TONAWANDA — The AH-1 Cobra helicopter that local veterans will formally dedicate as a memorial to the Vietnam War will be reunited with an old friend Saturday.
Warrant Officer Jimmie Ferguson of Bowling Green, Ky., will be among those in attendance at dedication ceremonies planned for 1 p.m. Saturday. He’s the Vietnam-era pilot who was aboard the helicopter gunship — rechristened by area veterans “Remembering Vietnam” — when it was shot down in combat during that conflict.
After being shot down, the Cobra was returned to the U.S., where it was repaired and returned to service. It eventually saw service in the New York Army National Guard, before being retired, and, ultimately, offered up as a museum piece.
Under an agreement reached by the “Remembering Vietnam” Memorial Committee, Bell Aerospace will lease the helicopter to local veterans for 99 years. The City of Tonawanda, meanwhile is providing the site for its display, where it, along with a brick wall, it now stands as a symbolic remembrance of Vietnam-era veterans’ sacrifice.
“This is a homecoming for that helicopter, and for the troops who flew Cobras, who counted on them for air support, who fought our wars while the AH-1 ruled the skies,” said VVA Chapter 77 President Mike Walker. “It’s special, but also symbolic, that the man who was in the pilot’s seat will be reunited with the Cobra. We hope this monument will serve to heal old wounds and teach future generations about sacrifice, about the bitterness of war, about what is lost and what is brought home. But most of all, it’s good to see family reunited.”
A dedication ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday at Veterans Park with Vietnam Veterans of America Western New York Chapter 77, members of the “Remembering Vietnam” Memorial Committee; Tonawanda Mayor Rick Davis and Ferguson.
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