Helicopter Monument Dedication Ceremony Set for Oct. 13

The official dedication ceremony of the Vietnam War-era helicopter monument at Willow Grove Veterans Memorial Park, 220 Mineral Ave., is scheduled to begin Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. Among the distinguished guests in attendance for the event will include Capt. David A. Christian, the most decorated and youngest officer of the Vietnam War, who will serve as the keynote speaker, along with Col. Rick Kiernan, a Vietnam veteran and military analyst, and members of the Willow Grove VFW Post 3612 and American Legion Post 308.

“This monument is in recognition of all the brave men and women in our community, and around the world who answered our country’s call in time of need,” said Ralph Storti, president of the Willow Grove World War II Memorial Association, who spearheaded the project. “They provided a needed service to our country, the Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard, and put their lives on the line day in and day out.”

Dedicated to Their Service

The monument, installed this past July, features a green Bell Model 205 UH-ID Series Iroquois “Huey” helicopter suspended in flight on a 15-foot steel support arm angled with its nose pointed to the ground, as if it were just coming in for a landing. Written on the tail of the chopper are the words “U.S. Armed Forces.”

A helicopter was chosen for the site for a specific reason, said Storti, a Vietnam veteran, who served as a construction mechanic in the U.S. Navy Seabees from 1968-1970. He is also a past commander of VFW Post 3612

“A helicopter is synonymous of all five branches of the service,” he said. “So whether you’re in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines or Coast Guard, everybody flies helicopters. So I thought what better tribute to veterans than a helicopter?”

Inside the helicopter are life-size photos of the committee members who made it their mission to see it hover above the park just like Storti dreamed it would. To create a 3D effect, there are photos of the pilot and co-pilot’s front and side profiles. Dressed in flak jackets and helmets, they look like a real helicopter crew. In the pilot seat is Storti and Upper Moreland Township Commissioner Kip McFatridge is his co-pilot. Sitting behind him is Caroline Young, of Youngscape Landscaping. To her left is Bob Mathers, of RHM Real Estate.

Fulfilling a Dream

Willow Grove Veterans Memorial Park’s nine acres were first purchased by neighboring residents shortly after World War II. Their dream was to create a park to honor veterans, but lacked the resources to develop the ground. Willow Grove World War II Memorial Association, the organization in charge of the property, gave control of it to Upper Moreland Township to create War Memorial Park, which later became Veterans Memorial Park. When Storti joined the Association, there was an effort underway to revitalize the park. His initial suggestion of a helicopter was much simpler in the beginning.

“My initial vision was a pole and a helicopter on the top. That was it,” he said. “You can see today it’s much nicer than that.”

Obtaining the helicopter for free was easier said than done. Veterans’ organizations can request them for free but they’re put on a waiting list. Storti was eighth on the list in 2004 and it took eight years for his number to be called. A helicopter flown during the Vietnam War was identified in the Niagara Falls Aerospace Museum. A team from O’Rourke and Sons structural steel business drove up to get it and bring it back down to store in their shop for two years. It was missing parts and needed a lot of work in order to be put back together. Eventually it was moved to the Youngscape facility, where it was painted, reassembled and made ready to be installed at the site. After 14 years of waiting, the site was ready for a crew to begin the six hour job on installing the chopper in its new home.

“There aren’t enough words to describe how excited I was,” said Storti. “We’re talking about 14 years in the making.”

Storti gave a special thanks to early supporters State Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, State Rep. Tom Murt, who helped provide funding through Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development grants, McCloskey and Faber Landscape Architecture, structural engineer Joe Cooke, Upper Moreland Township Commissioners, Code Enforcement and Parks and Recreation departments; Willow Grove Foundation, Hatboro Federal Savings, and Susquehanna and Fox Chase Banks, which also contributed.

Lastly, Storti thanked Bruce Goodman and his sub-contractors, Scott Builders, O’Rourke and Sons, Youngscape and Young Contractors, as well as J.G. Petrucci Company, McFatridge Family and Storti Quality for providing financial, labor and material support in bringing the helicopter idea to reality.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how many people helped me make this happen,” he said. “At the end of the day it was a team effort and I’m very grateful that it all came together.”