The UH-1 Iroquois helicopter was officially retired in a ceremony held in Fort Myer on Oct. 2 by the Army National Guard, ending a service life of more than 50 years to the Army and close to 40 years in the Army Guard.

The helicopter, Huey, was first manufactured in 1956 and fielded to the Army by 1959. More than 15,000 of the aircraft were produced with about half that number having been flown during the Vietnam conflict.

“The UH-1, more than any other helicopter or any item of equipment, became the symbol of Vietnam,”said Major General Raymond Carpenter, acting director of the Army National Guard.

The Army Guard first began receiving the aircraft in the early 1970s and at one time the number of the Hueys in the ARNG hovered around 1,500.

The Huey was replaced by the UH-60 Black Hawk beginning in the late 1970s.

Though lacking the lift capabilities and speed of the Black Hawk, as well as the advanced electronic cockpit, many aviators were steadfast in their devotion to the Huey.