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Professor Flies First Leg of Vietnam Helicopter’s Final Journey to Smithsonian On February 10, Colonel Ernest Bruce, aviation, had the honor to take the controls for one last time of the Huey helicopter 091 he flew more than 30 years ago in Vietnam. A liftoff from Bell Aircraft in Hurst, Texas, began the first leg of the 091 “Final Journey Home” to its final destination, the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, DC. The Huey was delivered to the Smithsonian on March 19, and will become a part of the permanent new 18,200-square foot Price of Freedom exhibit. The exhibit will open to the public on Veteran's Day, November 11, 2004, and will survey the history of the U.S. military from the Colonial era to the present, exploring ways that wars have been defining episodes in American history. An icon of the Vietnam War, the restored UH-lH Huey helicopter 091 will be the largest single object on display in that exhibit. “It is awesome that my Vietnam helicopter will be in the Smithsonian along with the “Spirit of St. Louis” and the Wright Brother's airplane,” noted Bruce. When the Smithsonian officials decided to display a 091 Huey helicopter as part of their substantial new exhibit, it was decided that the pilot flying the first leg of the aircraft's journey to the Smithsonian should be a pilot that flew 091 in Vietnam, so Bruce was contacted and offered the honor of again flying the helicopter. “To fly Huey Helicopter 091 again was the thrill of a lifetime,” said Bruce. “I thought back to the combat experiences with the Huey, the friends that I had in Vietnam and some of the dangers that we shared. I had the honor of having our crew chief, Ed Walsh with me. The flight brought us back together again. Me the pilot, Ed and the helicopter.” The story of the 091 began a few years ago when producers of the movie documentary "In the Shadow of the Blade" wanted to make a movie about the famous Huey (UHI) helicopter that was used to take infantry into and out of battle. They found 091 in a Fort Worth, Texas, aviation museum. It was restored and put into top flying condition and was then used to make a tour during which Vietnam veterans were interviewed about their experiences during the war. The producer wanted the markings that the helicopter bore in Vietnam placed back on the helicopter. During repair, the history of the 091 was researched and it was learned that the helicopter had served in the 173rd Assault Helicopter Company called the Robin Hoods. A lieutenant in the U.S. Army in Vietnam from 1966 to 1967, Bruce was assigned to fly the assault helicopter to take the infantry into battle. The helicopters were painted on the nose with artwork that identified the name of the company. Bruce's company had a hat with a feather painted on its helicopters because they lived in the woods as Robin Hood did. The 091 was shot down in Vietnam but was repairable. It was sent back to the states, repaired and issued to a stateside unit. Eventually it was declared surplus by the Army and donated to the museum where it was later selected by the Smithsonian to become the highpoint of a final journey for an aircraft with tremendous meaning to millions of veterans, an aircraft with a distinctive sound, what some refer to as the “sound of freedom.”
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