CH-46 Casevac Patch — Embroidered Patch The Phrog's Finest Hour Casualty evacuation wasn't a secondary mission for the CH-46 — it was the mission that defined the aircraft's legacy. This Casevac patch honors the Sea Knight crews who turned the Phrog into a flying ambulance, pulling wounded Marines from contested terrain across Vietnam and beyond. Every Phrog crew knew that the casevac call meant someone's life depended on how fast they could get wheels up. The CH-46 Sea Knight served as the Marine Corps' primary medium-lift helicopter for over four decades, but it was in the casevac role that the Phrog earned its deepest respect. In Vietnam, CH-46 crews flew into landing zones that were often nothing more than bomb craters or jungle clearings, hovering under fire while casualties were loaded aboard. The aircraft's rear loading ramp allowed rapid loading of stretcher cases, and its tandem-rotor design provided the stability needed for approaches into confined zones surrounded by tall canopy. Beyond Vietnam, the CH-46 continued its casevac mission through Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, Somalia, and into the early years of Iraq and Afghanistan before being replaced by the MV-22 Osprey. Generations of Marines owe their lives to the Phrog and the crews who flew her. Perfect For: CH-46 aircrew veterans, casevac and medevac crews, Phrog community members, Marine helicopter pilots, military medical aviation enthusiasts, and rotary-wing patch collectors When the call came, the Phrog answered.
