The 581st ARC in Korea

The above pictures are courtesy of Ensley Sisk. The top picture is the 581st crew, the next picture is one of the unit tents that burned when an oil heater overheated. The two on the bottom are of Ensley.

I left the states in May 1952 came back home in 1953. We were the 581st Air Resupply & Communications Wing (ARC). Our H-19s were the first in Korea. The Army 3rd Air Rescue Unit had some Bells. We were all stationed at K-16.

When we left Mt. Home Idaho our orders stated that we were going to Hawaii with 5,000 from our outfit. We loaded on the ship in San Francisco California in the evening. By midnight half of the troops were seasick. We left the bay the next morning.

When we arrived in Hawaii our small group of helicopter mechanics was called aside and was told that our orders were changed and we were not to unload. We went on to Japan and was told the same thing there by the Captain and we proceeded to Korea where the Captain said he had no orders for us, but the ship was picking up Army that was returning to the USA and we were not going.

We caught a ride to K-16 knowing they had helicopters. The 3rd Air Rescue welcomed us but we still had no orders. We worked on Bell Helicopters, and SA-16 Seaplanes. In about two months some Air Force Officers (our pilots) showed up. We still had no H-19's.

Finally we received word that we were to fly to Japan and pick up four H-19s and returned to K-16. Our work at K-16 consisted of dropping spy's and picking up spy's; dropping leaflets and picking up downed pilots behind the 38th parallel (our H19s had instruments where the Bells was flown by the seat of the pants. Nine of us enlisted guys spent about 10 weeks with no orders or no supervision. No wonder it took us so long in Korea. (Ensley Sisk)

To read more about the 581st check here
http://www.arcassn.org/581-helicopters.html