{"product_id":"official-army-178th-chinook-patch","title":"Official Army 178th Chinook Patch","description":"\u003cp\u003eOfficial Army 178th Chinook Patch - 178th Assault Support Helicopter Company \"Boxcars\" CH-47 Chinook Vietnam-Era Embroidered Patch.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBoxcars callsign, heavy lift pride, and the irreplaceable identity of the Army's first fully operational B-model Chinook company in Vietnam.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe 178th Assault Support Helicopter Company was activated at Fort Benning in September 1965 as part of the 10th Aviation Group, deploying to Vietnam and arriving at Vung Tau Port on 10 March 1967. The unit served under the 1st Aviation Brigade before being reassigned to the 17th Combat Aviation Group and relocating to Chu Lai in the I Corps Tactical Zone in support of Airmobile Operations of the Americal Division. By early 1968, the Boxcars became the first completely operational B-model Chinook company in Vietnam, flying the upgraded CH-47 with the more powerful L-7C engine. The 178th set records that defined Army medium-lift aviation, becoming the first Chinook company to lift a complete 155mm howitzer weighing more than 12,500 pounds, and eventually the second Chinook company in the Army to log 40,000 flight hours. The unit supported an extraordinary range of ground forces across I Corps, resupplying remote firebases where convoy operations were too dangerous and airmobile lift was the only reliable option. That operational record gives this embroidered patch a direct connection to some of the most demanding heavy-lift missions of the Vietnam War, making it a meaningful piece for anyone preserving Army aviation history.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerfect For: Army aviation veterans, CH-47 Chinook crew members and maintainers, 178th ASHC Boxcars alumni, Americal Division collectors, Vietnam War historians, unit reunion displays, shadow boxes, patch boards, challenge coin collections, and anyone building a serious Army aviation heritage collection around Vietnam-era assault support helicopter history. It is also a meaningful gift for families and supporters who want a specific, researched tribute to the crews who moved troops, artillery, and supplies under fire across the mountains and firebases of I Corps.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBoxcars heritage, stitched for the crews who lifted the mission when the road ran out.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Military, Law Enforcement and Custom Patches by USMCinsignia.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67818733666413,"sku":null,"price":12.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0742\/9831\/files\/0918_1_f680e0b6-eb8d-4f3a-9bdf-60d745c95091.jpg?v=1792616191","url":"https:\/\/marinepatches.com\/products\/official-army-178th-chinook-patch","provider":"MarinePatches.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}