SPIRITUAL WARRIOR VIETNAM VETERAN NEWSLETTER Volume 2

The journey may be over for the crew now that old 091 is back in the Texas Air Command Museum - however, things are still happening. After 10,000 plus miles across the heart of America and many weeks on the road (sky) - we are still hearing and discovering many untold stories about emotional (and what could also be described only as spiritual) healings taking place. We may have physically left these LZs many months ago - but the impact of all that emotional energy is still at work in all those lives we touched along the way. I continue to hear from people who saw or heard us at the LZs, or flying over their town. We have opened up a doorway to some real healing and it is only gaining momentum as this film is edited.

We have had at least two of our LZ warriors die shortly after getting a ride in our Huey. I have heard of at least two others as well but I did not get their names. It seems we were the last ride for these gallant men. They came to us from their sick beds - because they had to touch the Huey and hear the sounds that she makes - just one more time. It might seem that they were drawn to us by some kind of holy bond between man and machine - but it was really all about the brotherhood that Vietnam Veterans have for each other.

We reunited old warriors and even a rescued baby (Baby Kathleen). We gave rides to families of KIAs so that they could experience the joy of what it was like to fly in these old ships. No one ever came away dry eyed and all of them were changed forever in some way.

We made this trip to bring honor and respect to the Vietnam Veteran - but in the process we brought something very sacred - we brought people together in fellowship and allowed them to tell their stories and to share their experiences and emotions with us. As we traveled to more LZs we found that we (the Crew) were also changing and that we would never be the same either.

One of the LZs that caused some great emotional responses was Demorest. Actually, it was in the backyard of Larry and Patty Hancock's home - better known as folk artists Aurence and Biegun. We landed in the smallest and tightest LZ of the trip - and with the skillful talents of our crew - both in the helicopter and on the ground - we were able to sit this old bird down between the trees next to the river. We were greeted by a dozen or more local veterans and their families. One of those there that day and into the night, was former POW Col. Ben Purcell. He spoke that night while sitting on the helicopter cargo floor - and held all of us spell bond with his story of great faith and courage about his 5 plus years of captivity and isolation.

I also was honored to do a wedding that afternoon using the Huey as our altar - it was filled with candles and religious items. Patty and Larry wanted to seal their marriage with a formal ceremony which I performed for them. They added their own personal vows to each other and exchanged symbolic white roses to express their love. There were many a wet eye at the end of the ceremony as those present were moved by the show of such love. (click on Wedding Photos)

Very early in the morning - some time just after 3 in the morning - Larry was so moved by the day's events that he came down to field where the Huey was parked and painted his folk art version of the POW flag along with his trade mark "White Dog" on the side of our aircraft. We flew the rest of our mission with his folk art displayed proudly on old 091.

When we pulled pitch and left the LZ the following morning heading for Augusta with Col. Ben Purcell on board (And that was his first helicopter ride since he was shot down in Vietnam and captured) we left a very emotionally charged group of souls there. Larry and Patty considered where we landed to almost sacred ground and began to build a monument to our landing there. It has taken on an almost shrine like quality as a stone marker was donated and erected on the very place old 091 set down on October 7th 2002.

Being that the huey landing site is a sacred place, we have finally made our own little folk art monument. At first, we put spray paint on the skid marks to forever mark the site. Then we added one of our Buddha's and the flag that flew during the event. With summer coming on, we feared the growing grass would cover the skid marks so, last weekend, we went to work.

We were happy to find out that railroad ties are practically the same length as the skids on a Huey so the ones to the left and right are placed dead center on the painted skid marks. We put our Buddha by the flag and got flagstone for Aurence to paint the huey landing. The flagstone with the helmet has nothing on it to honor all those who died in Vietnam.

Our next step was locating a white rose bush. Knowing little about rose bushes I picked one that spoke to me. When I got it up to the counter, the lady said that HONOR was a nice rose bush. "Huh?" I said. She showed me the little metal tag on the bottom of the bush. I did not know the name when I picked it out. What an appropriate name! We planted the bush where we renewed our vows.

Next, we got in the canoe and went across the river (burrr, it was cold) and picked out some nice round river rocks. I wrote the name of each of the Shadow members (Cheryl, you have one that says 'in spirit' ) and carefully placed them inside the ties.

So, here you have probably the first monument to the huey landed and most probably the only folk art war monument to be found anywhere.