Veterans Fundraiser
Tax deductible
Please help us provide assistance for the 7000 Veterans in Hood Coounty. There are times vets need a break that cannot be provided by the VA or any other agency. This is where Mission Granbury steps up. They have provided everything from monetary assistance to having a starter installed for a vet in need. These are guys that stepped up for their country and now some, by no fault of their own, need a helping hand without the Government red tape.
We feel that by putting a Huey on display for all to see, hear and touch it will be cathartic for the Vets and families. It's a great icon of the Viet Nam war and draws crowds wherever they are on display. This one will fly in and land at the courthouse square in Hood County. The publicity alone should draw an even larger crowd than our yearly car show. This should help our silent auction and donations throughout the day.
In July 2015 a friend of mine from the unit I was in in Vietnam, contacted me and asked if I would take a look at a helicopter that was purported to have been in our unit in Vietnam. I was one of the few that kept a logbook of my actions with aircraft numbers and flight times. After checking my logbook, it was confirmed that I flew that particular aircraft on several occasions in 1969 and 1970. At the time it was in our unit, it was brand new from Fort Worth, TX. As such, the commanding officer fancied it as his aircraft to be used on VIP flights. Later in 1970 it was used to support the 5th Special Forces on a mission called "Sigma Operation".
In August 2015 I met the present owner of the aircraft, Bobby Hawk. It has been refurbished and restored to near new condition. Upon further inspection, there are probably thousands of signatures of Vietnam Vets all over the aircraft. While sitting there in the pilots seat I watched as Vets filed past patting the old girl with tears in their eyes. Most if not all were suffering from PTSD. It was almost cathartic for them to touch the helicopter, to place their hand on her and for a second they were transported to a place and time some 45 to 50 years ago. As they thanked me for my service the giant lump in my throat almost prevented me from thanking them also.
The Huey is a symbol of the war in Viet Nam. The very sound of the Huey flying by floods our memory banks with good times and bad times. No other war can be identified by a sound as acutely as the sound of a Huey. Whether we were bringing a hot meal or extracting them from a hot Landing Zone, the sound of those blades meant we were on the way.
Only pilots will volunteer to place their crew and equipment in harms way every time they launch. You never knew if you were going to return to base that day or not. We all had that infamous letter in our foot locker to our families.
The Huey serves as the very symbol of Vietnam. To troops on the ground, it was the sound of rescue, assistance, reinforcement. No other American war has such a stark aural and visual icon as the Huey. Now, Hawk has found a way to deliver it directly to veterans, allowing them to touch, hear and see their guardian angel once again.
Bobby Hawk provides the aircraft for Veterans. He considers himself and Jim Skinner the caretakers of the old girl allowing all veterans a chance to once more sit in the door gunner's seat, pilot seat, crew chief nest and passenger area and show their loved ones their view of the world for 365 days.
Bobby just spent about $300,000 on new rotor blades and rotor head. He can no longer afford to fly the aircraft to these events on his own dime. The aircraft costs about $3000/hr to operate.
The Brazos River Corvette Club has had a Corvette "Show on the Square" for the past 12 years. Each new year we choose a new charity to support. We have given over $50,000 to the community while providing Granbury and Hood County with a very respected charity event. This year it is on October 14,2017
our charity is Mission Granbury/ Veterans branch ( https://www.missiongranbury.org/).
. Bobby Hawk has graciously committed to using his Huey as a center piece for our event. I just need to find a way to pay his fuel bill without having to sell my truck.
The aircraft will be placed on the square next to all the Corvettes. Veterans and gearheads alike can stop by and see and touch a piece of history. Viet Nam Vets are encouraged to sign their name and continue this tradition. We have special gifts for the first 50 Vets that stop by.
Our goal is $5000 but if we go over our goal, the excess can be used to provide Vets with "just one more ride" and one of our door gunners put it. If the money is in excess of the goal by a larger amount, it will go in the fund to Mission Granbury/ Veterans and will be used for Hood County Vets in need.
We feel that by putting a Huey on display for all to see, hear and touch it will be cathartic for the Vets and families. It's a great icon of the Viet Nam war and draws crowds wherever they are on display. This one will fly in and land at the courthouse square in Hood County. The publicity alone should draw an even larger crowd than our yearly car show. This should help our silent auction and donations throughout the day.
In July 2015 a friend of mine from the unit I was in in Vietnam, contacted me and asked if I would take a look at a helicopter that was purported to have been in our unit in Vietnam. I was one of the few that kept a logbook of my actions with aircraft numbers and flight times. After checking my logbook, it was confirmed that I flew that particular aircraft on several occasions in 1969 and 1970. At the time it was in our unit, it was brand new from Fort Worth, TX. As such, the commanding officer fancied it as his aircraft to be used on VIP flights. Later in 1970 it was used to support the 5th Special Forces on a mission called "Sigma Operation".
In August 2015 I met the present owner of the aircraft, Bobby Hawk. It has been refurbished and restored to near new condition. Upon further inspection, there are probably thousands of signatures of Vietnam Vets all over the aircraft. While sitting there in the pilots seat I watched as Vets filed past patting the old girl with tears in their eyes. Most if not all were suffering from PTSD. It was almost cathartic for them to touch the helicopter, to place their hand on her and for a second they were transported to a place and time some 45 to 50 years ago. As they thanked me for my service the giant lump in my throat almost prevented me from thanking them also.
The Huey is a symbol of the war in Viet Nam. The very sound of the Huey flying by floods our memory banks with good times and bad times. No other war can be identified by a sound as acutely as the sound of a Huey. Whether we were bringing a hot meal or extracting them from a hot Landing Zone, the sound of those blades meant we were on the way.
Only pilots will volunteer to place their crew and equipment in harms way every time they launch. You never knew if you were going to return to base that day or not. We all had that infamous letter in our foot locker to our families.
The Huey serves as the very symbol of Vietnam. To troops on the ground, it was the sound of rescue, assistance, reinforcement. No other American war has such a stark aural and visual icon as the Huey. Now, Hawk has found a way to deliver it directly to veterans, allowing them to touch, hear and see their guardian angel once again.
Bobby Hawk provides the aircraft for Veterans. He considers himself and Jim Skinner the caretakers of the old girl allowing all veterans a chance to once more sit in the door gunner's seat, pilot seat, crew chief nest and passenger area and show their loved ones their view of the world for 365 days.
Bobby just spent about $300,000 on new rotor blades and rotor head. He can no longer afford to fly the aircraft to these events on his own dime. The aircraft costs about $3000/hr to operate.
The Brazos River Corvette Club has had a Corvette "Show on the Square" for the past 12 years. Each new year we choose a new charity to support. We have given over $50,000 to the community while providing Granbury and Hood County with a very respected charity event. This year it is on October 14,2017
our charity is Mission Granbury/ Veterans branch ( https://www.missiongranbury.org/).
. Bobby Hawk has graciously committed to using his Huey as a center piece for our event. I just need to find a way to pay his fuel bill without having to sell my truck.
The aircraft will be placed on the square next to all the Corvettes. Veterans and gearheads alike can stop by and see and touch a piece of history. Viet Nam Vets are encouraged to sign their name and continue this tradition. We have special gifts for the first 50 Vets that stop by.
Our goal is $5000 but if we go over our goal, the excess can be used to provide Vets with "just one more ride" and one of our door gunners put it. If the money is in excess of the goal by a larger amount, it will go in the fund to Mission Granbury/ Veterans and will be used for Hood County Vets in need.
Organizer
Chip Mull
Organizer
Granbury, TX
Mission Granbury Inc
Registered nonprofit
Donations are typically 100% tax deductible in the US.
