A group of Delaware veterans are restoring a combat-zone helicopter as a way to honor the fallen soldiers of the Vietnam War.
WBOC reported that the Delaware Vietnam Veterans of America recently acquired a UH-1 helicopter, also known as "Huey," which was used during the Vietnam War to rescue injured soldiers from the war zone. It took years for the group to find a Huey, because although hundreds were initially produced, only a small amount of remain.
"Once I seen it, it brought back a lot of memories," Joe Startt Jr., a Vietnam veteran who was saved by one of these helicopters during the war, told the news source. "My last ride was horizontal and I want to sit vertical up in this thing one time."
The helicopter is currently being refurbished so it can be placed as a Vietnam memorial at the Kent County Veterans Memorial Park in the upcoming months. According to Delaware Vietnam Veterans of America website, the group is hoping to hold a dedication ceremony for the memorial March 30, which is Vietnam Veterans Day.
About 2.7 million Americans served in the military during the Vietnam War, according to the National Vietnam Veterans Foundation.