Helicopter will serve as Sandpoint Vietnam memorial

SANDPOINT - With the helicopter secure as one of the Vietnam War's most iconic technologies, local veterans can't think of a better image to memorialize the conflict.

That's why they've purchased a military surplus H-34 helicopter.

A helicopter model that received extensive use during the war for reconnaissance, medical evacuation and troop transportation, the newly-purchased inoperable H-34 is ready to make its way from Everett, Wash., to Sandpoint.

Dubbed "Charlie" by the veterans that worked to acquire it, the vehicle might have suffered an ignominious end were it not for the efforts of former military pilot Bill Collier.

"I received an email from a pilot friend of mine in Texas about a bunch of these helicopters available for purchase," Collier said. "He said that the ones not sold by the end of the month would be shredded."

Charlie's basic hulk carried a price tag of $1,000. With all the extra parts included, the price jumped to $5,000. Finally, Collier figured that transportation, pedestal and repair costs would add on another $5,000. He committed himself to purchasing the helicopter as a memorial to Vietnam soldiers.

"I just sent out an email and the money started rolling in," he said. "It was amazing."

Donations arrived from local and out-of-state sources alike. At one point, an anonymous former Airborne walked into the Veterans of Foreign Wars hall, asked how much they needed to purchase Charlie. Three hours later, he returned and produced seven $100 bills.

"The fundraising efforts have been unusually quick for this kind of project," Collier said. "It's just been unbelievable."

But poor Charlie will require some rehabilitation before it's ready for the public. Many of the helicopter's parts, including its rotor blades and doors, will need to be re-attached. Fortunately, Charlie comes with all of its parts aside from tail rotor blades, a pilot's seat and, of course, an engine. After some tender loving care and perhaps a new coat of paint, the helicopter will be ready for display.

"It will be really cool to drag this thing through town for the Fourth of July parade," Collier said.

Before Charlie can make its glorious debut, however, it needs to make it to Sandpoint. Collier and his fellow veterans have traveled to Everett and made final arrangements. However, they're still weighing their transportation options. Acquiring a trailer that could accommodate the 36-feet long, 8-feet wide, 12-feet high helicopter would be the cheapest option, but thus far, no such trailer has presented itself.

Once Charlie arrives, the veterans are still determining a place to display it. They've considered locations like Memorial Park or the VFW Hall, but this too is still a matter of discussion.

Despite the work left in the project, the veterans are enthusiastic about Charlie's arrival.

"We can use it as a recruiting tool for our organization, and maybe even as a fundraising tool," Collier said. "This is just fun."

To contribute to the project, contact Collier at 597-0622. In the meantime, check out Collier's blog at http://dawgdriverforever.blogspot.com/ to keep up-to-speed on Charlie's progress.