Tony Hughes
The Hawthorne Ordnance Museum recently received two Huey Gunship helicopters. Shown with the front section of the UH-1 Gunship when it arrived are museum officials (from left) Carole Mortensen, Wanda Millsap, Peter Papadakos and Harold Warner.

There are but few combat helicopters that are able to come back home in one piece and able to prove to America that they truly supported and provided security to our troops in extreme combat conditions.

Learning that the U.S. Army had two UH-1 Huey Gunships available, officials of the Hawthorne Ordnance Museum (HOM) inquired to obtain at least one of them. After years of negotiations and requirements, the museum was given approval to obtain not only one, but two of the gunships. HOM provided the transporting of these aircraft. HOM is happy and will be displaying the UH-1 in the near future.

HOM Director and Curator Peter Papadakos, drove some 1,300 miles to a U.S. Army site in New Mexico and transported the first UH-1 Gunship to Hawthorne. The aircraft components have been moved to Hawthorne with of the completed aircraft the first part of June 2017. The second Huey will be transported to HOM soon.

The Ordnance Museum is making arrangements to construct a large building at the north end of its property on E Street to house the UH-1s.