NEOSHO, MO.--- "I did two tours to Southeast Asia, one was in 70-71 and then I went back in the end of 75," said Dr. William Doubek, Vietnam veteran.
During his years of service, Vietnam Veteran Dr. William Doubek was no stranger to helicopters.
"I've crashed in them a couple of times and I was just a passenger," said Dr. Doubek.
Crashing and surviving has left him with a special connection to military aircraft, especially this UH-1, or Huey as he calls it, on display in Morse Park. Doubek says it's difficult to see all of the damage the helicopter has endured from vandals through the years.
"They don't realize how many wounded or dead G.I.'s rode on a Huey," he said.
The helicopter was deeded to the city in 1997 and again in 2001. The city manager says a lot of people have probably seen it, but not many know why it's here.
"The story behind it is that there was an officer up in Washington D.C. whose mother lived in Neosho and they contacted the city to see if the city would be interested in putting up a display of a helicopter and the city agreed to it. That's kind of how it came to Neosho," said Troy Royer, Neosho City Manager.
In recent years, city leaders have looked into fixing up the helicopter, but a contract with the U.S. Army makes the repairs difficult.
"If there are broken windows, you can't just take a piece of Plexiglas and go out there to redo it. It has to be a military grade glass that goes back in it. Even painting it, you have to have the colors and the type of paint approved," said Royer.
Also, restoring the UH-1 would not be cheap.
"We are planning on doing some things to it, but it's just not an emergency need right now. We've got other things that are taking precedents over that at this point," said Royer.
Dr. Doubek says he would like to see the helicopter restored and rededicated. To him, the display is a symbol of appreciation for those who served in Vietnam.
"When you've been on one, when you've crashed in one, when you know people that were evacuated on them, it means a lot. It does bring back memories, some good, some sad, but even the sad memories are good memories because I'm one, I don't want to forget," said Dr. Doubek.
The city manager says they are considering moving the helicopter to the Neosho airport. However, it could be a lengthy process to get approval from the Army. If you would like to make a donation to help restore the Vietnam display, you're asked to contact Neosho City Hall.
- Source: http://www.fourstateshomepage.com
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