A flight of Bell UH-1 Iroquois “Hueys” hammer through a misty, monsoon soaked Vietnam valley. The aircraft and the distinctive sound of its Lycoming engine-powered rotor will forever be synonymous with the Vietnam War.

No veteran of the fighting there will ever forget the unique sound of a flight approaching. A faint, distant muttering would fade in and out as bends in the valleys and mountains muffled the sound. It would grow quickly to a sudden thunder rumbling between the hills, echoing the length of every glade that the helicopters darted through on their way to or from the target of the day. Of course every Vietcong for miles around heard the Hueys, just as our troops did. They could prepare a welcome for them with small arms fire or they could clear out.

I had the privilege of going with the navy to the Persian Gulf as a combat artist. While flying with the Marine gunships there, I experienced a sense of déjà vu, since I had flown in armed Hueys during my term of duty in Vietnam.

The Long Green Line is a tribute to those who served in Vietnam and to the machines they flew. - WSP