The phrase “cut me a HUS” entered the Marine Corps vernacular during the Vietnam War, referring to a helicopter that would become an emblem of the close air support during the war. The U.S. Marine Corps Sikorsky HUS-1 (UH-34D) Seahorse helicopters were first introduced in 1954, however, it was in countless missions during the Vietnam War where it left its mark.
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USMC H-34s were among the first helicopter gunships trialled in theatre, being fitted with the Temporary Kit-1 (TK-1), comprising two M60C machine guns and two 19-shot 2.75 inch rocket pods. The TK-1 kit would form the basis of the TK-2 kit used on the UH-1E helicopters of the USMC. All H-34 helicopters were retired from service in the U.S. military by the early 1970s; the type having the distinction of being the last piston-engined helicopter to be operated by the Marine Corps. Today, it takes its rightful place in the US Marine Corps Museum in Virginia.
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