Vintage helicopter lands at White Oak American Legion

By JIM BUSCH

For the MVI

Motorists driving along Pennsylvania Avenue in White Oak recently may have noticed an olive-drab military helicopter setting on the hillside adjacent to the borough’s war memorial. 

The “Cobra AH-1” attack helicopter on the grounds of the General Smedley D. Butler White Oak American Legion Post 701 is there to honor America’s military veterans. 

Like the service people it honors, the helicopter is a real veteran of America’s wars and took a long and heroic path to its final landing zone on the Legion’s lawn. 

Most people don’t realize that the military hardware on display in our local parks and near veteran’s organizations is still the property of the Department of Defense. The artillery, tanks, and aircraft in these locations are still technically part of our military inventory and are on loan from the Federal government. 

Anyone who has served in the military or who has any dealings with government bureaucracy knows that nothing happens quickly or without endless reams of paperwork. No one knows this better than Glen Lynn. Lynn is the commander of White Oak American Legion Post 701. Two years ago he learned that the Pleasant Hills American Legion post was closing. He wondered what was going to happen to the helicopter on display there because he knew government regulations prohibited surplus military equipment from being displayed on private property. This began his two-year quest to bring the Cobra to White Oak.

Lynn reached out to the Army regarding the helicopter. He learned that several other veterans organizations were interested in acquiring the aircraft. He also learned that if the legion wanted the helicopter, they would need to prove that they were prepared to transport it to their location and display it in a respectable manner that is safe and secure. 

The military would not help the legion, physically or financially, to move the helicopter to their location. 

Each step along the way required the completion of massive amounts of government paperwork. The red tape and the challenges turned out to be an advantage for the White Oak Legion Post. Lynn is a persistent and resourceful man, he remained focused on acquiring the Cobra as the other contenders dropped out of the running for the helicopter. He cut his way through the Army red tape and received approval to place the Cobra at his post. This still left the challenge of covering the expenses for moving the Cobra. Western Pennsylvania’s well-known respect for our veterans proved as valuable as cash for the helicopter move. Lynn arranged for a team of volunteers to move the Cobra to his post at no charge. 

Moving the 7,000-pound helicopter required a heavy lift crane. Lynn reached out to the Maxim Crane Rental Company of Canonsburg, which volunteered the use of their equipment and personnel to load and unload the Cobra. Likewise, the J.A. Coates Trucking Company of Bethel Park loaned Lynn the use of a tractor-trailer and driver to move the Cobra to White Oak. 

Before the military would authorize moving the Cobra, the Legion had to prove that it would be displayed safely and securely. The only available spot on the Legion property for the helicopter was on a hillside. Lynn designed a level, welded steel platform for the helicopter which passed military inspection. Legion members volunteered to dig the holes and pour the concrete for the platform’s legs. United States Steel provided the steel for the platform and dispatched a maintenance team with a welding truck to build the platform for the Cobra. The U.S. Steel crew went the extra mile and fabricated replica missiles to “arm” the Cobra.

AH-I Cobra Helicopters were the U.S. military’s first attack helicopters. They were designed to escort transport helicopters and reduce the loss of aircraft during the Vietnam War. Armed with multi-barreled mini-guns, grenade launchers, and air-to-ground rockets, they proved to be remarkably effective and were very popular with both their pilots and the troops they protected. The government purchased 1,100 Cobras for about $280,000 each and they remained an important part of our arsenal from the late 1960’s to the first years of this century.

During his efforts to acquire the Cobra, Lynn learned the history of the helicopter holding a place of honor on the Legion’s lawn. The Legion’s Cobra first saw combat over the jungles of Vietnam in 1969 and was later deployed to Grenada, Panama, and the Persian Gulf. The Legion’s Cobra ended its active service with the Pennsylvania National Guard before the upgraded Apache attack rendered it obsolete. 

Lynn said the presence of the Cobra has attracted a lot of attention. Some of the Legion members who served in Vietnam have broken their silence about the war to share stories about the Cobras they saw during their tour of duty. He said that many vets from all over the area bring their families to see the Cobra. One vet drove from Ohio with his grandchildren to show them the aircraft he served in longed before they were born. Since the Legion is now responsible for maintaining the Cobra, they plan to give it a new paint job in the spring.

Lynn said he hopes the new display will attract attention to the Legion. 

“For just $35 per year, a Legion membership is the best deal going for veterans, we offer so many benefits to our members such as scholarships, death benefits, help securing veteran’s benefits and much more.” 

If you happen to find yourself driving through White Oak, stop and look at the Cobra helicopter now on display on the Legion grounds. Take a moment to think about the service people who served in this heroic aircraft in defense of our freedoms.