The documentary cameras are ready, but landing is uncertain. This small blueberry patch on the bank of the tree-lined Chattahoochee River has barely enough clearance for the long body and 40-foot blades of the big Huey helicopter on its way.

A volunteer fires a flare into the sky to help the flight crew find the landing zone, or LZ. The “whop-whop” sound swells as the Huey, restored to the original army-green colors of its service in Vietnam, appears low over the trees. It circles slowly again and again, kicking up a flurry of autumn leaves as veteran pilots size up the tight LZ – one they wouldn’t have thought twice about three decades ago.

Word comes over the radio to the ground crew – they’re going to try it. The Huey makes one more slow pass, lining itself up with the clearing in the trees. As the helicopter slowly lowers, the blades whip treetops into a frenzy and send a tornado of dirt and leaves into the air. Watchers brace themselves against the powerful gale and overwhelming noise, shielding faces from the sting of flying debris as hearts race wildly. Hand signals from ground personnel correct the helicopter’s careful descent by feet and inches, nudging body and tail into the tight space – and the powerful machine is on the ground.

The Huey landing near Fairview on Monday was filmed for “In the Shadow of the Blade,” a full-length feature documentary being produced by filmmaker Pat Fries of Austin, Texas. The documentary’s goal is to capture stories from and about veterans who flew, maintained or were rescued by the Army’s UH-1 Iroquois “Huey” helicopter in Vietnam.

Unique to this project, a restored UH-1D, tail number 65-10091, is being flown around the country to interview veterans for the film. During the war, the Huey served the 173rd Assault Helicopter Company, the Robin Hoods and Crossbows.

The flight crew said landing on the river bottom property of Marine Corps veteran Larry Hancock was their most challenging LZ to date.

“It takes one hell of a lot of skill,” said helicopter co-pilot Jim Palmersheim, a captain with American Airlines. “Coming into an LZ like this is about as close as you want to cut it.”

“It was a crew effort to get it down,” said helicopter pilot Mike Vennable, a captain with Southwest Airlines. “It brings back memories ... the smell of jet fuel, the camaraderie – it’s like I just woke up from 33 years of sleep.”

For veterans present, the landing was an awesome spectacle.

“It was highly emotional,” said Hancock, a folk artist who flew as a door gunner on Hueys during the Vietnam war. “It rekindled some dead memories that had been locked away for years and years and years.”

“I have mixed feelings,” said Hayward Dyer of Alto. Dyer was a senior helicopter mechanic for the Robin Hoods and likely worked on this Huey during his tour. “I thank the Lord I’m here to see something like this. I think of the guys who are not here ... I’m one of the lucky ones.”

Dyer brought photographs, original documents and other memorabilia to share. “It puts you to thinking about the times.... It’s emotional when you start thinking about the people you got to know and worked with, and when they got killed.”

“I’ve had my hands full,” said flight crew member the Rev. Bill McDonald, who is offering spiritual counseling and emotional support to fellow veterans along the flight. “I’ve counseled, held hands with, prayed with people on every stop we’ve come to.”

McDonald said the documentary is opening up the healing process for many people. “But it’s important that people find follow-up help after we leave,” he said.

That evening, the riverside gathering of veterans witnessed a special moment as Hancock and his wife Patty renewed their vows in the candle-lit Huey, officiated by McDonald. The couple exchanged white roses, symbolic of pure love. The bride wore a traditional Vietnamese wedding dress described by those present as “stunning.”

After sunset, Col. and Mrs. Ben Purcell of Clarkesville sat inside the Huey to talk about his time as a prisoner of war in Vietnam for the documentary. Shot down in a Huey and captured, Purcell spent much of his five years in captivity in solitary confinement. “But my wife had it much rougher,” he told the gathering.

Fries, the film’s director, said later that you could hear a pin drop as Col. Purcell pulled out a suitcase filled with the items he’d kept since his days in captivity.

“What I know is that only a few things are important,” said Purcell. “Love of God, love of your fellow man, love of your country. And freedom. Freedom is everything.”

Sunrise Tuesday morning revealed a new addition to the Huey. Inspired by Purcell’s moving testimony, Hancock spent the early morning hours alone at the river painting the POW/MIA symbol on the Huey’s side, along with his artwork’s two hallmark images: the White Dog and fireball.

“I think the POW/MIA symbol is totally appropriate,” Fries said after filming the artist’s final touches to his work.

Later that morning, the Huey “pulled pitch” away from the LZ with two special guests on board, Hancock and Purcell.

Hancock was thrilled at the last-minute offer to ride the Huey to the Toccoa airport for refueling. Purcell, on the other hand, had been anticipating for more than a month his ride to Richmond Academy in Augusta, the helicopter’s next LZ.

“I’d never dreamed of having the opportunity to do something like this,” Purcell said. “I’ve had a month of relishing the thought of it.”

The best part, he said, will be the end of the flight when he meets his wife in Augusta – the same city where the couple was reunited in 1973 after five and 1/2 years of being apart. “I can hardly wait,” he said.

Updates and stories of the Huey’s travels over the next few months can be found at www.intheshadowoftheblade.com. Also, those wishing to contact McDonald for counseling can e-mail him at Angelnet@citlink.net.  For inspirational stories by fellow veterans, visit www.vietnamexp.com. 

The crew stressed that the only way they could do this documentary is with the generous sponsorship of DynCorp, U.S. Helicopters, CFC Aviation and many others. “These companies are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts,” said Palmersheim.

Fries plans to market “In the Shadow of the Blade” to HBO, which should air the program sometime next year.