It was a war more than 50 years ago, halfway around the world. But, for some of those who served in Vietnam, it feels like it was just yesterday.
One of the most distinctive sounds was the whomp-whomp-whomp of the Huey helicopters which were the workhorses of the war. A group of Vietnam veterans is trying find a permanent place to display the Huey it’s had on loan from the government for three decades. It’s currently in a storage yard.
"It brings back memories of when we did it for real," said Joe Danely. We’re sitting in the cockpit of the Huey with Danely, who flew two tours in Vietnam. "It doesn't feel bad...no flashbacks yet."
The Santa Barbara man flew Hueys from 1965 to 1968, often dropping off and picking up ground troops in hot zones, under fire. They had a crew of four, and could carry about a dozen troops. In Vietnam, they also were used to fly in everything from ammunition to beer for ground soldiers.
"It seems like you remember the good times, mostly, but there were a few hairy spots," said Danely. "I was so glad that I was flying...I have a lot of respect for the ground pounders (the foot soldiers)."
It’s the kind of helicopter associated with movies about Vietnam. And, the odds are good you have seen a Huey, because for years, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties have used some of the surplus helicopters for firefighting, and public safety missions.
The Santa Barbara Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America got its Huey, which can’t fly anymore, in the 1990’s.
"The bird is loaned to you...you don't own it, you don't get to keep it," said Peter Bie, who is the President of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 218. "The bird always belongs to the Army."
The military has told the group has to find a public place where it can be on permanent, accessible display. Many other organizations want Hueys, so if the Santa Barbara veterans can't find a place for it, they will lose it.
For Bie, Hueys also have a special meaning.
"I flew with the First Air Cavalry from July of 68 to March of 69...I was a door gunner...so my position was on the right hand side of the bird, on a machine gun as we went in and out of different areas," he said.
Hap DeSimone of Santa Barbara was a radioman in a Huey in 1969 and 1970. He was hit in the head by shrapnel during a mission, ironically while on the ground in a combat zone, but he recovered.
"I'm in love...I want to kiss it," said DeSimone as he looked at the Huey. "If you saw a helicopter, it meant something, deep and visceral. It meant that someone's life was not going to end possibly."
Ric Pearson was an Army intelligence officer who frequently rode in Hueys while on missions. "It brings out a flood of memories," said Pearson.
Ed Foster is another member of the veterans group. He flew Cobras, which were the gunship helicopters that supported the Hueys on their missions. He helped find a place on Santa Barbara’s Eastside where the helicopter is being safely stored, out of public view.
But, he’s hopeful they can find a place like a park where it can be permanently displayed for everyone to see.
"It cannot be mobile, so we can no longer take it to parades...it has to be a static display," said Foster.
Bie said there’s another factor. Members of the group are getting older, and they want to insure the chopper has a good home after they are gone.
"This group of veterans is aging out, and at some point we're not going to be around to take care of the bird," said Bie. "It's such an iconic piece of the war, it deserves a good home."
Once the group finds a home for the helicopter, they are hoping to get community support for a campaign to move, mount, and restore it.
