Marine Helicopters UH-34 First In Last Out Patch (M)

Marine Helicopters UH-34 First In Last Out Patch — Embroidered Patch

The Dog That Started It All

First in, last out. That was the UH-34's story in Vietnam — the first Marine helicopter to fly combat missions in-country and one of the last piston-powered helicopters to serve in the war zone. This patch honors the Sikorsky Seahorse and every Marine who flew, crewed, or maintained her during some of the toughest years of the conflict.

The Sikorsky UH-34D — known simply as "the Dog" to the Marines who flew and maintained her — was the aircraft that launched Marine helicopter operations in Vietnam. On April 15, 1962, HMM-362 flew their UH-34s ashore from the USS Princeton to begin Operation Shufly, marking the start of sustained Marine Corps aviation operations in Southeast Asia. The aircraft featured a powerful Wright R-1820 radial engine mounted in the nose, giving it a distinctive high cockpit profile. Despite its magnesium skin that burned intensely when hit and a drive shaft that made cabin access difficult, the UH-34D earned a reputation for absorbing tremendous combat damage and still bringing its crew home. Marines affectionately cursed the Dog and depended on it in equal measure until turbine-powered replacements arrived. The UH-34 remained in combat alongside UH-1s and CH-46s until 1969.

Perfect For:
UH-34 aircrew veterans, Vietnam helicopter pilots, Operation Shufly veterans, Marine aviation historians, rotary-wing aircraft enthusiasts, and vintage military patch collectors

The Dog flew first. The Dog flew last. The Dog always flew.