Sikorsky HUS-1 (H-34) — A Workhorse Helicopter in Vietnam

A former Marine Corps pilot, Jennifer Grieves served in the military for nearly three decades. As a helicopter squadron pilot, Jennifer Grieves was deployed in diverse theaters, including Operation Iraqi Freedom, and she has extensive knowledge of aircraft used by the Marines Corps.

The workhorse of the Vietnam War, the Sikorsky HUS-1 (H-34) Sea Horse was first produced in 1952 as a Navy anti-submarine helicopter. Its roles included utility transport and search and rescue, and it could be outfitted for medevac operations with stretcher cases.

HUS were in high demand in the early 1960s, due to their greater reliability compared with newer models. Phrases such as “give me a HUS” entered the Marine lexicon, to the point where, even when the piston-driven H-34 gave way to turbine-powered helicopter types, the phrase continued to be used by Marines to mean “help me out.”