TODAY IN COAST GUARD AVIATION HISTORY – 11 SEPTEMBER 1998 (1 OF 2): an HH-65A #6523 assigned to Air Station Houston, TX and crewed by CDR Stephen E. Mehling (AC); LCDR David A. Walker (CP); unknown (FM) and AST1 Robin N. Feske (RS) launched in response to conduct the perilous night rescue of three survivors from the F/V HIGH LINER foundering in Tropical Storm FRANCES in 45 knot winds and 20-foot seas.
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TODAY IN COAST GUARD AVIATION HISTORY – 11 SEPTEMBER 1988 (2 OF 2): an HH-3F #1495 assigned to Air Station Sitka, AK and crewed by LCDR Bruce Merchant (AC); ENS Rocky Lee (CP); AD2 Richard “Ricky” Winters (FM); AT3 Richard Gallant (AV) and ASM3 Michael C. Millie (RS) launched in response to the 36-foot fishing vessel FREDA which sank in Dixon Entrance, AK.
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*** UPDATED *** “stop the presses” – another claim that all the references are wrong and that there was another HH-52A flight later than 12 September 1989…we will revisit on the next date.
TODAY IN COAST GUARD AVIATION HISTORY – 12 SEPTEMBER 1989 (1 OF 2): The Coast Guard retired its last Sikorsky HH-52A Sea Guard. The HH-52A served over 26 years as the Coast Guard’s primary short-range, search and rescue helicopter. It was replaced by the Aerospatiale HH-65A Dolphin. During 26 years of service the HH-52A saved over 15,000 lives. In addition, numerous Distinguished Flying Crosses, Coast Guard Medals, Air Medals and other honors and distinctions were earned with these helicopters…
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TODAY IN COAST GUARD AVIATION HISTORY – 12 SEPTEMBER 1953 (2 OF 2): The first line of the article linked below says it all – this is a pretty good read about the dawn of Coast Guard helicopter operations in the early 1950s.
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TODAY IN COAST GUARD AVIATION HISTORY – 12-13 SEPTEMBER 2008 (1 OF 2): an MH-65C #6512 assigned to Air Station Houston, TX and crewed by LT John T. Moran (AC); LTJG Dakata B. Brodie; AET2 James M. Russell (FM) and AST3 Shane Moore (RS) launched in response to seven people stranded in the bed of a submerged pickup truck on the Bolivar Peninsula with Hurricane IKE bearing down with winds gusting between 30-40 knots.
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TODAY IN COAST GUARD AVIATION HISTORY – 13 SEPTEMBER 1991 (2 OF 2): Aviation Machinist’s Mate Chief (AMMC) Oliver Berry, one of the world’s first helicopter maintenance specialists, passed away in Florence, SC – he is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery, Florence, SC.
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TODAY IN COAST GUARD AVIATION HISTORY – 14 SEPTEMBER 1989 (1 OF 2): Sikorsky Aircraft unveiled the replacement for the Sikorsky HH-3F Pelican helicopter: the HH-60J. The Coast Guard planned to purchase 42 of the new aircraft and decided to call their version of the versatile helicopter the “Jayhawk.”
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TODAY IN COAST GUARD AVIATION HISTORY – 14 SEPTEMBER 1939 (2 OF 2): At Stratford, Connecticut, “Uncle Igor” Sikorsky made the first tethered flight of the Vought-Sikorsky VS-300 prototype helicopter – using a “Ball and Chain” my favorite Social Distortion song. The duration of the flight was just 10 seconds but demonstrated that the helicopter could be controlled.
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TODAY IN COAST GUARD AVIATION HISTORY – 15 SEPTEMBER 1982 (1 OF 3): an HU-25A #2105 assigned to Aviation Training Center Mobile, AL and crewed by LT Roger Bowers (AC); LTJG C. E. Cosden (CP), AE3 Craig Hayden (DM); AM3 M. T. Yonk; AT3 R. K. Swahn and AT3 D. M. Ruhde (see photo below) launched in response to a potential man overboard from the pipeline barge CHEROKEE 90 miles off the Louisiana coast.
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TODAY IN COAST GUARD AVIATION HISTORY – 15 SEPTEMBER 1963 (2 OF 3): an HO4S-3G (later HH-19G) #1327 assigned to Air Station San Diego, CA and crewed by LCDR Howard “Howie” Thorsen (AC); (single pilot) and (Last name only) Kuykendall (FM) launched at night to rescue a Costa Rican National and a U. S. Marine, from an entrapped position on an offshore rock two miles south of Rosarita Beach, Mexico.
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/// COLD CASE – NEED HELP ///
TODAY IN COAST GUARD AVIATION HISTORY – 16 SEPTEMBER 1975 (1 OF 2): an HH-3F #1489 assigned to Air Station Borinquen, Puerto Rico and crewed by LT Rob Ritchie*** (AC); unknown (checked logbook – there were two sorties – one with last name “Robb…” or “Roll…” something – there is CG Aviator 1117 ROLLINS, WILLIAM H., JR. winged in 1965 and one with “Csentyer” – there is a CG Aviator #901 CSINTYAN, STEPHEN D. winged 10/1/61) (CP); unknown (FM) and unknown (AV) launched in response to stranded flood victims caused by the passage of Hurricane ELOISE in the area of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Any help with rest of the aircrew would be appreciated.
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/// COLD CASE – NEED HELP ///
TODAY IN COAST GUARD AVIATION HISTORY – 16 SEPTEMBER 1999 (2 OF 2): an HH-60J #6026 assigned to Air Station Elizabeth City, NC and crewed by LT Randy Watson (AC); unknown (CP); unknown (FM) and AST1 Gerry Hoover launched at night in response to fourteen North Carolina residents stranded and in danger from rapidly rising floodwaters following Hurricane FLOYD.
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TODAY IN COAST GUARD AVIATION HISTORY – 17 SEPTEMBER 1972: an HH-53C (Call sign “JOLLY GREEN 65”) from the 37th ARRS, crewed by Coast Guard LT Robert “Bobby” E. Long (P), Jerry D. Stout (CP), Jimmie D. Victor (FE), Lawrence Kimball (PJ) and Stephen Caldwell (PJ), rescued the crew of an OV-10A (Call sign “NAIL 60”), 1st Lt. Ronald L. Kuhl and Maj. Allan W. Bowers, after they had an engine failure and ejected from their aircraft over southern Laos.
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/// BONUS MATERIAL / COLD CASE / NEED HELP ///
TODAY IN COAST GUARD AVIATION HISTORY – 02 AUGUST 1972^^^: an HH-52A #unknown assigned to Air Station Cape May, NJ and crewed by unknown (AC); unknown (CP – may have been single pilot) and ASMC Fred Ellingwood (FM – unsure if there were others in the aircrew) launched in response to a missing 7-year old Pennsylvania girl, Cherry (also Shari in some newspapers) Lynne Davis, after she went missing from a Sea Isle, NJ beach at 11:30 AM.
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