Bonding With a Warbird

THE SIGHT OF the Bell UH-1H Iroquois, an iconic symbol of the Vietnam War, and its unmistakable thumping sound came to life at the Pequannock Township High School (PTHS) Alumni Veterans Wall dedication. Russ Mowry, a combat pilot who had flown the same Huey over 50 years ago during the Vietnam War, was the one who made it happen.

Last spring, Mowry, a 1962 PTHS graduate, heard about plans to install a veterans alumni wall through an outreach campaign launched by the committee heading the project. Committee members sought the names of all PTHS graduates who served in the military so they could obtain permission to inscribe the veterans’ names on the wall.

Mowry not only accepted the invitation to have his name included but also floated the idea of flying the UH-1 Huey 823 to the November 17 dedication ceremony. Realizing the historical and emotional significance of Huey 823, ceremony planners enthusiastically endorsed Mowry’s offer.

“Liberty Warbirds keeps Huey 823 at Lancaster Airport [Pennsylvania],” Mowry says. “They flew the helicopter to Lincoln Park Airport, and I flew it to the high school, which is only eight-tenths of a mile away—and I took the long way. I landed it on the spot, which used to be the infield of the high school baseball diamond where I played baseball for four years.”

Thrilled with the 400-person turnout, Mowry says it was particularly gratifying to have family and friends at the ceremony.

REUNITING WITH HUEY 823

Mowry’s relationship with Huey 823 began when he left Paterson State Teacher’s College in 1967 to join the U.S. Army. As part of the 170th Assault Helicopter Company (aka The Bikinis), he flew combat helicopters in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia from 1967 to 1971.

In 2015, the Liberty War Bird Association, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, acquired Huey 823 from a private owner and dedicated itself to raising funds in order to restore the aircraft to its original condition. Tasked with recreating the nose art in 2016, Mowry painted the Bikinis’ emblem, featuring a depiction of the pinup known as Annie Fanny. This assignment was reminiscent of the same project he had completed approximately 50 years earlier.

“They restored it how it was; they did not upgrade it except for a few minor things,” Mowry says. “It is authentic. You can still see the bullet holes.”

When people hear Mowry is flying the exact same Huey that he flew in Vietnam, they are awestruck. The unlikelihood of teaming up with a helicopter he flew a half century ago causes Mowry to wonder if any other pilots share this rare distinction.

THE LIBERTY WARBIRD MISSION

The Warbirds’ mission is to educate, honor and restore. The organization seeks to honor those who served and has restored the aircraft to allow people to appreciate the importance of the Huey during the Vietnam War.

The presence of the Huey at different events allows veterans to connect and share their stories. The Warbirds fly the helicopter to different civic, aviation and veterans’ events, reaching thousands of people annually.

Witnessing firsthand the impact the arrival of Huey has on veterans, Mowry notes that Vietnam veterans in general did not exactly come back to a hero’s welcome. Vietnam vets typically had no time to decompress and began the hunt for a job immediately upon their return.

Approximately 15 percent of Vietnam veterans experienced post-traumatic stress disorder, and the majority did not receive adequate treatment because the issue was less recognized at that time. Mowry realizes he was one of the lucky ones because he did not have difficulty returning to civilian life.

“It is about the sound of those blades, which is the sound of the Vietnam experience,” he says. “When we fly in, people get to hear it, see it and touch it. Vets get to experience it and connect with other vets and family and friends.”

A RELUCTANT HERO

When Mowry came home, he moved to Vermont, where he served in the Vermont National Guard as a flight instructor until the late 1970s. He also earned his bachelor’s degree in art education, with studio honors from the University of Vermont. He returned to Pompton Plains, where he raised a family and found a job as a corporate pilot.

Despite the award of a Silver Star, Bronze Star, Air Medals and Vietnam Cross of Gallantry—all associated with valor and heroism—Mowry deflects the notion that he is a hero. Though he flew special ops in some of the Vietnam War’s most dangerous missions, one of his closest brushes with death came as a pilot with NBC News.

On May 4, 2004, Mowry was piloting a Channel 4 helicopter with reporter Andrew Torres, covering a breaking news story involving a shooting in Brooklyn. The copter’s failed tail rotor sent the craft careering wildly as Mowry wrestled to keep it under control before it crash-landed on the rooftop of an apartment building.

An ABC News helicopter crew captured the harrowing scene live. The footage of the helicopter’s tail snapping off and the crushed fuselage painted an ominous picture, but miraculously Mowry and his two passengers survived without serious injuries. Witnesses touted Mowry as a hero for his efforts.

“It was the most viewed helicopter crash in history because it was broadcast live on the 6 p.m. [news],” he recalls.

After the crash, Mowry retired from his career as a pilot and moved to New Hampshire in 2006. He and his wife, Patty, restored a historic 1795 farmhouse, where he operates an art studio out of a barn. Now that he is no longer routinely in the cockpit, he has the time to turn a hobby into a serious pursuit and swap out a control stick for a paintbrush.

BY DEBBIE WALSH