Sikorsky S-61R / CH-3 / HH-3 "Jolly Green Giant"
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ROBERT WINBLAD, e-mail, 30.11.2023 21:23

I did two tours in Udorn Thailand, 1965-66 and again in summer of 1967.
I was flight engineer on H53B Sikorsky Helicopter USAF, we were called "The Jolly Green Giants". We flew dozens of missions into North Vietnam, at the time I was 21 yrs old. I sat in flight engineers seat and moved to rescue hoist operator or gunner depending on situation. Don't know if we served together but we were their around the same time.


Raymond Christopher, e-mail, 22.09.2022 06:18

Jerry, Chris. Dave lives just North of Denver, CO.


Kenton R Brown, e-mail, 13.07.2022 07:18

With the conversion to UH-60s (?), the last CH-3 was being prepped for export. I stood on the D-M flight line when the last CH-3 departed for Central America (Honduras) as a FMS deal. No one applauded, and we parachutists would miss the starboard door stand-up departure. Who doesn't hate jumping a UH-1 or HH-60? I watched it until it until it disappeared between the Rincons & Sierra Ritas. A sad day in USAF aviation annuls.


Anonymous, 13.07.2022 06:57

All you say about unit cohesiveness is what I observed at Luke, even later at D-M. For years, I had the GREAT privilege of being a long-term "guest intel puke" from AFIS/RE DET 37 just down the road. Always, I was welcomed as one of the family. My ASU ROTC buddy Steve Wright was a CH-3 pilot, who introduced me to the PJs... I jumped most often w/ Mike Miles & heroic (!) Jon Hoberg. We often used Luke Aux 1 NW of Luke, as later did the Reserve Army 297th SF (ABN) unit on Oak St - another "band of brothers!" Just for the record, the awful, demoralizing CH-3 accident occurred when A/C #2 in a 2-ship flight out of D-M had its antenna snap & foul the tail rotor, causing an immediate crash. This occurred just NW of TUS near Silverbell by Avra Valley Road. The memorial service at DM was perhaps the somberest and heart-wrenching event I ever attended. Even now... after 30-some years?


Mark McAtee, e-mail, 11.05.2016 18:27

I worked as an ART with the 302nd in the 70's and 80's and sure missed that squadron and every Sunday after commanders call we would have some great parties and barbecue out in the enclosed fenced area outside


terry s. owens sr., e-mail, 04.07.2014 09:52

I have 12 years experience working on ch-3c and hh-3 helicopters at andrews afb and osan ab korea . I took 3 h-3's to pontiac michgan in1987 to fly with vice president george bush to see the pope.


Mark McAtee, e-mail, 20.04.2014 21:52

I served with the 302nd SOS in the 70's and parts of the 80's I was the structural/fuel repair mechanic for those Ch-3s fun and best of times


Charles Miller, e-mail, 01.04.2014 01:24

My dad, Charles (Chuck) Miller was stationed at Udorn from the summer of 1965 through the summer of 1966. He was with the Jolly Greens and served as crew member on several occasions, I know. I do not know what squadron he was with. Is there anyone out there who knows or who may have served with him during that time?


Mauro Laurenzi, e-mail, 07.02.2014 12:18

Flew the HH3F/B produced under license by Agusta. New avionics/nav/comms/flir/variuos counter-measures and machine guns........great memories, great machine unfortunatelly going to be replaced at the moment.


Ed Smith, e-mail, 06.01.2014 23:30

I flew CH-3s with the 20th out of Udorn ('66-67), then with the 1371st Photo Mappers (2 ferry trips from Forbes to Brazilia), and finally with the 302 SOS. Jerry Fletcher was our Flt Engineer during the MGM fire. Flew 676 (Black Maria) both with 20th & 302nd. Gave the AF Museum information pertaining to original configuration. Would like to find Dave Ellis also, or any other guys from that era. Great times.


Ron Jones, e-mail, 16.09.2013 08:49

@ Bill Feller... Yes you were. I was the last crew chief of 3290 before it got packed up.


Bill Feller, e-mail, 06.07.2013 13:18

I was the last Flight Engineer to fly 66-13290 at Kadena AB, Okinawa Japan before it was sent to the Smithsonian and 67-14703 in Robbins. 703 was the only HH-3E, as far as I know, to fly in two wars and I was on it when it crossed into enemy territory during Desert Storm, besides flying it into the museum. It is to bad they changed from the desert paint to the old camo. It could have been the only one with the desert paint. If you go to the museum we all (the crew) signed the Aux door and it is covered with plexiglass to preserve the signatures.


J. Crawford, e-mail, 16.04.2013 21:43

We have a Ch-3e, USAF S/N 65-5690, Jolly 45, at the McClellan Aero Space Museum in Sacramento, CA. I am the crew chief and I am looking for photos of this aircraft in flight or on the ground from 1965 to 1993. It was put in the museum in 1993 so photos after that are plentiful. If you flew in this Jolly or any other stop by when your in town.


Tom Septer, 20.02.2013 19:05

I enjoyed working on the CH-3 and HH-3 in Ethopia, Africa
and Brazil, S. America 1964 thru 1968. We flew three of
the helicopters from Topeka, Kansas (Forbes AFB). What a
trip. Was used in the mapping of Ethopia.


Bill Goldstein, e-mail, 31.12.2012 20:19

Worked on the "jolly from 1967-1969 @ NKP RTAB with the 21st helicopter sq., later attached to 21st Special Ops. Great Ride and easy to maintain.


DeWitt Kavanaugh, e-mail, 19.10.2012 02:09

My dad was a member of the 302nd... Mike Kavanaugh. He passed away in 2001 but my mom, Maggie is doing well in Florence (no she is not in prison). I had such good memories as a kid coming out to Luke... A lot of these names ring a bell. I hope all is well.


Bob C, e-mail, 10.10.2012 21:41

Hi guys, hope you won't mind me chipping in, but thought you might find this of interest. In 1975 I was a sergeant serving in the British army surface to air missiles. I had the honour of flying in the CH63 at the Paris air show. Skiorsky flight crew took over a Jolly green Giant from the the American air base at Woodbridge and we joined up with them to train for the air show. We had to lay on a demo to show how the CH could carry a Land Rover and Rapier missile launcher. Every day Jim would take off and show what the CH could do. He would then land in the middle of the run way and we would deploy the launcher. I'm 60 now but still remember those days with great affection.


mark harris, e-mail, 29.07.2012 17:28

I was in the 302nd at luke for a few years as a reservist.It was a great unit and the sunday afternoon parties we legendary. Things got sad after the loss of the chopper at Ghila Bend which killed our squadron commander and the green berets on a training mission.The ch-3 was a great old bird. I remember the one called patches which had over 50 patches on it from Viet Nam.


Martin, e-mail, 27.04.2012 23:29

I was a passenger in a Jolly Green from Marble Mtn to Phubai...what power and a smooth ride too. We went 75 miles in a matter of minutes! I'll never forget that ride!!!


Some Retired MSgt, e-mail, 12.09.2011 04:42

I was NCOIC of Intel with the 302nd, but wasn't on scene when they ferried so many off the MGM grand. If you saw the people jumping from the World Trade Center, you'll understand the importance of immediate action as the flames flowed up. I'm proud to have been present when Jerry Fletcher and the others were awarded the medal for their heroism, as a chopper will fall like a rock when it hits that thinner, superheated air, even when not overloaded. By '75, 676 didn't have a sheet of aluminum on her that wasn't replaced or patched at least once. She saved more lives than can fit in her, and only looked black during when there weren't any US choppers upcountry. Any photos of a CH-3 in Long Chieng were probably just airbrushed there by those Pathet Lao pranksters as propaganda to make poor President Nixon look insincere.


proud son of a Jolly pilot, 14.08.2011 18:32

To all that have served THANK YOU.... My father flew them with the 21st SOS and 302nd (luke)


Jerry Fletcher, e-mail, 25.06.2011 18:48

yes I was a FE on one for 20 years with the 302nd SOS and air sea rescue


Jerry Fletcher, e-mail, 25.06.2011 18:43

I know a pilot named Dave Ellis And yes I was a FE on the CH3 in Las Vagas and recived a Distinguisehed Flying Cross for my part in the rescue


Zorro, e-mail, 17.03.2011 21:27

Anyone in the 302 SOS at the time of the MGM Grand fire? If so, where you there? Did you know Dave Ellis?


Zorro, e-mail, 17.03.2011 21:26

Anyone in the 302 SOS at the time of the MGM Grand fire? If so, where you there? Did you know Dave Ellis?


Dick Harris, e-mail, 07.03.2011 06:07

I flew the HH-3E in 1966 out of Udorn. I still run through the start up and procedures in my head after all these years. Believe I could still fly one!!


armando martinez, e-mail, 24.12.2010 21:22

i used to work on and fly on hh-3e and the ch model with the 129RQW


Marie Christine, e-mail, 16.09.2010 08:18

Amazing Thing. some time i just wonder, how human's mind works. Really Nature is above all


bailey, e-mail, 02.07.2010 11:05

it is great!


John Furqueron AEC-USCG, e-mail, 08.04.2010 20:23

I flew as aircrew in the Coast Guard HH-3F at CGAS Puerto Rico & Astoria, Oregon. We did a lot of searches and rescues from the HH-3F and it always performed well.


John Furqueron AEC-USCG, e-mail, 08.04.2010 20:23

I flew as aircrew in the Coast Guard HH-3F at CGAS Puerto Rico & Astoria, Oregon. We did a lot of searches and rescues from the HH-3F and it always performed well.


Joyce Bernier-Lilley, e-mail, 20.02.2010 03:08

I was a member of the 302. I have pictures of our unit at the lake. I live in maryland now.


Roger (Ramjet) Arnott, e-mail, 02.09.2009 19:40

I was flight engineer on the Ch-3 at Luke AFB,AZ,302 SOS been trying to fine pictures of 302 and aircraft. 1978-1980. Mine all burned in house fire. Also would like to hear from people that were in that unit then.


Jeff Long, e-mail, 15.07.2009 03:04

Don't have any personal experience with the Jolly Green, but understand that "BAT 21" included one flown by a good friend, Cpt John Call, of Silver Spring, MD., and who died during a crash on that mission. We grew up together. Anyone know him?


Colonel Larry Mayes, USAF (Retired), e-mail, 09.03.2009 23:10

The crash site of Jolly 71 was found during the successful search for the crash site of Jolly 23. I know the A/C of Jolly 71, Major Holly Bell's remains were repatriated in 1989, but I have found no reference to efforts by CILHI to visit and possibly recover the remains of the other crew members of Jolly 71. Can any one out there clarify if or why not the recovery effort has or has not occured?? Thanks.


Margaret Robertson, e-mail, 21.01.2008 03:18

love the herby sound just sight forgot sound.


penny juday, e-mail, 20.09.2007 20:59

hello, help please. i need measurements of the interiors and doors of several helicopters. can you tell me where i might find the specs? i am working on a movie for sony pictures.

thank you...


Ramond Christopher, 21.04.2007 18:45

Corrected; MATT and 2004

Art you may know this already but Matt Kirkpatrick passed away in 2004. I have been e-mailing several people one who left a Pony at Lima Site 85. He is now a professor at Ca Poly. Myself and James G.A. Smith contributed the historical data for the H3's on the Golly Green site. Jim and I were members of the 302 SOS and 71 SOS which flew H3's for Like AFB and DMAFB from 1977 to 1995. All of our aircraft were for the Vietnam conflict. One sits at the Wright-Patterson muesum. You may know her, 676, Black Maria. Yes we flew them in Desert Storm except for 676 which was ferried there a month after we deployed.


Ramond Christopher, e-mail, 21.04.2007 18:42

Art you may know this already but Mtt Kirkpatrick passed away in 1994. I have been e-mailing several people one who left a Pony at Lima Site 85. He is now a professor at Ca Poly. Myself and James G.A. Smith contributed the historical data for the H3's on the Golly Green site. Jim and I were members of the 302 SOS and 71 SOS which flew H3's for Like AFB and DMAFB from 1977 to 1995. All of our aircraft were for the Vietnam conflict. One sits at the Wright-Patterson muesum. You may know her, 676, Black Maria. Yes we flew them in Desert Storm except for 676 which was ferried there a month after we deployed.

Chris


Art Wallace, e-mail, 30.12.2006 04:19

I flew the CH-3 in South East Asia 1967-68 with the 20th SOS, Pony Express, at Udorn RTAFB, and I've been trying to find a desk model but with no luck.




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