Please note: the helicopter event has been rescheduled for June 11, 2022.
A Helicopter Will Land at Red Land Library!
Every war has a defining image of the conflict. In the Vietnam War (1968-70), it was the “Huey” — officially, the Bell UH1 Iroquois. A restored “Huey” helicopter that flew during the war in Vietnam is coming out of winter storage at Lancaster Airport and Karen Hostetter, library manager, wanted it to land in Newberry Commons, Etters, where the library is located. It is a very expensive maneuver, but the library sought support from veteran and community organizations in the area to help with the funds needed and they responded. The Huey will be flown across the river for a fly in and educational program on May 14, 2022, June 11, 2022 from 2pm-4pm. Events begin at 1pm with area groups set up while families gather for the landing.
The library has a large area for the Huey to land and will be an amazing opportunity for visitors to not only learn about the work that the helicopter did during that conflict, but to see and hear this big chopper with the outsize rotors fly in and land will make this an unforgettable history lesson. The “Huey” was lovingly restored by the Liberty War Bird Association in Lancaster whose mission is to educate, honor, and restore. “Having the Huey land in Newberry Commons will be the perfect fit for our program on the topic by Buck Buchanan and month-long display on the Vietnam war,” Hostetter remarked.
Thank you to the following organizations for providing funds to bring the Huey to Newberry Commons: James A. Danner, VFW Post 537, Etters; York County Veterans Affairs; Neychip (Northeastern York County History in Preservation); AllVets of York; and donations from private individuals.
Pilot Speaks at the Library – still taking place May 23
Richard “Buck” Buchanan, a Huey helicopter pilot during the Vietnam war, will present a program on the essential roles of the Huey helicopter in Vietnam throughout 1968-70. This in-library event will be held on Monday, May 23 at 6 pm. Register at yorklibraries.org/events at the link below. https://www.yorklibraries.org/event/zoom-into-history-buck-buchanan-helicopterpilot-in-vietnam/
Vietnam War Display During May – still on display throughout May
During the month of May, the library will have a display of military items from the Vietnam war.
Note: The catalyst for all the above programming began with a book – the Life We Bury by Allen Eskens is the 2022 One Book, One Community read whose main character is a Vietnam veteran. The murder mystery is available at participating libraries.