Copter is Going to the Birds
Vet seek federal funds to clean, paint, protect memorial
By Bobbi Mlynar
Friday, September 28, 2007
Three Vietnam veterans who served on the helicopter at the All-Veterans Memorial will be back in Emporia for Memorial Day 2008. Before they arrive, though, they are hoping for some help from the federal government to get the chopper cleaned and painted according to its original specifications.
One of the men, Ed Venable, talked about the goal in a recent telephone interview from his home in Merritt Island, Fla. Venable, who was the aircraft commander, came to Emporia with two other crew members — Jim Williams and Gary Hennessey — for Memorial Day ceremonies this year. The trio hopes to garner support from their own state legislators, as well as those in the Emporia area, to ask the Federal government to appropriate $50,000 for the project.
“They’ve (the crew members) got first-hand knowledge of costs of that nature ... so what you’re getting from us is a reasonably experienced guess at the max cost involved with that,” Venable said.
The costs for commercial-grade aircraft paint and paint contractors would be minimal to the federal government, he said.
“They wouldn’t even make earmark status, it’s so small,” Venable said of the request. “What we’re chasing is federal dollar. It’s a little complicated...”
State Sen. Jim Barnett has written letters to Sen. Pat Roberts and Reps. Jerry Moran and Sam Brownback, asking for support, and said that State Reps. Peggy Mast and Don Hill also are supporting the drive.
Venable said that the State of Utah is considering a request from Hennessey to contribute in some way to restoring the paint to specifications and letters have been sent to Arkansas and Florida state officials, too. Ron Whitney of the local Vietnam veterans association is working to find a paint contractor in this area to do the job. The helicopter crewmen have found the original specifications for painting the helicopter.
Venable said he also wants the chopper fitted with barriers to prevent birds from nesting in the cockpit. Evidence of their nesting currently is heavily concentrated in that area, according to photographs provided to Barnett.
The helicopter occupies a special place in the hearts of the three crewmen, Venable said; that is why they came to Emporia to see it in place in the Memorial. The men flew on the chopper in 1971 and 1972, when they were stationed in Ninh Hoa.
“The huey, we flew that in Vietnam with myself as the aircraft commander and Gary Hennessey as the crew chief,” he said. “It had the transmission shot out of it and almost killed us, frankly. It also crashed with us on board, and it accomplished every mission ever assigned it.”
After the crash, it was repaired and back in the air the following day. The reliability of the helicopter and its crew were something the company commander appreciated.
“He said he always gave us the lousy assignments because we always completed our mission and came back alive,” Venable said, adding that he has stayed in touch with their commander and will try to keep him apprised of what is happening here.
“What we plan on doing, if the money is granted, we will be there to initiate it. It is the City of Emporia’s responsibility. We are outsiders,” he said. “...We will come out there to help start the process, if required, and we will be back for the dedication and next Memorial Day.”
Venable reflected on his last experience in Emporia and said the men are looking forward to returning.
“No one knew us from Adam’s house cat but ... we were treated with kindness beyond anything I can tell you,” he said of the visit.
The helicopter is on loan from the Army Materiel Command, he said, and a certain amount of maintenance is required. It is something that the crew is willing to work toward achieving.
“That ship, that helicopter is ... like life to us and not many people, unless they’ve been in combat, can understand that,” Venable said. “That ship is like blood, it’s like life.”