281st ASSAULT HELICOPER COMPANY
Viet Nam 1965-1970
MONUMENT DEDICATION
The Airborne & Special
Operations Museum, Fayetteville, NC
The 281st Assault Helicopter Company has been
officially designated as the "first" US Army Special Operations Helicopter
Company. This honor was comemorated with the placement of a monument at
Fayetteville, NC, the home of Ft Bragg and the Special Operations Command.
The dedication ceremony for the 281st monument marker placement was held at
the Airborne and Special Operations Museum (ASOM) in Fayetteville, NC on
Saturday October 17, 2009. The ceremony began at 5:00PM at the monument,
located at the front of the museum, and was followed by a private indoor
banquet in the museum main entrance. At the conclusion
of the banquet the museum exhibit section was opened for viewing by those attending the
event.
More than one hundred 281st AHC, Special Forces,
B-52 Project Delta veterans, families, honored guests, and
public visitors attended the event. Guest speakers were: The Honorable Anthony Chavonne, Mayor,
Fayetteville, NC; CSM D.J. Taylor, US Army Special Forces (Ret); Thomas A
Ross, Author and veteran of A-502, Special Forces; and Dr. Karen
Heintz-Forcht, 281st AHC Assn Honorary Member.
This was a historic, once in a lifetime event for which all the veterans of
the 281st Assault Helicopter Company are justifiably grateful and proud.
Following are links to photographs taken at the ceremony and
at the Fayetteville Holiday Inn Bordeaux on
Friday thru Sunday, before and after the dedication event.
Cramer Gallimore, Event Photograper
Brian Paine of the 281st AHC
Fred Mentzer and Frankie Esquilin of the 281st AHC
The Event Program;
opens in a new window.