Army Aviation was ready to come of age when the fighting broke out in Korea. Teaming up its past-proven, highly successful fixed-wing aircraft with the versatile helicopter – seemingly designed especially for the rugged terrain encountered in Korea – Army Aviation displayed new and outstanding capabilities which firmly established it as a vital part of any armed force.
In addition to the WWII-proven L-4s and L-5s, the Army employed the 0-1 Bird Dog and other improved fixed wing planes, but also helicopters. The Army used its H-13s and H-23s primarily for medical evacuation, command and control, and transport of lightweight and valuable cargo - one medical group alone (the 30th), with only 18 two-place helicopters, evacuated over 20,000 casualties during the war. In the last few months of the war, the first two cargo helicopter companies became available in Korea, the 6th and the 13th, and with their 21 H-19 helicopters, proved themselves invaluable in evacuating wounded and supplying units on the front.
The Army emerged from the Korean War with the realization that Army Aviation possessed that capability of revolutionizing many of the techniques of tactical employment.
