BROWNSVILLE, Texas (ValleyCentral) — The Brownsville-based veterans’ group Warriors United in Arms has donated a Vietnam-era Bell UH-1 Iroquois “Huey” helicopter to the city of Brownsville for public display.
After a long fundraising campaign in May 2023, the Warriors United in Arms succeeded in raising over $50,000 to purchase the Huey from Heli-Tex Properties, LTD of Cleburne, TX.
According to the WUA news release, the helicopter named “Hope/Esperanza”, had been in storage in a hangar at the Brownsville-South Padre International Airport.
Source: Heli-Tex Properties, LTD
“Look at all of these guys, look at all the grey hair, look at their eyes and they tell you where they have been,” said Tony Garcia with Warriors United in Arms of Brownsville. “But unfortunately, in our school system the way it is today they are not teaching that. So, it’s up to us to teach our grandkids and all the people that we can about the sacrifice that was made.”
The Huey was a utility helicopter that was used for a variety of missions, including troop transport, medical evacuation, and ground attack.
It was also an ideal transport for the Vietnam theater, where terrain and climate made road travel challenging, or even impossible, the release stated.
Its permanent home is Brownsville Veterans Park located at 794 Wildrose Lane.
The official dedication ceremony will be on Nov. 11 at 10:30 a.m.
