American Huey preserving the
HISTORY of the BELL HELICOPTER
 
 
 
 
 
 
ARMY UH-1H # 70-16369

Transferred 1976

Arrived 1971

Transferred 2005

 
 
1971 -  Delivered to the U.S. Army and assigned to the 498th Medical Company, 369 would fly as an Air Ambulance "Dustoff" aircraft. The 498th was deployed as a company to Vietnam in 1965 and returned to the U.S. (Ft. Jackson, South Carolina) by 1972. We look forward to meeting anyone who knew her! 
 
1976 -  Transferred to the 3/507th Medical Company, Fort Hood, Texas, where she continued her Medevac tradition in the state of Texas, where she was born.
 
1980 -  Transferred to the Army National Guard, Decatur, Illinois, where devoted maintenance personnel kept her airworthy and air crews remained proficient in their flying skills.
 
1995 -  Transferred to the Army National Guard, North Canton, Ohio, where her career in the Military would come to an end.
 

2001 - Like most Army Hueys, "369" was retired by the Army to make way for the new Sikorsky UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopter and was transferred by the General Services Administration (GSA) to the state of Maine. For the next four years, "369" would be maintained by a Not for Profit search and rescue organization, DEEMI (Down East Emergency Medicine Institute).  DEEMI currently flys a former Army UH-1H Helicopter in the the state of Maine.

 

2005 -  American Huey"369" was acquired from DEEMI and her new owners trailered her 1,300 miles from Bangor, Maine, to her new home in Peru, Indiana. Her members have preserved her to flight condition in her hanger/museum, so she may educate current and future generations to the history of THE AMERICAN MADE HUEY!

 
 
 
 
 
  Army UH-1H # 63-08803
 
 

Arrived 1965

 

Transferred 1967

 
 
1964 - Delivered to the U.S. Army Fort Benning, GA
 
1965 - Arrived in Vietnam September 1965, 1st Cav., 15th Med. BN.(APO 96490). Flew as a Medevac Air Ambulance for the first two years in Vietnam.
 
1967 - Transferred to Soc Trang, to the 336th Assault Helicopter Company (Warriors and T-Birds) "Warrior 11" flew as a slick.
 
1968 - On March 8, 1968, crash landed in a burning LZ, skids ripped off, A.C. shut down, restarted and flown 45 minutes back to Soc Trang and landed on sand bags Click here to view photos. Later that month 803/Warrior 11 would be shipped back to ARADMAC, N.A.S., Corpus Christie, Texas, for complete overhaul repairs and inspections (completed September 13, 1968).
 
1969 - Transferred back to Fort Benning, Georgia.
 
1972 - Converted from a D model to an H model
 
1976 -  Transferred back to AASF1 MA (Otis ANGB) where she would fly for the next 18 years in the Massachusetts Army National Guard. We thank all the men and women who spent 18 years maintaining and flying her. Honorably we mention; Bruce Martin, A. Tavilla, David Karakeian, Richard R. Mogeau, Richard Lothrop, Larry Mayer, Anthony Mimmo, David A. Carvalho, James D. McCabe, Henry W. Brilliant, Andy Chamarro and many more!
 
1995 - Retired by the Army she was released to the state of New York GSA and was transfered to the Burgard Vocational High School in Buffalo, New York. Principal Thomas P. Kopera, Congressman John LeFalce, his daughter and her husband Michael Barnes (instructor), would be responsible for 803's acquisition and future care. Click here to view photo.  Eight years later, this rich in history Huey would be donated to the Niagara Aerospace Museum, Niagara Falls, New York.
 

2005 - Thanks to Mr. Raymond T. O'Keefe (Executive Director of Niagara Aerospace Museum) and his committed board members, this great Icon, this three-year Vietnam Veteran Huey, this Medevac 1st Cav-15th Med BN/336th AHC Warrior 11, this 18-year MA AANG Iroquois would be donated and rescued from the outdoors by the members of American Huey 369!
 
2005 - 2007 Restored as a static display and trailered to various Vietnam Veterans events, 803/Warrior 11 would give thousands of Veterans/Patriots the opportunity to see, touch and sit in her sacred airframe. Click here to view photos in gallery.
 
IMPORTANT - After achieving our goal of the restoration of 369 back to flight, the decision was made in October 2007 to restore 803/Warrior 11 back to flight as well. Your membership/donation helped guarantee this monumental task!
 
2007 - 2009 After 18 months and several work weekends,  803/Warrior 11 would take to the skies again!  On July 16th, 2009,  803/Warrior 11  completed it's ground and flight M.O.C.'s (maintenance operation checks) at the hands of Mr. Paul Wheeler, our own Vietnam Army Maintenance check pilot. This monumental task was made possible by our Veterans, members, donors, sponsors and our very experienced maintenance personnel.  On July 17th, 2009, 803/Warrior 11 would join American Huey 369 in their first official formation flight to Thunder Over Michigan at the Willow Run Airport in Belleville, Michigan. Both aircraft will educate future generations for years to come! 
 
 
 
 
 
U.S. Army UH-1B 64-14049
 
 
Image result for 282nd alleycats
 
 
1965 - Purchased in June 1965 by the United States Army as a gunship. She was sent to Fort Knox for training at the gun range in Kentucky, with her first crew chief Chuck Jones and, was assigned to the 229th AVN BN 1st Cav. Div., Vietnam. She was in the battle of the Ia Drang at LZ-XRAY. Providing covering fire as the Hueys came in and out of the LZ. Which was made famous by the movie "We Were Soldiers". Shortly after that she became a "Smiling Tiger" with the 229th. Having trouble designing the artwork for the "Smiling Tiger". Walt Disney was contacted to see if he would do the artwork for the "Smiling Tiger". They did not hear form Walt Disney for a long time and thought he was not able to do the artwork. But one day a package showed up with the artwork you see today for the "Smiling Tiger" done by Walt Disney.
 
1968 - Sometime in August she was transferred to B Troop, 1st Squad, 9th Cavalry. In Vietnam.
 
1969 - She was transferred to the 282nd Assault Helicopter Company. She is now an "Alley Cat". In Vietnam.
 
1970 - She was again transferred to Company A of the 335th Assault Helicopter Company. She stayed with the "Cowboys-Falcons" until her Vietnam service ended in January of 1971
 
1971 - She returned to the United States in February and went to the Bell Helicopter Overhaul/Mod. Facility in Amarillo, Texas where she stayed until the end of 1972.
 
1973 - 1983 - Served in (4) guard units: Helena, MT., Tacoma, WA., Reno, NV. and Lexington, OK. where upon arrival parts were removed for their other aircraft. Soon after she was mounted on a trailer and shipped up to Fort Smith, AR. to the urban warfare school where she would be a mobile static trainer for grunts to jump on and off of . Years later she would be shipped to the boneyard in Tuscan, AZ and later be traded by the Army Museum System to a civilian broker who sold it to a customer in Northern CA. After sitting for several years, it would be sold to another broker who would later trade it to Scott's Helicopters in LaSeuer MN. Thanks to the owner, Scott Churchill, a couple years later our organization would aquire her along with another B-Model, 61-701. Her restoration would begin in November 2011 and thanks to Vertical Lift Components her 6 year restoration would be completed in February 2017. She arrived back at her hangar in Indiana on February 26, 2017.
 
 
2017 - After a six-year restoration and donations in parts totaling $1.2 million. She flies again with her very first crew chief from 1965 Chuck Jones.
 
 
 
 
 
SACRIFICE IS MEANINGLESS WITHOUT REMEMBRANCE!
 
John and Alan Walker (brothers and business partners) of Peru, Indiana, are the founders of AMERICAN HUEY "369" and are committed to remembering our Veterans and the Huey aircraft they depended on while in Vietnam.  John was a U.S. Marine Corp helicopter pilot and Captain who flew the UH-1E and UH-1L model Huey, first in flight school and would later be assigned to the HMH-361 squadron to fly the Sikorsky CH-53 helicopter. Alan, an example of a Great Patriot who did not serve but has always supported the troops, excels in his Management and Human Relations skills.
 
As Proof of this Organizations commitment to Preserve, Educate and Pay Tribute to our Veterans, the following has been acquired:
 
1.   1 UH-1B, 1 UH-1C, 9 UH-1H, 1 UH-1E BELL ARMY "HUEY" 2 AH-1F COBRA, 1 TH-13 (BELL 47) Helicopters and 1 OH-6 Loach all Vietnam era vintage with combat history.
 
2. A "Temporary" Museum/Hangar located at 1697 W.Hoosier Blvd. (Hanger 11), Grissom Aeroplex, Peru, Indiana 46970.
 
3. (34) acres of commercial land across from Grissom Air Reserve Base which is the future site for the building of the "National American Huey History Museum".
 
4.  3.4 Million dollars raised of our (4) four million dollar goal for the building of the "National American Huey History Museum".
 
5. A  40x60 foot Restoration Hangar in Peru. Our original Hanger
 
6. A 60X140 foot storage building located on the property of the "National American Huey History Museum"
 
7. Many Vietnam vintage vehicles and artifacts.
 
8. An ever growing library of books, pictures and movies that will help tell the Vietnam War story.
 
Since beginning this project in 2004, thousands of hours of  restoration work and thousands of conversations with Veterans, their families and the general public (most of whom are now members of AMERICAN HUEY 369 ORGANIZATION), all agree and  recognize the AMERICAN HUEY HELICOPTER to be the ICON of all Helicopters and the most POWERFUL SYMBOL of the Vietnam War. In just 18 short years American Huey 369 Organization has grown to over 25,400 members with over 200 core volunteers and aircrew.
 
 ALL PATRIOTS ARE WELCOME!
TO ALL VETERANS THANK YOU!
AND
WELCOME HOME!
 
ANYONE CAN BE A MEMBER!
 

 

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