Officially Licensed HMH-465 Warhorse Leather Patches — USMC Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron CH-53E Super Stallion Patch
When the load is too heavy for anything else on the flight line, you call the Warhorse. If you crewed or maintained the Super Stallion for HMH-465, this patch carries your legacy.
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465 (HMH-465) was established on December 1, 1981, as the first West Coast squadron to fly the CH-53E Super Stallion, becoming the Marine Corps’ second and Marine Aircraft Group 16’s first CH-53E unit. Based at MCAS Tustin and later MCAS Miramar under the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, the Warhorses quickly built a reputation around the Super Stallion’s primary mission — external lift of heavy cargo. The squadron has recovered downed aircraft of nearly every type in the Marine inventory, conducted the Marine Corps’ first nighttime lift of an M-198 howitzer from the deck of an LHA, and routinely slung the 28,000-pound Light Armored Vehicle beneath their birds. The Warhorses first saw combat during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, arriving at Jubail, Saudi Arabia, in September 1990 and providing heavy lift support to I MEF throughout the entire conflict. Just months after returning, the squadron packed its aircraft aboard C-5s and deployed to Okinawa as the first CH-53E unit ever to make the trip. In October 2001, elements of HMH-465 attached to the 15th MEU inserted Marines to seize what would become Forward Operating Base Rhino in southern Afghanistan — establishing America’s first ground footprint in the opening days of Operation Enduring Freedom. On the night of April 1, 2003, the Warhorses provided the CH-53E element for Task Force 20, the special operations team that extracted Army PFC Jessica Lynch from Iraqi captivity. The squadron deployed repeatedly in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom from Al Asad Air Base, provided heavy lift firefighting support during the 2008 California wildfires — dropping more than 68,000 gallons of water on the Basin Complex Fire in Big Sur — and has supported multiple 15th and 31st MEU deployments through the modern era.
• Premium leather USMC heavy helicopter squadron patch
• Durable construction with rich detail built for daily wear or display
• Bold Warhorse insignia design rooted in CH-53E heritage
• Ideal for flight jackets, gear bags, and shadow box collections
• Built to last through years of proud ownership
Perfect For:
HMH-465 Warhorse aircrew and maintainers past and present, CH-53E Super Stallion pilots and crew chiefs, MAG-16 and 3rd MAW Marines, MCAS Miramar and MCAS Tustin veterans, 15th and 31st MEU aviation detachment personnel, and anyone who served with the Warhorses. A powerful addition to any Marine heavy lift aviation collection or veteran display.
