Better Use of Money
Col. (Retired) Charles R. Rayl
Saturday, October 6, 2007
THE UH-1 Huey helicopter is a Viet Nam War veteran who was fortunate enough to survive the war to be displayed in a place of honor at the All Veterans Memorial.
She has a different paint scheme than when she flew in the Viet Nam War. She is what she is. She is a retired war bird on display. Many U.S. Army aviators have flown her. Many crew chiefs have maintained her. She needs to be honored with a regular good power wash cleaning to remove the leavings of her flying feathered friends. She can age with grace with her current paint.
Soldiers serving in America’s wars have been wounded and suffer from those wounds requiring medical care. The $50,000 requested from the federal government to restore the paint on the helicopter could be better spent by the Veteran’s Administration improving the lives of wounded soldiers, the real life and blood of war.
Col. (Retired) Charles R. Rayl
U.S. Army Master Army Aviator,
Air Cavalry Scout Helicopter Pilot, Viet Nam 67-68
Strong City
ghostrider22alpha (anonymous) says...
Dear Col. Rayl
You of all people should know that aircrews develope a special relationship with their aircraft, in the case of the "Huey" it saved more lives than I care to remember, personally it saved mine on 2 diffrent occassions, and I for one have a very special place in my heart for that aircraft and anything I can get done to improve it's apperance wont be enough, the money involved ($50,000) is not only for the "Huey" but also for an upgrade on the Veterans Memorial itself, please don't deny the Veterans that have paid the full price and the ones who are still with us their just and true right to have a Memorial that not only the people of Emporia and future Veterans can be proud of, but that Memorial and park are right now being honored by people from places you can't even imagine, and it can not only be a Memorial for the people of Emporia but for all Veterans no matter what part of this country they come from.
Jim Williams
1st Aviation Bgde
Ghostrider Vietnam 68-69//71-72
October 6, 2007 at 11:51 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Air crews do indeed form special relationships with specific types of aircraft. I remember how my husband felt about the "Huey" after being crew chief on three tours to Vietnam, and I can still remember the knot in my stomach everytime I watched the nightly news and looked for the call numbers on the tail. That familiar "wop-wop-wop" sound of the rotor blades still take me back when I hear it in movies today. $50,000 is the least we can spend for the honor we try to pay to those who have served this country. And there at the Veteran's Memorial, that honor is palpable. Have you felt it?
October 6, 2007 at 4:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jasper007 (anonymous) says...
I, too, was skeptical when I first heard about $50,000 for a paint job. Maybe I didn't "know the rest of the story." Not being a veteran, but from a family of them, I hold great pride and respect for those who are still here AND the ones that are "memories". My 14 year-old son has come to greatly respect and enjoy ALL Veterans and is always asking "What did grandpa do in the war?", "What did my uncles do?" We stay involved with all the Veterans affairs in Emporia and the surrounding area and take much pride in doing so. My opinion now of the $50,000? SHAME on me for not "listening", shame on you for not giving. Thanks to all VETERANS, KIAS/POWS!!!!
October 6, 2007 at 8:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
Give me $50,000 and I'll paint the tank while I'm at it. I too think the price is too high, but have to admit I was shocked to see Mr Rayl speak out against a Veteran project.
If everyone in Lyon Co donated $5 to the park, we would have 3x the $50k to make the park what it should be. I will gladly give $20 from my family of four, will you?
October 7, 2007 at 11:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Sure will, neighbor, just tell me where to send it.
October 7, 2007 at 3:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
abc123 (anonymous) says...
If they can raise that much money to save the Sertoma Train then why not this? Is the train even running........??
October 7, 2007 at 3:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
theNewKid (anonymous) says...
Yes, my 3 year old rode the train this afternoon, after a stroll through the zoo and before the rain.
October 7, 2007 at 8:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bnewell (anonymous) says...
Mr. Rayl, I commend you for your opinion on this subject and I agree with you completely. That helicopter is an incredible sight to behold, high on that pedestal in the Veteran's Memorial Park. I loved your line, "She is what she is." That is so true!! She belongs to no one . . . and to everyone. She is no one's property, yet is there for some of you to remember and all of us to honor. Many people flew her, many people maintained her, she protected many Veteran's lives and many local people spent a couple of years going through the channels to get her where she is now - in the All Veteran's Memorial in Emporia, Kansas, where she graces the park for all of us to marvel at and enjoy. She does need a good power-washing, and I know there are many of us that would be happy to make that happen on a regular basis. But I agree that's all she needs. We don't need to dismantle her and move her somewhere to be painted or refurbished - no matter how much it does or does not cost. I believe the real issue is not the money at all. It is the fact that she "ain't broke" the way she is, so let's give her a bath and quit trying to "fix her."
October 9, 2007 at 6:46 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MelissaE (anonymous) says...
I spoke with a lifetime friend of mine (a Vietnam Vet) regarding this issue--I happened to be home visiting this past weekend and I showed him this article.
His opinion was that the $50k might as well go to the helo because, in reality, $50k to the VA does not go to the actual soldiers/sailors/airmen/marines. It goes to overhead.
So, after he explained that to me, and knowing what kind of crap my family (my husband and myself) would be in should my husband be sitting in a VA hospital, I tend to agree. The VA is nothing but a hassle.....they claim to be for the vets but it's a lot of nonsense. Most of the VA's money is NOT going to the vets.
***I would like to say that I was on the fence about this until I asked my friend what his opinion was--and his opinion was certainly NOT one that I had thought of before he answered.***
M
October 9, 2007 at 9:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ghostrider22alpha (anonymous) says...
You are not confused kstrebuchet, but I will try to explain a few things,, First and foremost, there is no $50,000 yet, it is a grant that has been applied for and it may be awhile before it comes thru. Second we (the three veterans involved) are outsiders, we have nothing to say as to how the project is completed, that is up to the Veterans Memorial Committee, Thirdly, we were told of some improvements that the Veterans Committee, would like to accomplish in the future, we included those improvement projections in the grant application when we applied.
Fourth, We know better than anyone that the "Huey" dosen't belong to us, it belongs to the people of Emporia and to all Veterans where ever the may be.
Fifth, we three veterans have no agenda, save to help pay back to the city of Emporia for treating us on Memorial day last, with a great amount of respect and dignity, and to make and old friend of ours (The Huey) take on a new look and to give it the dignity it deserves for saving our lives and countless others.
We don't expect everyone to understand how we feel, but at least respect how we feel, as I said we are outsiders, however we feel a very special connection to Emporia and its people.
I hope I have explained well enough to take away some of the confusion...
October 9, 2007 at 9:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ghostrider22alpha (anonymous) says...
This is a clarification of a comment made about the money coming from the VA. Let me state here and now and for future reference the grant that is applied for, has never, nor will it ever involve the VA. I learned a long time ago not to depend on them for much of anything....
October 9, 2007 at 9:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Paccifier (anonymous) says...
Probably does not make any difference, but as Mr. Rayl says, the paint pattern is not that which the copter wore in Viet Nam, and this is a Viet Nam memorial portion of the All Veterans Memorial. That being said, you could put three pictures of Hueys in paint patterns of different service eras in front of me, and I couldn't pick one from another, so it probably is not important to be historically accurate anyway. It might be nice to know just how the $50,000 would be spent, beyond the paint. If the grant has already been appled for, it's beyond our opinions anyway.
October 10, 2007 at 8:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Hey Neighbor,
I made out my check this morning, and I'm sending it to those kids in Olpe Junior High who have made it their class project to amass funds for the Vets Memorial. The story about the class project is elsewhere in the forum. Just wanted to let you know that I meant what I said about supporting the memorial.
October 10, 2007 at 10:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
neighbor (anonymous) says...
Plan on doing the same Create, read the article last night.
October 10, 2007 at 11:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
admireed (anonymous) says...
Take the $50M out of free healthcare for illegals
October 10, 2007 at 3:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
Knock it off admireed and get out your checkbook.
October 10, 2007 at 5:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
midnight_rider (anonymous) says...
Let's just stop for a minute and take a walk down memory lane. And I welcome anyone who wants to correct me on any of this as long as they are nice about it.
Back in the 1950's the Sherman tank was given to the City of Emporia and placed in Soden's Grove. The poor tank sat there for years. Kids got into her and destroyed the inside and every time the river rose she got flooded.
Then in the 1990's the state came through and wanted to move the highway. But to put in the new bridge and highway, they had to move the tank. So she got moved to the other side of the highway. I am not real sure where it all came from, either the state or the city, but there was money/funding to move the tank. Either way it was government money. And that is basically the beginning of the All Veterans Memorial.
The Memorial is for ALL Veterans, but it is also for their children, grandchildren, Gold Star Mothers, and anyone else that want to honor and respect our Veterans. It amazes me that when someone wants to do something good for the city - people jump in and start stirring up trouble. Just like Rayl and bnewell. Why do people want to take the easy way out and just give the Heuy a "good old wash job." She deserve more than that. We should be proud of our Veterans Memorial and want it to look the best it can. I for one am in support of the project and will gladly donate to the cause.
October 11, 2007 at 2:19 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
According to snake: "I just been sitting back reading some of your dumb@ss comments, and was waiting till someone said something about me..."
Incredible arrogance. Just another orphan of wisdom. Tre is right, people like you who crave attention are never far away. That's the way of the bully, after all. Who died and appointed you chief thinker and head of criticism? Yeah, you have a right to speak your opinion, snake, but be careful when you speak for others. "... the vets dont want to read what you have to say..."
And keep the profanity to yourself. Learn to speak your language and you won't need it.
October 12, 2007 at 9:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )