Vietnam War helicopter becomes art
NEW YORK (FOX 5 NY) - A helicopter shot down during the Vietnam War is now serving our heroes in a different way.
It's a story one must hear twice to believe.
“I stopped to tie my shoes and tuned into a news broadcast, and the lady was talking about an exhibit in the Marine Corp. Museum,” said David Adams, a Vietnam War vet, “She said it's a helicopter from Vietnam, medical evacuation shot down on Valentine’s Day 1969, and I said "whoa!"
Adams was as a member of the U.S. Army 15th Medical Battalion 1st Cavalry Division.
She had said from crew of five and three were rescued and two perished.
“What I said was sort of heck! That was my helicopter! My wife said she heard me three rooms away,” continued Adams.
Adams was determined to find that helicopter.
“Late that afternoon I found a cellphone number and called it. I said I’m your pilot. He said ‘good god I’ve been looking for you for two and a half years!’”
The story doesn't stop there.
This serves a healing helicopter in the sense it stimulates conversation and also honors those that served in the Vietnam War.
Inspired by what he called "found objects," artist Steve Maloney, a veteran himself, made it his mission to find a way to honor those that served in the Vietnam War.
He decided to do so by creating a piece of artwork out of that same Huey helicopter
“You'll see a car on there- you'll see a girlfriend, and then things get more serious, and you go toward the front and you see names of people who served in Vietnam along with their nicknames done in a graffiti style,” said Maloney.
Making its appearance on Veterans Day during the America’s parade up Fifth Avenue, the "Take Me Home Huey" also helped those dealing with post-traumatic stress.
“It's doing its job. A lot of them want to touch it, get close to it- almost hug it. I feel like they want to hug it,” said Maloney.
“To me, this is the proudest thing I’ve ever done,” he continued,
“It’s bigger than me. It's bigger than everyone and it's doing a tremendous job.”