Re: Smithsonian Price of Freedom Exhibit

Date: March 20, 2004

"Press Release
Source: Smithsonian's National Museum of American History

Vietnam Combat Huey Helicopter Lands at Smithsonian's National Museum of American History

WASHINGTON, March 19 /PRNewswire/ -- A Vietnam combat Huey helicopter landed on the National Mall in front of the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History, on Friday, March 19. It was the culmination of a month- long, nationwide journey that began in Fort Worth, Texas. The helicopter is slated to be the central artifact of the Vietnam War section of the museum's new exhibition, "The Price of Freedom," scheduled to open on Veterans Day, Nov. 11.

"The museum is honored to receive this icon of the Vietnam War to tell the story of the Vietnam experience," said Museum Director Brent D. Glass. "Visitors will be able to see an actual helicopter that carried troops into battle and out of harm's way, evacuating them from the battlefield."

The 9 a.m. landing ceremony will include General P.X. Kelley (U.S. Marine Corps Retired), 28th Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps and member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. At the ceremony, the museum will officially take possession of the helicopter for the national collections.

The Huey 65-10091 was manufactured by Bell Helicopter in 1965 for the U.S. Army and deployed to Vietnam in 1966. It served with the 173rd Assault Helicopter Company, known as "The Robin Hoods," and was shot down on January 7, 1967. After being repaired in the United States, it returned to service until 1995 when it was acquired by the Texas Air Command Museum in Fort Worth for use in educational programming.

"This exhibition will be about people, and the contributions they have made in critical moments of our history," said David Allison, project director for "The Price of Freedom. "The museum's goal is to tell the story of America's involvement in the Vietnam War and its political, social and technological impacts."

The Vietnam section of "The Price of Freedom" will explore a number of themes, including events in the U.S. at the time and stories of reconciliation following the war. Other items in the section will be objects from the Vietnam Wall, a Green Beret, U.S. Prisoner of War artifacts, U.S. military uniforms and weapons, and captured Vietcong uniforms and weapons.

After the Texas Air Command Museum agreed to donate the Huey 091 to the National Museum of American History, a group of Vietnam veterans and other volunteers formed the 091 Committee to facilitate the helicopter's transfer.

The helicopter departed Fort Worth on Feb. 10, to embark on a month-long, cross-country delivery, billed as the Huey's "Final Journey Home." This nationwide tour was an educational program of the 091 Committee and included stops at the U.S. military academies, schools, and other destinations nationwide, ending with the landing at the museum. Through the support of DynCorp, a CSC company, AMR/American Airlines, U.S. Helicopter, Novogratz Family Foundation, Bell Helicopter and the Allied Pilots Association, the 091 Committee raised the necessary funds to take the Huey 091 on the tour.

The 18,200-square-foot "Price of Freedom" exhibition will survey the history of America's military from the colonial times to the present, exploring ways that wars have been defining episodes in American history. Through hundreds of artifacts and pictures, "The Price of Freedom" will tell the stories of how Americans have fought to establish the nation's independence, determine its borders, shape its values of freedom and opportunity and define its leading role in world affairs. The Huey helicopter will be the largest single artifact in the exhibition.

Among the 700 objects in "The Price of Freedom" will be Andrew Jackson's uniform coat and sword, Colin Powell's woodland camouflage uniform, the nameplate from the "Maine," a regimental flag of Civil War black troops, the surrender furniture from Appomattox Court House, a World War II jeep, and firearms and swords from all periods of American military history. "The Price of Freedom" is made possible through the generosity of Mr. Kenneth E. Behring.

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History traces American heritage through exhibitions of social, cultural, scientific and technological history. Collections are displayed in exhibitions that interpret the American experience from Colonial times to the present. The museum is located at 14th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W., and is open daily, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit the museum's Web site at http://americanhistory.si.edu or call (202) 633-1000 or 357-1729 (TTY).

Source: Smithsonian's National Museum of American History
© 2004 PR Newswire