Saturday 8 Nov 2003 I will participate in an event at the local military base.
A UH-1 helicopter that had been parked on a display stand, had severely deteriorated in appearance over the years. I was asked by the Fort Wolters Chapter of the VHPA (I was jr member at large) to see about getting the aircraft repainted. Willie Mahan helped in my efforts by providing contact info and history. I contacted the base commander thru a retired US Army Brig. Gen. The base commander was delighted to help and assigned a Navy commander to the project and we were off and running. Because of my work with the National Vietnam War museum I got them to sponsor the work also. I used the VHPA data base to look up the aircraft history and found it was with the 187th AHC in it's first Vietnam tour.
I went to their website to find marking data and learned and by chance that they were going to hold their national reunion the weekend of veterans day in Fort Worth , Texas.
The base commander at the Fort Worth Naval base extended the invitation to them to participate in the dedication ceremony this coming Saturday. The Aircraft has been restored to the colors it wore in combat in Nam with the original Blackhawk patch on its nose. We will have the dedication in a huge hanger with a Navy Chaplin, a Marine honor guard trooping the colors, a huge American flag and podium. old US Army Helicopter 932 will be displayed along with an F-18.
The son of one of the chopper's original pilots now flies an F18 in the navy and just got back from the war so the F-18 tie in crosses services.
After the dedication we will have ' bug Juice and cookies' and several scores of Army Aviation soldiers will meet and greet and remember absent friends. In my speech, I will say that this is a dedication to those absent friends but it is also a celebration of survival. Both for us and the old war horse chopper.
I will also be thinking of the 119th unit mini in DC and thinking of our gators and crocs presenting Mark with the plaque for Gator 297.
And with that a year comes to an end.
^5 and slow Salute to all of you.
Bob T