Its official name was the sea horse, but they called the big helo the Dog. Not because it flew like one but because you'll never get a Marine to call any weapon by the name the Corps gives it. Marines use the phonetic alphabet in radio communication, replacing letters with words, and in the Korean War, well before today's NATO-compatible alfa, bravo, charlie, delta for A, B, C, D, they used able, baker, charlie, dog. Because it was the D model of the Sikorsky H-34, the UH-34D came by its nickname honestly. The Dog I met is one of two still flying in a coat of flat Marine green. Its owner is James Moriarty, a dogged, wealthy Houston lawyer. "I sue big companies that cheat people," he says with in-your-face pride. "Erin Brockovich is my hero."
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