In 1953, the US Army issued a requirement for a general purpose helicopter that would be relatively simple to operate and maintain. Bell responded with its Model 204, which used a turboshaft powerplant rather than a piston engine, making it faster and more efficient. The Army liked the design and ordered it into production as the HU-1A in 1960, though this was quickly superseded by the HU-1B, with an extended fuselage that allowed for seven troops to be carried. The HU-1A designation was often read as "Huey," and the name stuck far more than its official one, even after the official designation switched to UH-1 after 1962.
The Huey would first see combat in Vietnam, and it became the symbol of that war: just the sound of the UH-1, which is distinctive, echoes that war. The UH-1 was central to the US Army's airmobile concept, which involved moving troops rapidly from point to point in Vietnam, in an attempt to catch North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops. It was somewhat successful, in that American forces could concentrate quickly, move fast, and avoid ambushes along the way. The Huey was vulnerable as it approached the landing zone, and hundreds were shot down: the most dangerous job in the Vietnam War was arguably that of a Huey crewman. Weapons limited only by the crews' imagination were soon added to UH-1s. Vietnam-era slang reflected the Huey's job: a "slick" was a troop-carrying UH-1 with only door guns, while a "hog" was a gunship carrying rockets and heavier guns. Though vulnerable to ground fire and loud, the Huey turned in a superlative performance in Vietnam.
Over 16,000 UH-1s would be produced, and many are still in service, having seen action in every war since Vietnam, worldwide. It is only rivaled by the Russian Mi-8/17 Hip in use.
This UH-1, 67-17455, is technically a UH-1V variant, a Huey used exclusively for aeromedical evacuation and transport, though its service record suggests that it was also used as a troop transport "slick." Unlike many helicopters, this Huey's history was fairly easily located: 67-17455 entered Army service in 1968 with the 4th Infantry Division at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, but unsurprisingly, was soon sent to Vietnam, where it was assigned to the 281st Assault Helicopter Company ("Intruders") at Nha Trang, South Vietnam. The 281st was assigned to transport US Army Special Forces A-teams throughout Vietnam, usually on clandestine missions.
67-17455 would remain at Nha Trang for the next four years, but seemed to have a propensity for hitting trees, doing so twice during its service there. It would be repaired and returned to the US in 1972, and was subsequently assigned to the 9th Infantry Division at Fort Lewis, Washington. It may have finished its career there, or it may have also flown from Fort Rucker as a training helicopter in the late 1990s. It was grounded sometime after that--apparently after hitting something else--and was so badly damaged that 67-17455 would sit derelict at Arlington, Washington for several years. It was eventually restored using parts from another UH-1, and went on display at the Lewis Army Museum probably in the early 2000s.
Today, 67-17455 enjoys its retirement as a museum piece; it seems to be in excellent shape, though it lacks any sort of unit markings (which may be added as it's further restored). We saw it on a cool but pleasant day in May 2024.
