**Officially Licensed VMM-163 Ridge Runners/Evil Eyes Coins — USMC Tiltrotor Squadron Challenge Coin**
VMM-163 Evil Eyes — the squadron that painted menacing eyes on their helicopters in Vietnam to spook the enemy, and when a general tried to shut it down, the ground Marines saved the day. Seven decades of combat heritage, now in your hand.
Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 163 (VMM-163), the "Evil Eyes," was activated on 1 December 1951 as HMR(L)-163 at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina. Originally nicknamed the "Ridge Runners" after typhoon rescue operations in the mountains near Hanshin, Japan in 1953, the squadron earned its iconic "Evil Eyes" identity in late 1965 when intelligence officer Captain Al Barbes proposed painting eyes on aircraft to unsettle the enemy in Vietnam. During the Battle of A Shau in March 1966, HMM-163 flew over 2,000 hours in ten days, rescuing 190 survivors while 21 of 24 aircraft suffered major damage — earning the Presidential Unit Citation. In 2001, the Evil Eyes planned and executed the longest amphibious assault in American military history, seizing a forward operating base in southern Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. Now based at MCAS Miramar flying MV-22B Ospreys under MAG-16, VMM-163 continues a seven-decade legacy of aerial assault excellence.
• Premium die-struck challenge coin
• Full-color enamel fill on both sides
• High-relief 3D detail
• Protective clear coat finish
• Standard 1.75" diameter
Perfect For: VMM-163/HMM-163 veterans and alumni, Evil Eyes squadron fans, MV-22 Osprey enthusiasts, Vietnam War helicopter veterans, MCAS Miramar personnel, Marine aviation challenge coin collectors, military coin display enthusiasts
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