1951 to 1997


usa Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron ONE

US Navy

HS-1 Seahorses









hs-1 us navy

Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron ONE
Tail Codes
AR 1951/97
Tail Code AR, HELANTISUBRON ONE was the Navy's helicopter fleet replacement squadron until closure in 1997. HS-1 trained maintenance personnel, replacement pilots, and provided the fleet with updated combat and rescue techniques.
By AD3 Glenn Seiferth 1984-1988 it was a fun place at NAS Jax, I had a lot of fun learning so much from the fleet Air men ,,, especially from lifers ,,, had my time on the line, worked mainly midnights before going to power plants shop, enjoyed nato Det in North Atlantic , hung out with PR1 Pert , and David Léon Grimes, Great cast of sailors ,,, don’t miss the butt kissers ,,,you know who you are lol




By Adj E3 Paul Shea goto HS1 Dec.71. Worked mainly in the line shack days & nites . goucho ran days. roomed w/ E3 Wayne Adams. any remember chief Bimvy ? I bought chief Malloys 66 red Corvette. Anybody remember Greek / Gary Brown / Charle Clark ? Jim Drager and Mr. Ellington were the line officers.

By Larry Arneson AMS-2: I went from structural mechanic school at Millington Tenn. to the HS-1 squadron Key West Florida spring of 1955. At that time HS-1 shared the hanger with a squadron of sea planes. The plane in use when I got there was the HORS3 Sikorsky S-55. Later new S-58 arrived. HS-1 trained in the Key West area and went on various detachments. In 1956 HS-1 went on a med cruise to France ,Holland, Greece and Italy. Assigned to carrier Antietam (CVS-36) along with a submarine and two destroyers. About that time the Suez war broke out and the task group went to the Mediterranean to observe. Later the squadron sent part of the HS-1 crew to a new squadron put together in the hanger and known as HS-5 that eventually went to Jacksonville, Fl. As I understood it new squadrons were to be formed known as HS-5, HS-7 and HS-9 all on the east coast. At this time LCDR Ward was the c/o. Chief James Knowles was in charge of the airframe shop at the time and helped staff the HS-5. HS-1 was a great anti-submarine squadron doing valuable work for the fleet. I was discharged in July 1957. Looks like the original helicopter squadrons went on to many interesting assignments in later years. I presume antisubmarine helicopters are still being used.

1951, I was a storekeeper in the initial commissioning of HS-1. I spent 37 months with HS-1 in Key West and was discharged in Aug53 having attained the rank of AK1 (Aviation Storekeeper First Class). Billy Yarbrough

1953, My father Ralph J. Adams was a pilot attached to HS-1. At that time, they flew Piasecki HRP-1. About the Helo: The first production HRP-1 flew in September 1947 and was delivered later that year. The last of the total order of 20 was delivered in 1949. These were initially used by the Marine Corps to develop tactics for vertical assault and by the Coast Guard for its ongoing helicopter search and rescue development. The use at HS-1: The surviving HRPs were then used by the Navy for the development of dipping sonar and airborne minesweeping. The fabric was stripped off to reduce weight (testing was done off Key West, Florida) and flotation bags were added so the helicopter could be recovered if its engine quit over the water. Michael A. Adams, MCSE Reno, NV

~1955-1958, My Dad Greg Schoenhoff was a member of HS-1 in the late 50s in Key West. He was an ASM. If you remember him, please contact me at [email protected]. Dad is 78 now and we've been sharing sea stories from my time onboard the USS Tarawa (LHA-1), 1979 - 1983, and his time with HS-1, including time onboard the orignal USS Tarawa (CV-40)

1956-1958, I was member HS1 Sea Plane Base, Key West Florida. Detachments USS Wasp, Valleyford, Leyte, Tarawa, Antediem, Lake Champlion during that time.

1957-1960, I was in HS-1, we were at the Sea Plane Base, Key West, FL. I was TAD with the Squadron on the Lake Champlain, Leyte, and Tarawa all CVSs. The chopper of the era was Sikorsky S58. Have been looking for my Squadron Album because I wanted to locate a couple of guys I served with. Corky Pickerell, Bobbie McLeod both from Texas. If anyone remembers them let me know. Just finished up thirty years of flying and selling business aircraft.

1961-1962, Right out of Boot camp I was a SA working in the personnel office. Lt Rose was the division Officer

1963-1964, I was SA stationed worked in special services, life guard at officers pool. Did the entire base close?

1965, My orders out of boot camp [Navel Station Great Lakes] was HS-1 Key West FL. I arrived November of 1965 as a ADJAN and was transferred to NAS Memphis for jet Engine school in August of 1966. We were using Sh-3A's at the time. My first duty assignment was on the "line" Parking, fueling, safety wiring the rotor head and mostly cleaning and greasing the Helios. For a short time I was assigned to the tool crib (skate city).I did get a chance to visit shortly after the decommissioning. My barracks turned into an RV park and the hanger became a recycling center. Here's a note: we had two helicopters stored there that were flown from Cuba. All in all it was a great time! -

1969-1972, Looking for anyone who might have known Michael Basing, he was at Key West, JAX and Quonset Pte, RI during his time with HS-1. He was a helicopter mechanic, Ordinanceman and Nuclear Weapons Handler. -

I was ordered to HS-1 in Sept to Dec 1965, Sea Plane Base Key West Fl. By 1965, It was called Key West Heliport, for training on the SH-3A. The mission at that time was as a training Squadron for maintenance and crew training. Good time and I learned a lot about Helicopters and Jet Engines. I was an ADR3 at time just coming out of a EC 121 Super Constellation outfit, VW-11, and knew nothing about Jets. That training allowed me to work for Pratt and Whitney

By ADJ-2 Harold Fritz: After Adj school in Memphis I got orders for Hs-1 Key West, Florida. I checked into Hs-1 as a E3 fresh from school late summer 1969. The hanger was at the old sea plane base and the barracks were world war one wood non a/c. I got lucky I didn't get kp I got duty driver for 90 days..Since the squadron was over loaded with adj's they put me in supply. I was the skinny kid who ordered your parts for the aircraft. They decided to close the annex in 1970 and shipped us to Quonset Point Rhode Island. A little over a year in the Navy and two bases with the same squadron. They still had me in supply for another year until I made my crow. Now I finally got to work on helicopters. In 1972 Hurricane Agnes hit the Pennsylvania area hard flooding Wilkes Barre and Scranton area. Hs-1 sent two helicopters down to aid in sar and to deliver supplies to hard to reach areas. If you ever get to see the book for that area there are pictures of HS-1 helicopters loading supplies at the airport. I made E-5 and had to extend one year to sew it on. Now they decide to close the base in 1974 and send the squadron to NAS Jacksonville, Fla. I re=enlist and they extend me in HS-1 again for the move. When I finally transferred I had six years in HS-1. Not bad one squadron, three different bases.

J. Elkins: March 1970, I was station with HS-1 in Key West, by July the squadron was moved to Rhode Island. I finished my tour of duty there. Great times and lot of good friends

By AX2 Fred Orlowske Oct70-Dec73 I was assigned to HS-1 at Quonset Point, RI. It was a SUPERB squadron. Great people! Many pleasant memories

By George Czech: I was assigned to HS-1 in Quonset Point, RI February 1973. I was to attend SAR school, then train as onboard mechanic. After training I was to be stationed in Sigonilla, Sicily. During the time I was at Quonset Point, it was announced that the squadron would be moved to Jacksonville in 1974. On April 25, 1973, I took an early discharge ... an moved back to Missouri.

By Ed De Cort : I was in the Navy from 1983 – 1987; during that time HC-2 Fleet Angels were no longer an outfit or known by that designation. I’m not sure when, but I think in the late 70’s their mission was moved from Norfolk, VA. To the responsibility of NAS JAX HS-1 SEAHORSES, and was known as their oversea Detachments: HS-1 SEA DET.
SEA DET had two permanent detachments; One in the Persian Gulf which was Det – 1 (The Desert Duck’s) the second was Det-2 was in the Mediterranean home ported in Gaeta, Italy (The Gray Ghost). Both Det’s were attached to Command Flagships and served the Commanding Admirals. In the Persian Gulf the Command Flagship was the USS. LaSalle, although we were not ship personnel we were attached to the ship, though at times we also would be stationed at Bahrain and work from their airport and stay at ASU. Our main function was to support the two star Admiral whose name escapes now. His actual title was Commander of the mid east force. Basically the same was true for Det-2, though the Admiral in that case was a three star Admiral who was commander of the 6th fleet and also NATO forces.
The mission of the Detachments varied from each other. The Helicopters were both SH-3, but that’s all they had in common. The “Duck” was totally utilitarian and we did a number of various duties: From transferring passengers from Bahrain International to the ships in the Gulf and vice versa, we also did vert-reps, mail delivery’s, and landing on the ships with me hanging out the cargo door calling the landing, boarding Marines and flying to ships in distress of Piracy to prevent that action from taken place, and to keep shipping lanes open. It was in every sense of the word a working helo. On ships we couldn’t land on we would pick up and drop off people with the hoist (including the Admiral) on occasion. Search and rescue was also our mission.
The “Gray Ghost” as it was called then was a completely different helicopter with a completely different mission; it was painted gray green with a customized window in the cargo door so you couldn’t even open it. (The Desert Duck was white), the mission of the Gray Ghost was to transport the Admiral and whatever other high ranking personal rated it. The helicopter was sound proofed custom setting and carpet. It reminded me of the Presidential Helicopter which it resembled and happened to be the same make and model. Though the “gray Ghost” was a much more glamorous version than the “Duck” the mission wasn’t, though it was probably just as important.

   Re: HC-2; in contrast to the input by Ed De Cort, HC-2 was still a unit from which I retired in 1998. The Detatchments mentioned above were, in fact, "dets" supported from NAS Norfolk. The squadron had acquired the VIP helicopters and flew codes to and from the Pentagon at least twice per week. We got to be known as the BUPERS shuttle by sailors in need of visiting their detailers and flew "space available" and manifested. In addition to having the sea dets and VIP, we flew SAR backup to Oceana SAR, torpedo recovery and any additional logistic flights assigned. That was my last tour before retiring as AT1(NAC/AW) Restituyo

By W.R. O'Camb ADC(MTS/AWS) , I was in the Navy from 1975-1997, After commenting training at HS-1 Framp, at NAS Jacksonville FL (1976), I was assigned to the HC-2, Fleet Angels, made a few deployments, CVN68 USS Nimitz and CV16 USS Lexington. I was with HC-2 when it was decommissioned and formed HS-1 Sea Det. The Sea Det's where a carry over from HC-2, a long with most of the personal transferred to support the Sea Det's. I also deployed aboard AGF-3 USS LA Salle, The Great White Ghost of the Arabian Coast, I believe Admiral Wheatley was commander of the Gulf at that time. Being part of a flagship staff was interesting to say the least, along with having a few perks now and then, it help battle the 120 degree in the shade Gulf heat. NAS JAX Helo community was a tight group of people. When I got to NAS JAX these squadron's where present, HS-1, HC-2, HS-3, HS-5, HS-7, HS-9. All the Hangers were lined up along the sea wall and the St John's River. Some squadrons even shared a Hanger, depending on who was on deployment at that time. All squadrons had the SH-3 Helo's. After I left HS-1 Det I went to NAS JAX AIMD, and then on to HS-7 and later back to HS-1 Framp as an Instructor. Helo community is where life begin's, lol for some of us anyways! NAS JAX has gone through alot of changes, if anyone has the chance, stop by and drive around.

By Jim Parrish ATR2, I was attached to HS-5 at Quonset Point from June 1969 until September 1971. We made several short cruises to the Caribbean, N Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea aboard the USS Wasp and USS Intrepid. In September 1971 I transferred to HS-1 at NAS Quonset Point. I was night shift supervisor for a year in the Avionics shop then discharged in August 1972. I was able to pick up my private pilots license at the Quonset Aero Club during this time. I often look for some of the guys in the squadrons but have only been able to keep up with a couple. I'm always looking for old photos of HS-5 and HS-1. I was able to revisit Quonset State Airport in the 90s. It's hard to get up that way as I have lived in Texas almost all the time since I have been out. It sure has changed.

By Hugh Isbell, I was assigned to HS-1 from June 1955 until January 1958. I wet on detachments aboard USS Seboney, USS Tarawa ,USS Antetem and USS Valley Forge. For a young Sailor 17-19 years old it was a great experience.

By Bryan Griffin. I was serving in the British Navy as a CPO and was posted to Quonset Point in 1972 to join HS1 as Avionics Chief. New country, new Navy, new friends. Enjoyed every minute of my 2 years with the US Navy

I got to HS-1 From A school in Millington Tenn. First job as an airman was in that little coffee mess shack in the hanger. All you guys remember the coffee mess! Took over for that little guy Ensminger. After my 1st Lt duty I was transferred to maintenance control under Chief Jump. Memories anyone? All of you in the early seventies era at HS-1 heard my voice over the intercom calling for trouble shooters fo incoming flights. I remember you Harold Fritz! You worked under Pappy Roe! Along with Ken Andrews! You gave me a ride to Pa once with a stop over at your mom's house! Wasn't HS-1 beautiful?

By AMH2 David Bishop I served with HS-1 from June 1968 to the end of my enlistment, August 1971. After training at NAS Millington, TN. my orders came in on computer punch cards. The first words were a warning that had me a little shaken. Then the rest of the words warned of a housing shortage in Key West. Good news, good place to start my first station. I ended my time as night airframes supervisor, in the frozen north of Rhode Island, s big shock from the sunny south. Beautiful !

By ADJAN Gene Clement I served with HS-1 from March 73 to 30 March 73. Studied with HS one with the Framp school and also became a plain captain on the sea king SH – 3-D/H helicopter. Study corrosion control school 30 April 73 until four May 73. Then I was reassigned to HC-2 in Jacksonville Florida. After which I was reassigned to HS five in Jacksonville Florida and got out of the Navy September 9, 1978. What’s in the best shape of my life back then competing in different athletic events which I always won first place for the squadron. These events included weightlifting, pull ups in boxing. In 1984 I was hired at NASA because of my military background I have the Navy to thank for that.

By John Rice 1961-1962. SA working in the personnel office right out of boot camp. Lt Rose was my division officer. I visited Key West in December, 2020 and the hangar is still there. -

By Ross Bessom ADJ-2, I came to the squadron in 67. Did duty driver and then to the line division as a plane captain. Made E-4 and was assigned at night check supervisor-line. Made E-5 with a waiver and was assigned to ground support supervisor. Got some endorsements from my division officer and was transferred to VX-6 (AIRDRVRON-6) Operation DeepFreeze. I worked on 65 above when in Key West. Great memories. Did not however like the no A/C barracks and humid weather -

By AWH2 Darrel Ayles, reported HS 1 from Millington TN as AXAN for Aircrew training and sonar school June 1968. Loved weather and training. Assigned HS 11 Dragonslayers Oct 1968 flew MAC to Rota to join HS 11 on USS Wasp CVS 18. Promoted to AX 3 Nov 68. Two later cruises on USS Forrestal HS 11 first ASW on CVA Dec 69. USS Intrepid CVS 11 cruise 1971 Baltic Sea ops had USSR bear bombers fly overs. Promoted to AWH 2 on Nov 1969. Took early out August 71 to finish URI BA hired by US Customs 1975 thru 2007. -

By Steven Brown, AD2, 1983-1988 - I sure was surprised to see Ed De Courts' post here. Hi De Court, do you remember me? Unlike Ed I was what was know as a Sand Crab ie: shore based, no deployments. Yes HS-1 was a RAG squadron which I always thought meant replacement air group but according to another post-perhaps not. We were a training outfit to train Pilots and crew various things such as: Anti Submarine Warfare (ASW), Search and Rescue (SAR), familiarization of the H-3 for new pilots, logistics, VIP transport, torpedo recovery, air and ground operations, and a few other things. We also did primary SAR at times for the Jacksonville area when needed. Also we trained pilots and crew from other nations such as Canada, Great Briton, and S. Korea although not many. My primary duty was flight line supervisor which entailed overseeing a crew of about 15-20 junior personnel in the execution of their duties of launching and recovering aircraft, daily turn-around inspections of aircraft, fueling of aircraft, washing of A.C., spotting of A.C., etc. As I remember our C.O. was one Captain Catone and X.O. LtCdr. mike Ryan. The Air Wing was commanded by RAdm. Paulson and included all the H-3 squadrons stationed at JAX and I think all the VP (P-3 Orions) stationed at JAX as well. All the helicopter squadrons at JAX were at the west end of the base along a tarmac and hangers that were arrayed parallel to the St. Johns river. Also in this area was rework facilities for A-7 and P-3 aircraft. These facilities were Known as NARF (Naval Air Rework Facility), the P-3 facility was somewhat hush-hush so I never poked around there but the A-7 one was a place where the airplanes were completely stripped down and rebuilt, all by civilians I might add. Yes the old sea plane ramps were there when I was, never used except by amorous turtles and being right on the the river we would see Manatees all the time. -

By Bob Armbrust AW2 1969 - Went to HS-1 in Key West for Aircrew training. Also attended Fleet Center School. Great Place. Great Duty! -




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Naval Sea King Helicopter Now at Pax Museum

Naval Sea King Helicopter Now at Pax Museum

29-May-15 - After five years of effort, the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum added a SH-3A Sea King helicopter to its fleet.


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YearsLocationICAO/FAA
1973/97NAS JacksonvilleKNIP
1970/73Quonset StateKOQU
1951/70NAS Key WestKNQX


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1951/57 S-55 H-19






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