USAF / 54th ARRS / HC-130 & HH-3 / Jolly Green Giant

54th Aerospace Rescue & Recovery Squadron

Peace & Loring AFB

Full Colour

1970's

This patch dates from the early 1970's with the Squadron operating HC-130's & HH-3's. Its a bit of a mysterious patch though, as the HC-130's flew the Crown & King missions & wouldn't probably wear the Jolly Green patch as there was normally a healthy rivalry between the

HC-130 crews & the HH-3 crews. However, I've conducted some research & the official history says it operated HH-3's between 1972/1973, but as of yet no ex-crewmen have confirmed that the 54th had helicopters at Pease AFB.

This being said the Squadron operated a detachment at Loring AFB, this being Detachment 2, which was set up with HH-3E's in July 1972 to support the NASA Skylab program. Det 6 of the 39th ARRW operated from Loring from Feb 1973 to Apr 1974, so the Squadron may have a connection with the Wing as the 54th ARRS was assigned to the 39th ARRW, possibly Det 2 was later replaced by Det 6.

If you can help with any of this please get in touch as I'd love to hear from you.

Partly embroidered on twill with a merrowed edge & the Giant in Dexter.

The photographs below are a few from Kelly Schell who has kindly given me permission to use them on the blog. I can't find any pictures of 54th ARRS HH-3E's anywhere, so suspect this is a first. The first three pictures were taken in late July or early August 1972 with the unloading of the HH-3's at Loring from a MAC C-5A Galaxy. A massive thanks to Kelly for his help with some tremendous photographs.

This shows the HH-3's in action from Loring.

And finally a chilled out Kelly Schell on a cross country trip in a Jolly Green Giant.

The Squadron also operated HC-130's too.

A 54th ARRS HC-130 taxies in to park after a local sortie. The HC-130 has the capability of picking up crews from the ground using a set of forks on the nose, however these have been removed from this machine.

(USAF photo)

If you have any additional information about this patch please contact me & I´ll get back to you.

Thanks👣