At Cullman’s Veterans Memorial Park, the annual memorial service for local service members who died in the line of duty will be held this spring under a new, hard-to-miss feature.
With the help of local governments, lawmakers, and the Cullman VFW Post 2214, the park will soon have its first new large piece of military memorabilia in almost a decade. A Bell UH-1 Iroquois helicopter, also known as a “Huey” helicopter, supported U.S. operations during the Vietnam War. It will be put up in a park near Sportsman Lake in early spring as a tribute to local Vietnam veterans and all Cullman County veterans who have served in any military campaign.
In a local broadcast last week, the chair of the Veterans Park Board, Dr. Michael Schendel, said that the Huey is a good symbol for honoring the memory of local service members who died in action in Vietnam.
Schendel said, “I think most people know that the Huey has been a symbol of military work everywhere, in all the services. But the Vietnam War is where we all remember it best.” “It was very important in moving troops and getting sick people to safety. I think a lot of people will recognize it, so it will be a great addition to the park.”
The organizers have already picked three people from Cullman County who died in Vietnam. All of them were in helicopters, and the first memorial plaque will be a place to remember them all.
Among them are Army Crew Chief and Gunner Neil Wade Jones of West Point, Marine Corps Maj. and pilot Wayne Hyatt of Hanceville, and Army Maj. and pilot Bill Schmale of Cullman, who died on his third combat tour in Vietnam while serving in the Army’s 1st Infantry Division. “Since he served in three combat tours, we’ll honor him by putting the logo for the 1st Infantry Division on the helicopter,” said organizer and Vietnam veteran Ken Brown.
The Veterans Park Board is asking people in the area if they know of any other KIA Vietnam service members from the area who died in the air. If they do, more names could be added to that short list.
“We’re looking for the names of any other Cullman County vets who died in Vietnam, either as crew members or while riding in a helicopter,” Brown said. “It’s hard to tell from the names written on monuments how exactly those people died. We’d like to hear from the families of anyone who might fit that description, and we hope to have them at our dedication ceremony this spring.”
Last year, the Cullman County Commission agreed to buy the donated Huey plane and fix it up so it could be put in Veterans Park, which is part of the larger Sportsman Lake Park, which is run by the county. The county will pay for the new paint job on the helicopter, which will cost $12,000. Alabama Senator Garlan Gudger will use state tourism funds to pay back the county for the rest of the cost of the display.
The Huey monument is set to be installed in April ahead of its formal unveiling on Saturday, May 27, when the park will host its annual Memorial Day remembrance ceremony. To share with organizers information about a local family member killed in aerial action in Vietnam, contact Ken Brown at 256-507-1121.
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American Military News Rephrased By: InfoArmed