Symbol of the Vietnam War era gets turned into monument to honor veterans

Lynn Harnden spent 1,200 combat hours in the cockpit of a Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter, known by its nickname “Huey” during the Vietnam War, and for many soldiers on the battlefield it was a welcomed sight to see one of them up in the sky providing air support or landing near a smoke signal for a swift rescue.

It has been 50 years since the Vietnam War ended, and the Huey was still a welcomed sight to behold in the small town of Baxter, Iowa. The helicopter was unarmed and unmanned, and although it didn’t look it from the outside it was sorely out of commission. Harnden made sure the chopper got one last fight.

Instead of piloting the Huey manually — which was impossible in its current state — he and the Baxter American Legion Post 493 spearheaded the fundraising to get the helicopter to be put on display on a raised platform, permanently in flight and overlooking other veterans memorials on the north end of Main Street.

Veterans set a goal for $75,000. In just 16 months, they exceeded their goal and were staring at a tried and true Huey being assembled on the streets of Baxter. It took a few hours for Midwest Aerospace to install the tailplanes, the main rotor and the tail rotor onto the body of the Huey, but it proved to an entertaining show.

Baxter residents unfolded their lawn chairs and sought shelter under the shade of downtown shops, enjoying bottled water and chips or the occasional ice cold beer from Baxter Family Market, the staff of which eventually grilled hotdogs for the hungry onlookers unwilling to give up their front row seats.

Harnden brought along a chair of his own, but most of the time the 90-year-old was on his feet admiring the aircraft and taking pictures with friends and family. The retired lieutenant colonel is a true Army man. By the time he made his first deployment to Vietnam in 1966 he was already in the Army for 15 years.

“I was an old man in Vietnam,” he told Newton News on Sept. 30. “Most of my pilots were like 19 years old. I went back for a second tour from 1969 to 1970.”

Seeing another Huey up close again reminds him of service and his experiences. His longest day flying lasted 11 hours and 15 minutes; he made 52 takeoffs and landings. It is hard to say how many people he picked up. He expects it had to be hundreds. There were so many missions, and it was so long ago.

For veterans, the Huey helicopter is not only a symbol of the Vietnam War, Harnden said it was regarded as a savior, a guardian angel. It was larger than any of the soap bubble canopy model helicopters at the time, allowing for medics to treat injured soldiers in need of emergency medical attention.

“Over 91 percent of the people we evacuated survived,” Harnden said. “From the time we got a call until we had the person picked up and on his way to help, it was 15 minutes or less. All of us monitored three different radios. Each radio had its own emergency frequency … Everybody was listening.”

Harnden could not help but stare at the helicopter when it was resting on the ground. Even with most of its hardware removed, it weighs about 4,000 pounds. When the aircraft was on active duty in Vietnam, it weighed considerably more. Harnden said it more than doubled its weight at 9,600 pounds.

As he watched the helicopter lift off the ground for the last time with the help of Dave’s Crane & Wrecker Service, Harnden couldn’t help but smile. It felt like a huge undertaking to get the helicopter to Baxter. When he initially saw the Huey pull down Main Street, he was overwhelmed with emotions.

“The enthusiasm and happy feelings and tears of joy,” he said. “I spent an important part of my life in this thing.”

It is an important part of living history, Harnden added, and its presence in Baxter may just reinforce the impact of the Vietnam War and those who fought it in. He hopes residents and visitors appreciate it in the years to come. He hopes it becomes an educational tool. And he hopes it inspires.

Surrounded by other memorials to veterans, the Huey helicopter monument is in good company to do just that. Greg Christianson, the longtime post commander of the Baxter American Legion, said when he first took on the leadership role there was only one flag pole and two walls of names honoring veterans.

Two more walls and two more flag poles were added. Then came the soldier statues. Funnily enough, it took longer — two to three years — for the Baxter American Legion to finish that project than it did to install the Huey. The mural is one of the newest additions to the corner memorials.

Silhouettes depict a soldier calling for help for another injured laying on the ground. Next to them is a nurse, which Christianson said is supposed to be local veteran Marta Ford, who was an active duty member of the Army Nurse Corps. Like Harnden, she retired a lieutenant colonel.

Above the silhouettes are Huey helicopters flying over the horizon. Christianson said these memorials in conjunction with their proximity to the Huey, the caboose and the Chichaqua Valley Trail, it ought to bring more people to town and enjoy the small town atmosphere and amenities.

“It’s a destination,” Christianson said.

John Holle of Baxter, who served in the Vietnam War from 1966 to 1967, had been watching the progress of the Huey monument since noon. He remarked that he got a ride in one once. Holle also thinks the memorial will not only honor veterans but also give folks a reason to come to Baxter more often.

“It’s going to bring in a lot of people and bring business in town,” Holle said.

By viewing the Huey for themselves, Christianson hopes visitors understand what was given and what was sacrificed for Americans to enjoy their freedoms.

“Like it says here, ‘All gave some, some gave all,’” Christianson said of the phrase included on one of the walls of the nearby memorials. “If they stand and look and read that and look at all the names, it surely should do something to them.”

Joe Giannini of Midwest Aerospace led a team of four — including himself — in constructing the final pieces to the Huey before it was anchored to its platform. Midwest Aerospace is based out of Lowell, Ind. and was founded by Giannini’s grandfather. It has been in business for almost 35 years.

Midwest Aerospace supplied Baxter with the Huey helicopter. Typically, the company sells and distributes hard-to-find parts for military aircraft in order to get as many back in the air as possible. But about once a year the company is called upon to do what they call a “static” job.

Instead of getting the aircraft ready to fly again, Midwest Aerospace prepares it for display purposes. Before the Huey was hoisted away, Giannini and his crew were wiping down windows and looking for any imperfections that needed fixed, like some extra paint on the ends of the rotor.

It is those small details that are important to Giannini, and they are indicative of a team and a company who are passionate about what they do.

“We have a lot of respect for the guys that served and the guys currently serving and a passion for the helicopter and what it stands for,” Giannini said. “That’s why we are one of few companies that are dong everything we can to keep them flying.”

Midwest Aerospace has installed another static exhibit in Treynor, Iowa. The main difference from that job is there was not as many people watching.

“Nobody came out except the guys from the American Legion,” he said. “You guys have the whole town here! It’s a little bit more stressful for us but it’s alright. We didn’t expect an audience but it’s OK. We’re proud of it and we want you guys to be proud of it, too. We’re proud of what it stands for.”