HMM-364
Encyclopedia
Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364 (HMM-364) is a United States Marine Corps
helicopter
squadron consisting of CH-46E Sea Knight
transport helicopters. The squadron, known as the "Purple Foxes", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton
, California
and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 39
(MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
(3rd MAW).
helicopter and in February 1962, the designation of the squadron was changed to its present title.
In the spring of 1962, the squadron participated in Mid-Pacific operations to assist in recovering instruments that had been used in the atomic test program.
Eight months later the squadron was back in South Vietnam, this time conducting operations, including operations with the Special Landing Force of the Seventh Fleet. HMM-364 remained in Vietnam until September 1966.
The squadron was then placed in cadre status at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro
, California and consisted of three officers and 12 enlisted Marines. In March 1967, the squadron was reorganized and began receiving the new Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight
helicopters. In October of that year, HMM-364 re-deployed to the Republic of Vietnam, initially at Phu Bai and eventually at Marble Mountain. During this tour HMM-364 participated in operations Osceola, Kentucky, Mamaluke Thrust, and Hue City and finally in the evacuation of the embassy in Saigon. For almost half of its short 10-year existence, HMM-364 served in the Republic of Vietnam. During its three tours there, the squadron's pilots and crewman flew almost 70,000 hours in combat and combat support missions and was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation
for meritorious conduct in the performance of duty.
During this time period the squadron adopted the "Purple Fox" name, from a cartoon purple fox mascot called Swifty. On March 22, 1971, the squadron folded its colors and was decommissioned.
, 1st Marine Brigade, Fleet Marine Force, Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay
, Hawaii
. On October 12, 1984, Commandant of the Marine Corps
, Gen. P. X. Kelley
, publicly reactivated the squadron by presenting the unit colors to the Commanding Officer.
In February 1990, the Purple Foxes deployed to Okinawa, Japan. From August 1990 to March 1991, HMM-364 was placed in reserve during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm becoming the sole supporting squadron for 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
In June 1991, the Purple Foxes once again deployed to Okinawa. During the deployment, the squadron supported Marine Air Ground Task Force 4-90 in the Republic of the Philippines before, during and after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo
and resulting devastation. Continuing into 1992, the Purple Foxes would find themselves on the island Kauai, for Operation Garden Isle, performing humanitarian relief due to the devastation left by Hurricane Iniki
.
In February 1996, the Purple Foxes provided Executive Transport for President Clinton
and other dignitaries while they toured flood damaged Portland, Oregon
. This marked the first time in history that a U.S. President had flown in a Fleet Marine Force helicopter.
On December 5, 1998, the squadron embarked aboard the USS Boxer (LHD-4)
participating in Operation Southern Watch
and various split-ARG operations off the Horn of Africa
.
In June 1999 the Purple Foxes returned off deployment and moved into their new home at Marine Aircraft Group 39
aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
, California. The Purple Foxes began training to their new core competency of being part of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
's "Fly In" Echelon for contingency operations.
in support of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force
and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
By the end of February, the squadron was off loaded, and all twelve CH-46E helicopters flown to Ali Al Salem Air Base. In conjunction with MAG-39 and its augments, HMM-364 began mission planning and rehearsals for combat operations against Iraq.
Operation Iraqi Freedom commenced on the evening of March 20, 2003, following preliminary strikes by coalition forces and Ground to Ground Missile attacks by Iraqi forces on Ali Al Salem Air Base. HMM-364 was involved from the first night, supporting attacks by the 1st Marine Division's Regimental Combat Team 7, as well as the Royal Marines
's 42 Commando
. Squadron aircrews conducted Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC
) missions in direct support of RCT-7 Headquarters for the duration of the war, traveling with the 1st Marine Division from Basra
to downtown Baghdad
. HMM-364 aircraft also flew Logistical Support throughout the theater, flying over 640 hours in combat and direct combat support per month for both March and April.
With the end of combat operations in Iraq on April 17, HMM-364 continued to fly CASEVAC and Logistical Support for the Marine Corps Humanitarian Aid work underway on the behalf of the Iraqi people. HMM-364 returned to MCB Camp Pendleton in October 2003. During this deployment, one of the squadron's aircraft was lost during a resupply mission crashing into a canal. All four aircrew were lost and one Marine not affiliated with the squadron drowned in an attempted rescue.
The squadron deployed again to Iraq in the early months of 2005. Their third deployment to Iraq came in the summer of 2006 and they returned home in early 2007. During this deployment one of the squadron's aircraft was shot down resulting in the death of four squadron members, a Marine from another unit and two navy corpsmen.
The squadron's fourth deployment to Iraq came in late 2009. They returned safety in early 2010 having successfully completed their mission.
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
helicopter
Helicopter
A helicopter is a type of rotorcraft in which lift and thrust are supplied by one or more engine-driven rotors. This allows the helicopter to take off and land vertically, to hover, and to fly forwards, backwards, and laterally...
squadron consisting of CH-46E Sea Knight
CH-46 Sea Knight
The Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight is a medium-lift tandem rotor transport helicopter, used by the United States Marine Corps to provide all-weather, day-or-night assault transport of combat troops, supplies and equipment. Assault Support is its primary function, and the movement of supplies and...
transport helicopters. The squadron, known as the "Purple Foxes", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Air Station Camp Pendleton or MCAS Camp Pendleton is a United States Marine Corps airfield located within Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. It was commissioned in 1942 and is currently home to Marine Aircraft Group 39. The airfield is also known as Munn Field in honor of...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 39
Marine Aircraft Group 39
Marine Aircraft Group 39 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California that is currently composed of six AH-1W Super Cobra and UH-1N Huey light attack squadrons, three CH-46 Sea Knight squadrons and one logistics squadron...
(MAG-39) and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
The 3d Marine Aircraft Wing is the major west coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps. It is headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and provides the aviation combat element for I Marine Expeditionary Force...
(3rd MAW).
Mission
Provide utility combat helicopter support to the landing force in the ship to shore movement and in subsequent operations ashore.Early years
Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364 was originally commissioned as Marine Light Helicopter Squadron 364 (HML-364) on September 1, 1961 at Marine Corps Air Facility Santa Ana, California. In November 1961, it received its first Sikorsky H-34H-34 Choctaw
The Sikorsky H-34 Choctaw was a piston-engined military helicopter originally designed by American aircraft manufacturer Sikorsky for the United States Navy for service in the anti-submarine warfare role....
helicopter and in February 1962, the designation of the squadron was changed to its present title.
In the spring of 1962, the squadron participated in Mid-Pacific operations to assist in recovering instruments that had been used in the atomic test program.
Vietnam War
In November 1963, the squadron deployed to Okinawa and subsequently to Da Nang, Republic of Vietnam. The squadron served in Vietnam until July 1964.Eight months later the squadron was back in South Vietnam, this time conducting operations, including operations with the Special Landing Force of the Seventh Fleet. HMM-364 remained in Vietnam until September 1966.
The squadron was then placed in cadre status at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro
Marine Corps Air Station El Toro
Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was a United States Marine Corps Air Station located near Irvine, California.Before it was decommissioned in 1999, it was the home of Marine Corps aviation on the West Coast. Designated as a Master Jet Station, its four runways could handle the largest aircraft...
, California and consisted of three officers and 12 enlisted Marines. In March 1967, the squadron was reorganized and began receiving the new Boeing CH-46 Sea Knight
CH-46 Sea Knight
The Boeing Vertol CH-46 Sea Knight is a medium-lift tandem rotor transport helicopter, used by the United States Marine Corps to provide all-weather, day-or-night assault transport of combat troops, supplies and equipment. Assault Support is its primary function, and the movement of supplies and...
helicopters. In October of that year, HMM-364 re-deployed to the Republic of Vietnam, initially at Phu Bai and eventually at Marble Mountain. During this tour HMM-364 participated in operations Osceola, Kentucky, Mamaluke Thrust, and Hue City and finally in the evacuation of the embassy in Saigon. For almost half of its short 10-year existence, HMM-364 served in the Republic of Vietnam. During its three tours there, the squadron's pilots and crewman flew almost 70,000 hours in combat and combat support missions and was awarded the Presidential Unit Citation
Presidential Unit Citation (US)
The Presidential Unit Citation, originally called the Distinguished Unit Citation, is awarded to units of the Armed Forces of the United States and allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy on or after 7 December 1941...
for meritorious conduct in the performance of duty.
During this time period the squadron adopted the "Purple Fox" name, from a cartoon purple fox mascot called Swifty. On March 22, 1971, the squadron folded its colors and was decommissioned.
The 1990s
On September 28, 1984, HMM-364 was reactivated at Marine Aircraft Group 24Marine Aircraft Group 24
Marine Aircraft Group 24 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Air Facility Kaneohe Bay that is currently composed of three CH-53D Sea Stallion squadrons, a personnel support detachment and a maintenance and logistics squadron...
, 1st Marine Brigade, Fleet Marine Force, Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay
Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Marine Corps Base Hawaii , formerly Marine Corps Air Station, Kaneohe Bay and originally Naval Air Station Kaneohe Bay, is a U.S. Marine Corps base facility and air station located on the Mokapu Peninsula of windward O'ahu in the City & County of Honolulu. As of the 2000 Census, the base had a...
, Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. On October 12, 1984, Commandant of the Marine Corps
Commandant of the Marine Corps
The Commandant of the Marine Corps is normally the highest ranking officer in the United States Marine Corps and is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff...
, Gen. P. X. Kelley
Paul X. Kelley
General Paul Xavier Kelley was the twenty-eighth Commandant of the United States Marine Corps, from July 1, 1983 to June 30, 1987....
, publicly reactivated the squadron by presenting the unit colors to the Commanding Officer.
In February 1990, the Purple Foxes deployed to Okinawa, Japan. From August 1990 to March 1991, HMM-364 was placed in reserve during Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm becoming the sole supporting squadron for 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade.
In June 1991, the Purple Foxes once again deployed to Okinawa. During the deployment, the squadron supported Marine Air Ground Task Force 4-90 in the Republic of the Philippines before, during and after the eruption of Mount Pinatubo
Mount Pinatubo
Mount Pinatubo is an active stratovolcano located on the island of Luzon, near the tripoint of the Philippine provinces of Zambales, Tarlac, and Pampanga. It is located in the Tri-Cabusilan Mountain range separating the west coast of Luzon from the central plains, and is west of the dormant and...
and resulting devastation. Continuing into 1992, the Purple Foxes would find themselves on the island Kauai, for Operation Garden Isle, performing humanitarian relief due to the devastation left by Hurricane Iniki
Hurricane Iniki
Hurricane Iniki was the most powerful hurricane to strike the U.S. state of Hawaii in recorded history. Forming on September 5 during the strong El Niño of 1991–1994, Iniki was one of eleven Central Pacific tropical cyclones during the 1992 season. It attained tropical storm status on...
.
In February 1996, the Purple Foxes provided Executive Transport for President Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
and other dignitaries while they toured flood damaged Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. This marked the first time in history that a U.S. President had flown in a Fleet Marine Force helicopter.
On December 5, 1998, the squadron embarked aboard the USS Boxer (LHD-4)
USS Boxer (LHD-4)
The sixth USS Boxer is a of the United States Navy. She is the sixth US Navy ship to bear the name, and was named for a British ship captured by the Americans during the War of 1812....
participating in Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch
Operation Southern Watch was an operation conducted by Joint Task Force Southwest Asia with the mission of monitoring and controlling airspace south of the 32nd Parallel in Iraq, following the 1991 Gulf War until the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Summary:Operation Southern Watch began on 27 August 1992...
and various split-ARG operations off the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
.
In June 1999 the Purple Foxes returned off deployment and moved into their new home at Marine Aircraft Group 39
Marine Aircraft Group 39
Marine Aircraft Group 39 is a United States Marine Corps aviation unit based at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California that is currently composed of six AH-1W Super Cobra and UH-1N Huey light attack squadrons, three CH-46 Sea Knight squadrons and one logistics squadron...
aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton
Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton is the major West Coast base of the United States Marine Corps and serves as its prime amphibious training base...
, California. The Purple Foxes began training to their new core competency of being part of 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
3rd Marine Aircraft Wing
The 3d Marine Aircraft Wing is the major west coast aviation unit of the United States Marine Corps. It is headquartered at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and provides the aviation combat element for I Marine Expeditionary Force...
's "Fly In" Echelon for contingency operations.
Global War on Terror
In 2003, HMM-364 was tasked with preparing for a possible deployment to KuwaitKuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
in support of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force
1st Marine Expeditionary Force
The I Marine Expeditionary Force is a Marine Air Ground Task Force of the United States Marine Corps primarily composed of the 1st Marine Division, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, and 1st Marine Logistics Group...
and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
By the end of February, the squadron was off loaded, and all twelve CH-46E helicopters flown to Ali Al Salem Air Base. In conjunction with MAG-39 and its augments, HMM-364 began mission planning and rehearsals for combat operations against Iraq.
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
's 42 Commando
42 Commando
42 Commando Royal Marines is a battalion sized formation of the British Royal Marines and a subordinate unit within 3 Commando Brigade, the principal Commando formation, under the Operational Command of Commander in Chief Fleet....
. Squadron aircrews conducted Casualty Evacuation (CASEVAC
CASEVAC
Casualty evacuation, also known as CASEVAC or by the callsign Dustoff, is a military term for the emergency patient evacuation of casualties from a combat zone. Casevac can be done by both ground and air...
) missions in direct support of RCT-7 Headquarters for the duration of the war, traveling with the 1st Marine Division from Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
to downtown Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. HMM-364 aircraft also flew Logistical Support throughout the theater, flying over 640 hours in combat and direct combat support per month for both March and April.
With the end of combat operations in Iraq on April 17, HMM-364 continued to fly CASEVAC and Logistical Support for the Marine Corps Humanitarian Aid work underway on the behalf of the Iraqi people. HMM-364 returned to MCB Camp Pendleton in October 2003. During this deployment, one of the squadron's aircraft was lost during a resupply mission crashing into a canal. All four aircrew were lost and one Marine not affiliated with the squadron drowned in an attempted rescue.
The squadron deployed again to Iraq in the early months of 2005. Their third deployment to Iraq came in the summer of 2006 and they returned home in early 2007. During this deployment one of the squadron's aircraft was shot down resulting in the death of four squadron members, a Marine from another unit and two navy corpsmen.
The squadron's fourth deployment to Iraq came in late 2009. They returned safety in early 2010 having successfully completed their mission.
See also
- List of active United States Marine Corps aircraft squadrons
- United States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps AviationUnited States Marine Corps Aviation is the air component of the United States Marine Corps. Marine aviation has a very different mission and operation than its ground counterpart, and thus, has many of its own histories, traditions, terms, and procedures....