Northwest Military Blogs: Fort Lewis Blog

January 24, 2011 at 7:38am

Yakima Training Center says farewell to UH-1 Huey

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JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. - The United States Army Air Ambulance Detachment (USAAAD) at the Yakima Training Center will say farewell to a legendary aircraft, the UH-1 Huey, with a final flight ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday. 

A special guest for the ceremony is former UH-1 Huey pilot and Medal of Honor recipient Col. Bruce P. Crandall (U.S. Army retired), and the guest speaker is Master Aviator and former 9th Aviation Battalion commander Col. Philip E. Courts (U.S. Army retired). Following the ceremony Crandall and Courts will accompany a UH-1 flight crew and the USAAAD command team on a final flight around the YTC range.

The UH-1 Helicopter, known to most simply as the Huey, was first manufactured in 1956. The Army began receiving them by 1959. Its distinctive nickname came from the pronunciation of its first Army designation of HU-1- for helicopter, utility - and later models featured the word Huey emblazoned on the pilot's foot pedals.

More than 15,000 of the aircraft were produced with about half that number having been flown during the Vietnam conflict.

The U.S. Army National Guard retired the UH-1 Huey from service in a ceremony at Fort Myers,Va. Oct. 2, 2009. The USAAAD Yakima Training Center will transition to the UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter.    

Comments for "Yakima Training Center says farewell to UH-1 Huey" (2)

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robert cover said on Apr. 19, 2011 at 1:43pm

I flew with the 54th Med Det Air Ambulance, Ft. Lewis and Yakima Firing Center 72-74 MAST(Millitary Assistance to Safety and Traffic) air rescue supporting civilians i.e. traffic accidents, crushed loggers, pregnant mothers, downed aircraft, mountain rescue, etc. We flew many challenging missions and the air craft served us well. I am sure the familiar wop- wop will be missed. I wish all of the current air ambulance crews the best. "So others may live"

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leon hixon said on Jun. 08, 2011 at 9:13pm

Greetings fellow aviators of mast ,served 1975-1978 ,mission was to save lives military and civillian,god bless and keep flying

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