Aboard Army One

A quick trip was required by President Eisenhower. Depending on the story, it was either from Camp David to his summer home in Gettysburg, PA, The White House to Camp David, or from an event in New York State back to Air Force One. Whatever the story, on July 12, 1957, Eisenhower became the first president to travel by helicopter, a Bell H-13J Sioux.

At the time, helicopters were considered experimental, but they have been in limited use since at least 1947. Still, by 1957 the idea of helicopters for official use was personally pushed by President Eisenhower to the Secret Service. It would save time for small trips rather than the obtrusive motorcade and help make the president more accessible on short notice when needed.

After that first trip proved safe for the president, it was decided that the Army and the Marine Corp would both manage the presidential helicopter fleet as HMX-1 (Helicopter Marine Experimental established in 1947 to primarily test helicopters) with Army and Marine pilots alternating presidential travel. With an Army pilot the call sign would be Army One and with a Marine pilot it would be Marine One.

By 1976, though, the joint administration was less helpful to the command structure. Its told that the Commandant of the Marine Corps simply asked President Ford to take full command of HMX-1 and the president agreed. From then on, the Marine Corp took full command and the presidential helicopter became Marine One when the president was aboard.

Over time, the helicopter aesthetic became less basic military and more comfortable. Even a small bathroom was installed for comfort. This set of whiskey tumblers from the Nixon and Ford Administrations show that comfort was well established by 1971. Separately labeled items like matches, napkins, and glassware sporting the Army One tag and the presidential signature are actually quite scarce as they haven't been seen for the Johnson, Kennedy or Eisenhower administrations before them. After 1976 presidential items aboard the helicopter sports the tag Marine One and continue to this day.