The H-34 was originally developed to meet a U.S. Navy anti-submarine requirement. As the XHSS-1, the Navy prototype flew on March 8, 1954. Flight demonstration of the SHSS-1s performance, including the ability to carry sixteen passengers or eight stretchers in the cabin or a 5,000-pound load slung under the fuselage confirmed the U.S. Army's interest in the same basic type for which preliminary contracts had been placed in 1953. No prototypes were built for the Army, which accepted its first ten H-34s at Bridgeport, Connecticut in April 1955 and delivered them to a number of bases in the US for crew familiarization.

The USAF received (4)teen SH-34Js from Navy storage and were briefly assigned to USAF Reserve Units for search and rescue operations and were designated HH-34Js and retained their Navy Bureau serial numbers.

WR-ALC assumed logistics management responsibility for the H-34 in when they were transferred from the Navy. The helicopter on display was delivered to the US Navy in June 1961 and retired to storage in March 1969. The USAF returned this helicopter and thirteen others to USAF operational service for search and rescue duties. The helicopter on display last flew with the 301st Aerospace Rescue and Recovery Squadron (AFRES) at Homestead AFB, FL. It was transferred from the USAF Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH to the Museum of Aviation in 1984.