Macon. On 15 July 1966, during the first day of Operation Hastings, HMM-265 had two of its helicopters crash. The first crash was caused when a CH-46A struck a tree during the initial insert of Marines from 3rd Battalion, 4th Marines and the second occurred later that evening when aircraft EP-171 was hit at by 12.7 mm fire resulting in the death of 13 Marines. In November the squadron supported Operation Prairie. On 12 July 1967, the squadron became the Special Landing Force (SLF) helicopter squadron embarked aboard the . As the SLF squadron, they were tasked with conducting heliborne search and destroy missions against Viet Cong targets along the coast. During this time, five major operations were conducted: Bear Chain/Fremont, Beacon Guide, Kangaroo Kick, Beacon Gate and Cochise. On 23 August the squadron was assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 36 (MAG-36)at MMAF. On 16 October the squadron was transferred back to MAG-16. In late December the squadron supported Operation Auburn. On 15 June a squadron detachment went onboard as the SLF Bravo helicopter squadron, with the entire squadron moving to USS Tripoli on 7 July. On 19 August the squadron return ashore from SLF duty and was assigned to MAG-16. On 30 September it was assigned to MAG-36. On 11 October, while supporting Operation Maui Peak, a UH-34D from HMM-362 flew into the bottom of a squadron CH-46 causing both to crash with no survivors. The squadron resumed duties as the SLF squadron aboard in late May 1969. They conducted amphibious raids in support of Operations Bold Pursuit (27 June – 6 July), Mighty Play (10-20 July) and finally Defiant Stand (7-18 September). After three years in Vietnam, the squadron was relocated to Marine Corps Air Station Santa Ana, California on 7 October leaving their helicopters with other in-country squadrons. A total of twenty-seven HMM-265 Marines perished in the war. HMM-265 was rebuilt using a few squadron personnel returned from Vietnam and the Marines of HMM-301. The squadron was deactivated on 13 November 1970. Reactivation in 1977 On 1 September 1977, the squadron was reactivated at Marine Corps Air Station Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Donald Klingler, reestablishing a presence in the Pacific that continues to this day. On the day of reactivation, the squadron had no helicopters, and by December it was almost at a full strength of 4 CH-46Ds and 7 CH-46Fs. In