HML167 – HMLA167 Legacy

Welcome to 167 – in all her incarnations. We have a wonderful opportunity to take 167 from her birth in the fire of a combat zone to her continued growth in the crucible of combat today. With all the periods of peace and war in between, 167 fulfills her destiny honorably. After all, we are the ultimate warrior knights riding to war with honor and modern technology as our steeds, lances, swords and armor.

This website is all our legacy – from the first Marine who wore the patch or painted the checkerboard colors on the nose of a “bird” through all the years, to all of you who wear the patch today. The legacy that you see here is for every one of us – once, now and future Marines who will have the honor to carry 167 forward.

You will encounter history as it is unfolded, from 167’s original commissioning date on April 1st, 1968 at Marble Mountain. While not an “official-official” history, you will have here the memories of flight and ground crews who have come before. You will be able to follow those historical links through many years to the 167 of today.

This is a place of memory and honor, a place for us “old guys” to be able to view our youth and the contributions we made – where and when. Make no mistake, each of you in successive generations will become those “old guys.” So it is a place for all the Marines of today to go to, to see what went before. The words current or Marines of today are relative – there will be a point where the Marines of today moves on and another generation of Marines takes up the sword. The possibility of Marines and a 167 in a space command may be a progressive dream now – but it s a distinct possibility, Can we provide this legacy for them to carry on?

167 has been in existence for 43 years at this point in history – almost a half-century of proud training, exercises an warfighting – continuously – with changes in her designation. As you will hear repeatedly, 167 was commissioned in a combat zone – an unheard of and not so easy feat. 167 was put together with aircraft from different sources and Marines from disparate units. Due to this “coming together” not everyone was on the same page !!! As with every Marine from our founding onward though, the crucible homogenized a record-making, record-breaking combat helo gun squadron inside of weeks – the “black sheep” of the helo community.

This labor of love and honor is dedicated – above all – to those who made the ultimate sacrifice under the colors of 167. May they have found their peace. Their deeds must be honored forever and they must not be forgotten  ….. “ONCE MORE UNTO THE BREECH ………. WE  FEW, WE HAPPY FEW, WE BAND OF BROTHERS; FOR HE TODAY WHO SHEDS HIS BLOOD WITH ME, SHALL FOREVER BE MY BROTHER ………..”

Importantly, we all understand this legacy site is an evolving memorial, always in progress. Please note that this “unofficial” site has the blessing of USMC Command Elements – therefore – we must subscribe to the current norms. The site must be shaped to acceptable standards.

As we all well know, Marines are humble creatures – if not that, how might we go forth. Marines have been here a long, long time. We have been involved in aviation from its inception – and we suspect Marines will take aviation and our combat concepts into space. We have been, we are, and we will be !

Everyone of you – once, now and future Marines of 167 can contribute to this site – sea stories, mission reports, descriptive documents of an unclassified nature with historical significance, photographs.

However since Marines are those humble creatures, we cannot lend any veracity to any sea story or brief you may find here.

You will find the original commissioning document for 167. You will read a letter from the 1st CO of 167 – LtCol Tom “Chesty” Miller who was given the original task of shaping the squadron and whose efforts and force of personality made some of the justifiably proud combat records that still stand today. Chesty had the unenviable job of standing up a combat gun squadron, in a war zone, executing hot gun missions with as yet completely untested doctrine. Perhaps – the ultimate live fire exercise!!!

You will read a letter from LtCol Timothy “Hawg” Kolb _ HMLA-167 Commander (May 2010-Nov 2011) – who at this juncture – suffered our requests for time and who committed to sharing in this legacy., and  whose efforts allowed us to go forward in creating this legacy site. A site like no other – who pushed the authorization for a couple “old guys” to create something for all of us. “Hawg” has taken 167 into and out of the crucible with a still evolving combat gun doctrine with the most modern incarnation of the H-1. He is taking 167 into the future with this legacy.

If “Hawg” did not commit to this – we might have it – but we wouldn’t have it with the blessing of the cognizant authority and with the ability to grow it with all the current ongoing history.

We envision this link as a type of electronic club where we all can go in  time to read, hear, see history past, history in the making, dedications, and of course – sea stories.

This site is dedicated to everyone who served with 167 in all her designations and aircraft incarnations. This site represents the collective efforts of all members, who believe their history – and the part they played in flying aerial support & gun missions through many conflicts – should be preserved.

In some cases stories are relayed with the greatest appropriate reverence and respect, covering incidents where our counterparts did not return and are still flying those missions. In order to maintain historical relevance the details of those missions are related with some possible slight editing to avoid breech of trust.

It should be noted that this illustrious legacy should not appear to diminish contributions of all other Marines aviation and ground. There exists in these times, in our Marine Corps, a great deal of pride and mutual respect amongst all Marines who have endured.

One thing we all have in common as Marines is that we all made the grade – once, now & future – Quantico, Parris Island & San Diego. That gives us all the right to contribute & participate in this legacy.

Those who sacrificed all when they wore this squadron’s colors must be honored forever. For them, we must preserve the heritage and living memory of 167.

Thank you so much for the honor and for allowing us to continue to serve 167 and to continue to craft 167’s warrior legacy.

Semper Fidelis!!!

Scott Chellis & Al Viti