Battleship Cove unveiling new helicopter exhibit over Memorial Day weekend

FALL RIVER — Just in time for Memorial Day, Battleship Cove is unveiling a new exhibit that will highlight two battle-tested helicopters that were used in Vietnam.

“It’s something I’m very excited about,” said Meghan Rathbun, the museum’s executive director. “We’ve been very lucky and very grateful to have a large number of donors.”

When they think of Battleship Cove, many people may think about the Battleship Massachusetts, a World War II battleship that serves as the centerpiece of the museum’s collection of historical war craft. The museum’s seafaring vessels also includes a destroyer, a submarine, two smaller boats and an East German warship.

Battleship Cove is also home to two helicopters, the UH-1 Huey and AH-1 Cobra, that were used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War.

The museum utilized a $85,000 grant, which was matched by local donors, to construct a replica helicopter hangar to house the two helicopters and a new immersive exhibit.

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The exhibit will include broadcasted sounds of helicopters flying overhead and audio from real missions that the helicopters were used in, with the aim of showing visitors what it would have been like to work on and around a helicopter while in Vietnam. There will also be oral histories from members of the military who worked with the helicopters, informational displays and historic photos.

Along with bringing more information to the public, Rathbun said, the new hangar will also get the helicopters out of the elements and make it easier to do needed restoration work on them.

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Veterans returning to helicopters they flew on

At a grand opening for the new exhibit on Saturday, several veterans who worked on and around the Huey and Cobra in Vietnam are scheduled to talk with visitors about their experiences.

“For some of them it’s the first time they’ve seen their helicopter since Vietnam,” Rathbun said.

Veterans who worked with the helicopters have also been involved with preserving and restoring the historic aircraft in anticipation of the new exhibit, answering questions about how things would have looked and helping paint the helicopters.

During the Vietnam War, Rathbun explained, military members who worked on the helicopters would paint custom designs on them. The custom artwork was removed before the helicopters came into the museum’s possession.

Several veterans helped restore the paintings on the Huey and Cobra, with some men repainting designs they originally did themselves decades ago.

“It’s been amazing not just that we’ve been communicating with them but some of them have been here working on them themselves,” Rathbun said.