The Huey helicopter, located in the Fannin County Memorial Park, was found damaged Saturday, August 22.
Veteran’s Museum Curator Trevor McIntyre and his father, Rod, found the helicopter with its greenhouse window, above the pilot seat, busted out when they were checking in on the area that weekend.
“Thankfully, we found this when we did and were able to cover up the hole with plastic before all the rain hit last night,” Trevor said. “The cockpit was dry, so it must have just happened. Everything else inside the Huey was undamaged and nothing was stolen, so we are very thankful for that.”
Based on shoe prints found on the Huey, a child is suspected as the culprit, he said.
“The good news is we already have a brand new replacement window in our spare parts inventory, and how we acquired it is an interesting story!” Trevor said.
“A few years ago, I came across a guy in Greece, of all places, selling some Huey parts on eBay. He had a nice selection of parts, and we ended up buying a couple things from him, including a brand new right hand greenhouse window. These windows can be hard to find and are very expensive, so I quickly bought the one he had just to keep for a spare.
“It turns out that the eBay seller was an active duty Master Sergeant in the Greek Army, and the parts he was selling had all been surplussed by the Greek Army, which still flies Huey’s to this day.
“The greenhouse window we bought from him was made in 1998, but it was never used and was still brand new in the box. ... It’s still covered in the white protective coating that you simply peel off before installing it. So thanks to the Greek Army, we have a brand new replacement window ready to install on the Huey!”
These windows are over $1,600, he added.
In addition to the window, Trevor is ordering new hardware, nuts and screws, in order to install the part.
A light that is used to illuminate the monuments within the park was also found broken.