‘Sundown’ ceremony for Sea Stallions in Hawaii - Marine Corps News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Marine Corps Times

‘Sundown’ ceremony for Sea Stallions in Hawaii

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — A Marine Corps helicopter will be making its last flight before it is put on display in a Hawaii museum.

A “sundown” ceremony is being held Friday at the Pacific Aviation Museum in Pearl Harbor for the CH-53D Sea Stallion helicopter.

It’s the same model that crashed in Afghanistan last month, killing six Hawaii-based Marines. Another CH-53D crashed and killed a Marine off Hawaii on March 29.

The Vietnam War-era helicopters are being retired from the Corps’ fleet. Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 362 will be the last squadron to fly the helicopters. After their Afghanistan deployment, the aircraft will be retired from service. Most will be transferred to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., while some may go into museums.