Weatherford Vietnam veteran Bob Chatigny said the Huey Helicopter newly on display at the Heartland Museum in Weatherford is a constant reminder of a lifesaving event. He lay lifeless on the battlefield in North Vietnam having been hit by an ambush and his leg filled with shrapnel. He came to as his commander dragged his body toward the whirl of the blades of a Huey to take him to safety.
Chatigny survived extensive surgeries after his flight to safety but 8 of the 12 men with him did not survive. Chatigny said he also looks at the Huey at the local museum as a memorial to those who did not make it back.
Chatigny was quoted in a book, Brutal Battles of Vietnam, where he said as he ran out of M-16 ammunition, “We listened for their voices and movement until they were close enough that we could hit them with our M-16s as if using a baseball bat.”
Chatigny said it was a brutal war and very difficult situation to endure. The Vietnam War was widely seen as unpopular and the last war with a dedicated draft process to recruit. When the survivors made it back they were met with frustration and not the typical celebration given to returning service members.
“Regardless of public opinion of the war, those who served risked their lives and many were lost. They deserved to be honored for their commitment and this is what we are going to do with the Huey helicopter on display at the museum and the celebration for the July 4 holiday,” museum board member and Huey event chair Linda White said.
The museum is hosting a 4 day event July 1-4 in Weatherford with the dedication of the Huey coordinated with the ribbon cutting and dedication of the Vietnam wall newly installed in Weatherford. In addition attendees will be celebrating the 4th with fireworks, a free barbeque, museum and university tours and much more.