Cottonwood Falls
UH-1D/H SN 64-13866
From at least September 1966 until April 1968 this helicopter was serving with the 162nd AHC. During this time there were three recorded combat incidents involving this Huey.
On September 6, 1966 the helicopter took two hits from small arms fire while flying to participate in an air and land assault mission. Despite one listed WIA and some unspecified structural damage the crew and helicopter completed all mission objectives.
During a troop extraction on January 5, 1967, the helicopter sustained six hits from small arms fire and an explosive charge to the cockpit resulting in unspecified casualties. The helicopter stayed in the air but was diverted before being able to complete its objectives.
A few months later on March 18, 1967, while still assigned to the 162nd AHC, the Huey was landing for a troop extraction when it received a single round of small arms fire in the cockpit. It is unknown if there were any casualties; however, all mission objectives were successfully completed.
The helicopter was assigned to the 355th Avn. At Fort Sill in June of 1968 and was only there until October of the same year when it was sent to the 4th Army at a Naval Air Station.
From there it was transferred to Davison AAF at Fort Belvoir, VA in November 1968. It was stationed here until October 1970 when it was assigned to the National Guard where it remained in service until January 1973.
Between February 1973 and December 1973 the helicopter was either in maintenance or on loan to NASA at the Langley Research Center. After that the Huey was transferred back into the National Guard until at least December 1975. That is where the records stop.
Currently this UH-1D/H is a part of the Chase County All Veterans Memorial in Cottonwood Falls, KS.
A special thank you to Gary Roush and www.vhpa.org for allowing me to use their data in writing these articles.