When Stephanie Redovan trekked past the retired Army helicopter at Lynch Field in Greensburg, she saw that it could use a facelift.
Redovan was completing a ruck — a hike while carrying a weighted backpack — with teammates from local fitness club Fit and Fun Life and she noticed the 1966 Huey helicopter. It has served as a Vietnam War veterans memorial at the park since the mid-1990s.
The helicopter has seen better days, said Redovan of Jeannette. The aircraft was last restored in 2005, but it is now plagued with dry rot, holes and chipped paint.
Redovan, head of a military support organization’s Pittsburgh chapter, is gathering volunteers and donations to restore the helicopter across five Saturdays from mid-April to May — a project which could cost up to $5,000, she said.
The Travis Manion Foundation was founded in 2007 by Janet Manion, mother of Marine 1st Lt. Travis Manion — who died while serving in Iraq. Based in Doylestown, Pa., the foundation is supported by about 200,000 volunteers — about 80,000 of whom are military veterans or family members of deceased military members.
The Pittsburgh chapter, which formed about a year ago, has honored the gravesites of local military veterans on Memorial Day and delivered food donations to Otterbein United Methodist Church around Christmas, Redovan said.
The helicopter restoration will be the chapter’s biggest project, she said.
“This is an opportunity to, A, give back to the city, and B, give back to the veterans as well,” she said.
If enough funding is acquired, Redovan would like to pressure wash the aircraft, patch holes in its exterior walls, reinforce the caulking at its seams, apply a fresh coat of paint, redo the stencil work on the outside and fix up the surrounding landscape.
The military grade paint presents the biggest hurdle. Repainting the entire aircraft could cost $2,000, Redovan said.
The city is ready to pitch in any way it can, said Glenn Moyer, superintendent of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department.
“We do have a lot of veterans that walk and come and pay tribute here and just stop by to take a moment — just to remember the different eras that have gone through war and the people that are currently serving for us,” Moyer said.
Redovan hopes to debut the renovated aircraft in June. She would like to make an annual event out of the restoration, returning to the helicopter each year to spruce up the aircraft and its landscaping to honor local veterans.
“Our veterans have done a lot for us, so this is one way to kind of pay that back to them. This is a really great way to honor everyone who’s served and everyone who’s fallen.
“But I also think as far as the community goes, as well, it’s become a bit of a landmark for a lot of people,” she said. “We want to make sure it continues to be a landmark.”
