS. HMR-161 WERE IN 1ST. MARINE DIVISION OPERATIONS,BUSHBEATER,RABBIT-HUNT,SWITCH,FAREWELL, AND MULETRAIN, AND GREW TACTICALLY THROUGH 1952. ON 23,FEB.,1953 HMR-161 FLEW FOUR STRAIGHT DAYS IN OPERATION HAYLIFT II.HMR-161 PROVIDED TACTICAL AND LOGISTICAL SUPPORT TO THE 1ST. MARINE DIVISION UNTIL THE ARMISTICE ON 27,JULY,1953. HMR-161 IN KOREA, FLEW 18,607 FLIGHTS, 16,538 FLIGHT HOURS, LIFTED 60,046 PEOPLE, TRANSPORTED 7,554,336 POUNDS OF CARGO, AND EVACUATED 2,748 CASUALTIES. VMO-6 FLEW OUT 7,067 CASUALTIES DURING THE WAR.-----------------

Keywords: SIKORSKY-HO3S-1-----SIKORSKY-HRS-1-------

HMX-1-----HMR-161-----VMO-6-----

KOREAN WAR--1950-1953-----

LOOKING FOR UNIT HMR AT LTA 1953

Comments: I WAS IN HMR 161 AT ASCOM CITY IN THE MAINTANCE SHOP FOR A MONTH THEN PUT ON FLYING STATUS AS FIRST MEC.FOR THREE MONTHS AND CREW CHIEF ON HR-14 FOR THE REST OF MY TIME IN KOREA. AFTER RETURNING TO THE STATES IN 53 I WAS SENT TO LTA IN SANTA ANA CALIF. I THINK THE UNIT WAS HMR 362 BUT AM NOT SURE. IF ANYBODY REMEMBERS WHAT UNIT THAT WAS AT LTA AT THAT TIME PLEASE CONTACT ME.I MADE S/SGT. RIGHT AFTER I RETURNED AND WAS MADE LINE CHIEF. IF THERE ARE ANY PERSONS THAT WERE STATIONED THERE AT THAT TIME PLEASE REPLY. SEMPRE FI! DICK

Keywords: NICKNAME DICK SGT. KOREA JUNE 1952 - JUNE 1953

H. Michael McMahon

Comments:

Keywords: My father,H. Michael McMahon served with HMR 161 in Korea from mid 1951 till late 1953.He was a combat photographer.He passed away last August.I would be interested in hearing from anyone that remembers him. Sincerely, Mike McMahon

Website dedicated to the Sikorsky HRS helicopter

Comments: Please come and browse my website and database dedicated to the Sikorsky HRS helicopter.

www.hrs-helicopter.com

I welcome any and all contributions of data to the site.

Keywords: HMR-161; HMR-162; HMR-163; HMR-261; HMR-262; HMR-263; HMR361; HMR-362; HMR-363; HMX-1; HRS

Seeking Dad's Korean War History

Comments: My dad, Rodney E. Montgomery, Jr (Monkey, Monty), flew with VMF(N)-541 in WWII, then was called a reserve to fly helos in Korea. He asked me to look his Helo Sqdrn up to see what info I could gather. I'd like to get some info, stories, hear from some of his friend/acquaintences, someone may want to contact him or whatever. He doesn't do computers, so I'm doing the digging to pull up and pass on anything that I can.

Keywords: HMR-161 Monty Monkey

A COOK IN THE UNIT

Comments: I am sending this note to any one just to let you know that my father ssg Stanley Franklin a cook with HMR 161 in korea died on 8/2/07 and will be buried with full honores on 8/6/07. If there is any one out there that new him contact me

Keywords:

hmr 161

Comments: I was on # hr 9 from aug 53 through dec 53 went over in feb 53

Keywords: H R #9

hmr 161

Comments: I was on # hr 9 from aug 53 through dec 53 went over in feb 53

Keywords: H R #9

hmr 161

Comments: I was on # hr 9 from aug 53 through dec 53 went over in feb 53

Keywords: H R #9

hmr 161

Comments: I was on # hr 9 from aug 53 through dec 53 went over in feb 53

Keywords:

hmr 161

Comments: I was on # hr 9 from aug 53 through dec 53 went over in feb 53

Keywords:

hmr 161

Comments: I was on # hr 9 from aug 53 through dec 53 went over in feb 53

Keywords:

hmr 161

Comments: I was on # hr 9 from aug 53 through dec 53 went over in feb 53

Keywords:

Comments: I served with HMR 161 from Aug. 1952 to Aug 1953. I would like to hear from anyone that servwd during this time. It was a great outfit!

Keywords:

History Of HMR-161 From 1-27-57 To 2-1-58

Comments:

Keywords: I was in HMR-161 between 1-27-57 Till 2-13-58, was in component shop from 1-27-57 til 7-13-57, transfered to eng. office as a keeper of the Helicopter Log Books from 7-14-57 till 2-13-58. Like to know what happened to HMR-161 after that date to present date.

SEARGENT RICHARD GOODE ARCED FROM JULY 52 TO JULY 53. ON FLYING STATUS LOVED THE UNIT, AND THE MEN

Comments: It was a really wonderfull experience. If anybody would like to contact me please feel free, I look forward to talking to you.

Keywords: HR14

SEARGENT RICHARD GOODE ARCED FROM JULY 52 TO JULY 53. ON FLYING STATUS LOVED THE UNIT, AND THE MEN

Comments: It was a really wonderfull experience. If anybody would like to contact me please feel free, I look forward to talking to you.

Keywords: HR14

HMR-161 From 58 to 60

Comments:

Keywords: Looking for guys I served with,especially those who worked on YR10 with me. Dick Shroder,Jerry Serauge, Tony Currari

HMR 161 MARINE HELICOPTER SQD

Comments: I'm looking for Mike Pick and Owen [Red] McDermont. I served with them in Korea from 7/52 to 7/53 with HMR 161

Keywords: HMR 161

Comments:

Keywords: Terry Scarborough

1st night rescue and flying ad. joy to the peace talks

Comments: I think my dad was flew the 1st night rescue over there. also he used to fly I think it was a. joy to the peace talks. if anybody remenbers my dad please e-mail me or write.thank you

Keywords:

Updating Email address

Comments:

Keywords: Joined HMR-161 at LTA 2-1951 Left it at Ascom City in 8- 1952