The Bell UH-1 helicopter widely used in Vietnam was nicknamed the Huey. Its official US military name was Iroquois, but soldiers almost universally used the shorter nickname.
The name Huey came from the aircraft’s original designation, HU-1. In 1962, the US military changed the designation to UH-1 under a standardized system, but the nickname had already become firmly established. Bell even began placing the word Huey on some helicopter components.
In Vietnam, UH-1s performed many different jobs. They transported troops, carried supplies, evacuated wounded personnel, rescued isolated units, supported reconnaissance teams, and served as armed gunships. Medical evacuation Hueys became especially associated with the term “Dustoff,” while troop-carrying versions were sometimes called “Slicks.”
The Huey was not the same aircraft as the Black Hawk, Chinook, or Cobra. The Black Hawk replaced many Army UH-1s decades later, the Chinook is a heavy-lift helicopter, and the Cobra was a dedicated attack helicopter developed partly from Huey technology. More than 7,000 UH-1s served in Vietnam.