HMH-465 Warhorse 41 Memorial Patch
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465 (HMH-465), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465 (HMH-465), the "Warhorse," was established on 1 December 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 squadron. This memorial patch honors the crew of Warhorse 41—a tribute to the Marines who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in one of the Marine Corps' premier heavy-lift helicopter squadrons.
The Warhorses deployed and flew in combat for the first time during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, arriving at Jubail, Saudi Arabia on 15 September 1990 to provide heavy-lift support for I Marine Expeditionary Force throughout the entire conflict. In October 1991, HMH-465 became the first CH-53E squadron to deploy to Okinawa, Japan, packing all assets aboard five C-5s and two C-141s for a seven-month Unit Deployment Program. The squadron surpassed 10,000 mishap-free flight hours in April 1994 and became the first FMFPAC helicopter squadron to operate from an aircraft carrier as part of a carrier battle group.
In 2001, elements of HMH-465 attached to the 15th MEU participated in the initial invasion of Afghanistan, inserting Marines to seize what became Forward Operating Base Rhino. On the night of 1 April 2003, the Warhorses comprised the CH-53E element of Task Force 20—the special operations team that extracted prisoner of war Army PFC Jessica Lynch from an Iraqi hospital. In 2008, the squadron dropped more than 68,000 gallons of water fighting California's Basin Complex Fire in Big Sur. HMH-465 has conducted its Marine Corps' first nighttime lift of an M-198 howitzer from the deck of an LHA and has recovered numerous downed aircraft including UH-1s, F-4s, CH-46s, and an RA-5C.
Perfect For: HMH-465 Warhorse members and veterans, families of fallen Warhorse Marines, CH-53E Super Stallion community members, MAG-16 and 3rd MAW personnel, and those who honor the memory of Marines lost in service.
In honored memory of Warhorse 41—forever carried by the squadron that has lifted the heaviest loads and borne the greatest burdens in service to the Corps and country.
