O
ur most recent trip
to Florida started be-
cause Gary wanted to
revisit the helicopter
he worked on as an
Army soldier during
the U.S. conflict with Vietnam in the
1970s. Not THE exact bird, but the
model machine that kept him busy
most days — the OH-6 Cayuse.
In 1966, the Army started using
this single-engine helicopter to flush
out the enemy and provide fire sup-
port for ground troops. It’s small,
quiet and its egg-shape makes it har-
dy. Gary worked on the OH-6 as a
mechanic and a soldier flying at
tree level to flush Vietcong from
the forests. During his tour of
duty, 1972-73 — the ground
war was mostly over, but
aviation support re-
mained in some
areas.
Fast forward
to July 2015.
We spent hours
examining some leg-
endary and some
run-of-the-mill air-
craft in the Smith-
sonian’s National
Air and Space
Museums
in
Washington, D.C.
and Chantilly, VA.
While we were
there, Gary kept an
eye out for an OH-6.
It seemed logical that
this well-regarded, com-
monly used aircraft would
be on display. But, it wasn’t.
A few days later we stopped
at the small U.S. Army Trans-
portation Museum at Fort Eustis in
Newport News, VA. There, too, we
gathered history on war, technology
and aircraft. The only Cayuse was a
picture boasting of its utility.
And, the National Muse-
um of the U.S. Air Force at
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
near Dayton, Ohio, may be enor-
mous, but it doesn’t have the agile
Cayuse. But, that makes sense be-
cause it’s an Air Force base and the
OH-6 is an Army helicopter.
Eventually, casual observation led
to feelings of dismissal. Gary found
an important part of history missing
at key war aviation museums. You
can easily find “Hueys” and their suc-
cessors on display, but not the chop-
per to which he was assigned. And,
with more than 2,000 produced and
842 shot down in the Vietnam War,
they had a significant role in Ameri-
can history.
At first this was all casual observa-
tion, so we didn’t yet realize we were
on a quest. But, soon we were. And,
it wasn’t complicated if you were will-
ing to travel. As motorcycle riders,
we’re always ready to travel.
So, Gary deduced that an Army
base where helicopter pilots are
trained would be the logical place
for a Cayuse sighting. So, he googled
Fort Rucker, Alabama, and found the
Army post has one on display in its
U.S. Army Aviation Museum.
And, that’s why, for Thanksgiv-
ing week 2016, we headed south. We
TRAVERSE 61
stayed in Pensacola, FLA., because
it’s busier than rural southeastern Al-
abama. And, we travelled backroads
from the Navy town through rural Al-
abama by Harley-Davidson.
Getting into the Army aviation mu-
seum presented a challenge. Those
aiming to see the collection of 160
aircraft – including largest display
of military helicopters in the world
– must first get onto the post. Vehi-
cle operators must have a valid driv-
er’s license, vehicle registration, and
proof of insurance to enter the gates
at Fort Rucker. All visitors must be
U.S. citizens and, those over 16 years
old must have photo identification.
And, the country must not be on high
security alert. Calling ahead for sta-
tus is prudent.
We made the unwitting mistake of
visiting on Family Day which meant
a 70-minute wait to have credentials
checked and be issued a temporary
ID card. We learned most waits are
closer to 15 minutes.
Finally, we made it. We were there.
Inside the hangar, to the left we found
the OH-6 hanging on an angle with a
GI mannequin leaning out the door
scout style. The helicopter was set in