The 76th emerged following a directive from the Air Rescue Service, reclassifying all Flights within Air Rescue Groups as Air Rescue Squadrons. Consequently, the 76th Air Rescue Squadron was activated on October 17, 1952, inheriting both the aircraft and personnel previously affiliated with D Flight of the 4th Air Rescue Group. Assuming responsibility for providing rescue operations in the vicinity of Hawaii, the Squadron became part of the 11th Rescue Group, under the umbrella of the Pacific Division, MATS, and was stationed at Hickam AFB, Hawaii. Subsequently, on February 16, 1954, the Squadron was reassigned to the Air Rescue Service, and later to the 2nd Air Rescue Group on September 20, 1955.
Upon its activation, the 76th Air Rescue Squadron utilized the SB-29, transitioning to the more comfortable and suitable SC-54 and SA-16 aircraft in 1956. The Albatrosses were briefly replaced by the SH-19 in 1957, until the SA-16s returned to the squadron in 1960, only to be relinquished again in 1961. Consequently, the SC-54 became the sole operational aircraft until it was substituted by the HC-97 in 1964.
An early 76th Air Rescue Squadron patch.
Operation NEWSREEL
Operation Hardtack I was a series of 35 nuclear tests conducted by the United States from April 28 to August 18 in 1958 at the Pacific Proving Grounds. Due to the proximity to the area the 76th would be involved.
Operation Hardtack I contained three high-altitude tests called Operation Newsreel that were designed to study many effects that a nuclear explosion would have on materials and electronic systems. They were also used to test the energy of the explosion and what forms of energy they would produce. Hardtack-Yucca was the name of the first high-altitude test and it was performed near the Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The other two high-altitude tests, Hardtack-Orange and Hardtack-Teak, were performed near the Johnson Atoll in the South Pacific Ocean about 810 miles southwest of the Hawaiian Islands.
During the NEWSREEL phase of HARDTACK, a SC-54 aircraft and crews of the 76th Air Rescue Squadron based at Hickam AFB assumed SAR responsibility at Johnston Island. A SC-54 aircraft was kept at Johnston Island during the build-up and operational phases of NEWSREEL, usually, the aircraft and crews were rotated on a weekly basis. These aircraft participated in all practices and rehearsals and were airborne during the TEAK and ORANGE shots.
Both tests used the Redstone rockets to get the warhead to the test altitude & both were launched from Johnson Island. TEAK warhead burst at 252,000 feet at 11:50pm local time on July 31, 1958, directly above Johnston Island, the flash effectively turned night into day. The initial glow faded over a period of about 30 seconds. The thermal radiation output of the explosion was such that observers were forced to take cover in the "shade" for the first few moments, as can be seen in film footage of the test. TEAK caused communications impairment over a widespread area in the Pacific basin, which disrupted most long-distance HF radio communications.
ORANGE was the same yield as TEAK and was detonated on August 18, 1958 at 10:30pm at an altitude of 262,000 feet.
A resident in Honolulu (which is 825 miles from Johnson Atoll) reported that they had witnessed the detonation of TEAK & said:
The red spread in a semi-circular manner until it seemed to engulf a large part of the horizon.
A cloud rose in the centre of the circle. It was quite large and clearly visible. It remained visible for about a half-hour.
It looked much closer than Johnston Island. The elevation of the circle was perhaps 20° above the horizon.
Operation Hardtack I was a series of 35 nuclear tests conducted by the United States from April 28 to August 18 in 1958 at the Pacific Proving Grounds. Due to the proximity to the area the 76th would be involved.
Operation Hardtack I contained three high-altitude tests called Operation Newsreel that were designed to study many effects that a nuclear explosion would have on materials and electronic systems. They were also used to test the energy of the explosion and what forms of energy they would produce. Hardtack-Yucca was the name of the first high-altitude test and it was performed near the Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The other two high-altitude tests, Hardtack-Orange and Hardtack-Teak, were performed near the Johnson Atoll in the South Pacific Ocean about 810 miles southwest of the Hawaiian Islands.
During the NEWSREEL phase of HARDTACK, a SC-54 aircraft and crews of the 76th Air Rescue Squadron based at Hickam AFB assumed SAR responsibility at Johnston Island. A SC-54 aircraft was kept at Johnston Island during the build-up and operational phases of NEWSREEL, usually, the aircraft and crews were rotated on a weekly basis. These aircraft participated in all practices and rehearsals and were airborne during the TEAK and ORANGE shots.
Both tests used the Redstone rockets to get the warhead to the test altitude & both were launched from Johnson Island. TEAK warhead burst at 252,000 feet at 11:50pm local time on July 31, 1958, directly above Johnston Island, the flash effectively turned night into day. The initial glow faded over a period of about 30 seconds. The thermal radiation output of the explosion was such that observers were forced to take cover in the "shade" for the first few moments, as can be seen in film footage of the test. TEAK caused communications impairment over a widespread area in the Pacific basin, which disrupted most long-distance HF radio communications.
ORANGE was the same yield as TEAK and was detonated on August 18, 1958 at 10:30pm at an altitude of 262,000 feet.
A resident in Honolulu (which is 825 miles from Johnson Atoll) reported that they had witnessed the detonation of TEAK & said:
The red spread in a semi-circular manner until it seemed to engulf a large part of the horizon.
A cloud rose in the centre of the circle. It was quite large and clearly visible. It remained visible for about a half-hour.
It looked much closer than Johnston Island. The elevation of the circle was perhaps 20° above the horizon.
At top, an image of the facility at Johnston Island immediately prior to the detonation of an exoatmospheric nuclear weapon. At bottom, the scene is illuminated solely by the nuclear blast, which burst at 76.8km altitude above the island. (Department of energy)
Operation HELPING HAND
On the evening of Good Friday, March 27, 1964, an unprecedented earthquake rocked south central Alaska at precisely 5:36 p.m., marking the most powerful seismic event witnessed in North America during the twentieth century. This catastrophe resulted in the tragic loss of 117 lives, with many more reported missing, while causing extensive damages estimated at $750 million. Measuring at least 8.4 on the Richter scale, the earthquake triggered tidal waves that reverberated as far as Japan, Hawaii, and California. Anchorage, the most densely populated city in Alaska, was left in ruins along with several other neighbouring communities, as the initial quake and its subsequent aftershocks wrought widespread destruction.
Within mere hours of the disaster, the United States Air Force swiftly mobilized a fleet of aircraft, including 55 C-124s, 17 C-123s, 11 C-130s, 8 C-97s, 4 C-135s, 2 C-121s, 3 HC-16s, 1 HC-54, and several H-21s, to provide crucial emergency relief to the affected citizens.
Over a span of 21 days, a staggering 1,850 tons of supplies were airlifted to Alaska, comprising essential items such as 115 beds, 667 mattresses, 250 crates of baby formula, 1.4 tons of charcoal, 2.7 tons of 41 North American canned soup, and a ton of blankets. Among the cargo, the weightiest components included communication devices, construction materials, and water purification equipment. Notably, the Military Air Transport Service was responsible for transporting 1,375 tons of materiel, expending approximately 1,300 hours of flying time to execute these critical missions.
Over a span of 21 days, a staggering 1,850 tons of supplies were airlifted to Alaska, comprising essential items such as 115 beds, 667 mattresses, 250 crates of baby formula, 1.4 tons of charcoal, 2.7 tons of 41 North American canned soup, and a ton of blankets. Among the cargo, the weightiest components included communication devices, construction materials, and water purification equipment. Notably, the Military Air Transport Service was responsible for transporting 1,375 tons of materiel, expending approximately 1,300 hours of flying time to execute these critical missions.
This photo shows the collapse of fourth Ave near C Street in Anchorage due to a landslide caused by the earthquake. Before the shock the sidewalk on the left was the same level on the right, the street subsiding 11 feet & moving 14 feet horizontally. (Photo by U.S Army)
The Squadron, along with aircraft from the 41st Air Rescue Squadron at Hamilton Air Force Base, California, conducted crucial operations including citizen evacuations, reconnaissance flights, and airdrops of vital medical supplies. Over the course of 21 days, the USAF successfully transported over 850 passengers and evacuees, encompassing a diverse array of individuals ranging from construction workers, medical professionals, engineers, and communications experts to victims of the devastating earthquake.
Airlift missions to Alaska for a continuous period of three weeks and as the end of April approached, the city of Anchorage and other afflicted communities in south central Alaska commenced their recovery efforts, ultimately no longer necessitating the assistance of emergency airlift missions.
Witnessing technological progress, the HC-130 took over from the HC-97 in 1966, which retired the following year.
Amidst these frequent aircraft changes, the Squadron underwent reassignments to the Air Rescue Service multiple times.
The HC-130s, with their extensive range, were essential considering the vast expanse the Squadron was tasked with overseeing. Covering an area that spanned the Honolulu, Midway, and Wake SAR Sectors of the Pacific, amounting to approximately four million square miles, the Squadron provided crucial search and rescue operations for both personnel and equipment. Additionally, it played a significant role in global air and space operations, including ballistic missile and space vehicle programs.
HC-130P 60221 was one of the Hercules assigned to the Squadron. (Californian State Museum)
The Squadron's involvement extended to Southeast Asia, where it deployed multiple crews that played a pivotal role in numerous successful combat rescue missions.
Space Recovery
In June 1961, the Squadron achieved the recovery of a Discoverer nose capsule, with a pararescueman bravely leaping into the ocean to secure floatation gear. The Squadron was redesignated as the 76th Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron on January 8 1966 and subsequently reassigned to the Pacific Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Centre (PARC) on April 1, 1967, and later to the 41st ARRW on February 8, 1969, following PARC's redesignation as the 41st ARRW.
In 1972, the Squadron incorporated a rotary element with the arrival of crews to operate
HH-53s, which had previously been in service with the 40th ARRS in Nakhon Phanom. By mid-1973, the Squadron received four HH-53Cs, bolstering its capabilities alongside the
HC-130s, and actively participated in the US space program. As NASA launched Apollo and Skylab missions, the 76th functioned as the primary contingency recovery team, considering that splashdowns were typically aimed for the mid-Pacific region. The Squadron remained on alert for all Skylab missions and dispatched aircraft to Johnson Island for the recovery of Skylab III.
The HH-53's also helped with the Duckbutt mission. Duckbutt support was for US aircraft being ferried over oceans, mainly the Pacific or Atlantic. The HC-130 was a superb aircraft for this but in 1974 some of the HH-53's were used to support 21 U.S Army helicopters that were flying between the islands.
A superb duckbutt patch from the 76th ARRS. You can clearly see the Hawaiian Islands on the patch which was a Thai made patch.
Throughout its active tenure, the Squadron boasted an impressive 22 years of accident-free flying, a remarkable accomplishment given the challenging operational areas and missions it undertook. However, due to the SAR mission being covered at Kadena, the Squadron was ultimately inactivated on August 1, 1975 with its four HH-53's being transferred to the 6594th Test Squadron.
This picture is taken during the inactivation ceremony. From L-R are, Maj. Reeder (SATN/EVAL H-53 pilot), Capt. Tim Jewett (H-53 pilot), Lt. Col. Larry Butera (Sqn CO), Lt. Col. Dick Bigelow (Sqn DO) & Tom Green Sr. (H-53 FE STAN/EVAL). (Photo courtesy of Tom Green Sr.)
Pic with Mercury boilerplate- “Pararescuemen” not paramedics….SSgt Edward Padilla
ReplyDeleteThank you. I've amended the photo. The reason I put it on was because the article I found the photo on said paramedic. Glad to correct it.😁
Delete