May 14 - May 17, 2024:
Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA)More Details
Patch
Unit Details
Strength
USMC Squadron
Type
Aviation
Year
1965 - 2011
Description
Activated 1 July 1965 at Santa Ana, California as a unit of
MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 36, III MARINE AIRCRAFT WING
Reassigned during August 1965 to MARINE WING SERVICE GROUP 37
Deployed during September-October 1966 to the Republic of Vietnam and reassigned to
MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 36, I MARINE AIRCRAFT WING
Participated in the War in Vietnam, October 1966 - August 1969,
Redeployed during August 1969 to Futema, Okinawa and reassigned to
MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 15, 9th MARINE AMPHIBIOUS BRIGADE
Reassigned during December 1969 to
MARINE AIRCRAFT GROUP 36, I MARINE AIRCRAFT WING
Participated during the early 1970s as part of the SPECIAL LANDING FORCE
in support of the War in Vietnam, and with the
31st MARINE AMPHIBIOUS UNIT assigned to the SEVENTH FLEET
Participated during July and August 1972 in Philippine Flood Relief
Participated during April 1975 in the evacuation of Saigon
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The LINEAGE of HMM - 165
Activated 1 July 1965 at Santa Ana, California as Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 165, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
Reassigned during August 1965 to Marine Wing Service Group 37
Deployed during September - October 1966 to the Republic of Vietnam and reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 36, Ist Marine Aircraft Wing
Participated in the War in Vietnam, October 1966 - August 1969, operating from:
Ky Ha ... Hue/Phu Bai ... USS Valley Forge ...
USS Tripoli ... Marble Mountain
Redeployed August 1969 to Futema, Okinawa and reassigned to Marine Aircraft Group 15, 9th Marine Amphibious Brigade
Reassign during December 1969 to Marine Aircraft Group 36,
I Marine Aircraft Wing
Participated during July and August 1972 in Philippine Flood Relief
Participated during the early 1970s as part of the Special Landing Force in support of the War in Vietnam, and with the 31st Marine Amphibious Unit assigned to the Seventh Fleet
Participated during April 1975 in the evacuation of Saigon
Relocated 27 November 1977 to Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii and reassigned to Marine Air Group 24, 1st Marine Brigade
Participated in contingency operations in the vicinity of Beirut, Lebanon, September - October 1983 operating from USS Tarawa
Supported United States interest, to include reinforcement of American embassy, during the December 1989 Philippine Coup attempt
Participated in operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, August 1990 - March 1991
Elements participated in Joint Task Force, Full Accounting, Cambodia, September - October 1992 and March - April 1993
Reassigned during September 1994 to the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Aviation Support Element
Relocated during May 1996 to MAG - 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing MCAS El Toro, California
Relocated during November 1998 to MAG - 16, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, MCAS Miramar, California
Participated in peacekeeping operations in East Timor in late 1999
On station aboard the USS Bonhomme Richard as part of the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit ...
Description
This campaign was from 25 December 1965 to 30 June 1966. United States operations after 1 July 1966 were a continuation of the earlier counteroffensive campaign. Recognizing the interdependence of political, economic, sociological, and military factors, the Joint Chiefs of Staff declared that American military objectives should be to cause North Vietnam to cease its control and support of the insurgency in South Vietnam and Laos, to assist South Vietnam in defeating Viet Cong and North Vietnamese forces in South Vietnam, and to assist South Vietnam in pacification extending governmental control over its territory.
North Vietnam continued to build its own forces inside South Vietnam. At first this was done by continued infiltration by sea and along the Ho Chi Minh trail and then, in early 1966, through the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). U.S. air elements received permission to conduct reconnaissance bombing raids, and tactical air strikes into North Vietnam just north of the DMZ, but ground forces were denied authority to conduct reconnaissance patrols in the northern portion of the DMZ and inside North Vietnam. Confined to South Vietnamese territory U.S. ground forces fought a war of attrition against the enemy, relying for a time on body counts as one standard indicator for measuring successful progress for winning the war.
During 1966 there were eighteen major operations, the most successful of these being Operation WHITE WING (MASHER). During this operation, the 1st Cavalry Division, Korean units, and ARVN forces cleared the northern half of Binh Dinh Province on the central coast. In the process they decimated a division, later designated the North Vietnamese 3d Division. The U.S. 3d Marine Division was moved into the area of the two northern provinces and in concert with South Vietnamese Army and other Marine Corps units, conducted Operation HASTINGS against enemy infiltrators across the DMZ.
The largest sweep of 1966 took place northwest of Saigon in Operation ATTLEBORO, involving 22,000 American and South Vietnamese troops pitted against the VC 9th Division and a NVA regiment. The Allies defeated the enemy and, in what became a frequent occurrence, forced him back to his havens in Cambodia or Laos.
By 31 December 1966, U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam numbered 385,300. Enemy forces also increased substantially, so that for the same period, total enemy strength was in excess of 282,000 in addition to an estimated 80,000 political cadres. By 30 June 1967, total U.S. forces in SVN had risen to 448,800, but enemy strength had increased as well.
On 8 January U.S. and South Vietnamese troops launched separate drives against two major VC strongholds in South Vietnam-in the so-called "Iron Triangle" about 25 miles northwest of Saigon. For years this area had been under development as a VC logistics base and headquarters to control enemy activity in and around Saigon. The Allies captured huge caches of rice and other foodstuffs, destroyed a mammoth system of tunnels, and seized documents of considerable intelligence value.
In February, the same U.S. forces that had cleared the "Iron Triangle", were committed with other units in the largest allied operation of the war to date, JUNCTION CITY. Over 22 U.S. and four ARVN battalions engaged the enemy, killing 2,728. After clearing this area, the Allies constructed three airfields; erected a bridge and fortified two camps in which CIDG garrisons remained as the other allied forces withdrew.
