Marine Aircraft Group MAG-16 Throwback — USMC Embroidered Patch A Salute to the Originals Before the Ospreys and Super Stallions, there were UH-34s, CH-46 Sea Knights, and the Marines who rode them into the hottest landing zones in Vietnam. This throwback MAG-16 patch is a tribute to the pioneers of Marine rotary wing warfare — the crews who wrote the book on helicopter assault operations. This throwback design recalls the original MAG-16 insignia from the unit's formative years when Marine helicopter aviation was being invented in real time. Commissioned in 1952, MAG-16 was the very first helicopter group in the Marine Corps. By 1965, the group was flying combat missions out of Da Nang, supporting the 1st Marine Division, the 3rd Marine Division, and South Korean forces. MAG-16 devised revolutionary tactics like the Sparrow Hawk quick-reaction force and Night Hawk hunter-killer patrols. The group earned a Presidential Unit Citation, two Navy Unit Commendations, and two Meritorious Unit Citations for its Vietnam service. Perfect For: MAG-16 Vietnam veterans, CH-46 and UH-34 aircrew, Marine Corps aviation historians, throwback patch collectors, and anyone honoring the roots of Marine rotary wing warfare. The Originals.
