Vietnam War-era helicopter on display at Camelot Theatres
A special Huey helicopter that saw service during the Vietnam War is now on display at the Palm Springs International Film Festival as part of the film “Take Me Home Huey.” The film, which is being shown at the festival, is a documentary about the development of helicopter into an arts display and it reunites members of that helicopter squadron to reflect on memories of the war.
The helicopter itself was a medivac copter and was shot down in 1969. It was then refurbished, painted, and made into an arts display.
The film and the sculpture were the creations of artist Steve Maloney. He said both were ways to honor Vietnam veterans for their service and to help them heal from the difficult memories of their time during the conflict. Maloney said he especially wanted to raise awareness about post-traumatic stress disorder a condition many Vietnam veterans suffered from.
“This is a conversation starter,” he said. “So it’s a catalyst to bring out their feelings and emotions about that period of time that a lot of them just never talked about.” Karl Renz, a Vietnam veteran and former Huey pilot, who is the truck driver for the arts display, said being a part of the entire experience helped save his life after he suffered from PTSD. “I was one of those guys with a gun,” Renz said. “I was ready to kill myself. It was too much pain, but this is bringing people out of the woodwork and it’s actually healing for people in every war.” He said just transporting the helicopter and having people see it at rest stops and gas stations has created opportunities for dialogue about the Vietnam War experience. “When I’m at the truck stops, there are a lot of drivers that are veterans and they come over and usually when I go and take off at a truck stop, I’m there for an hour,” Renz said. “It attracts veterans. It attracts other people. If you drive down the highway, people are attracted to it.” The helicopter will be on display in front of the Camelot Theatres on Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. A screening of the film will take place at the same location at 12:30 p.m.
