Brad Stockwell, Phoenix, Ariz., spoke about his experience with the Huey helicopter during Vietnam and shared his research of Lawrence Bell.

Text and Photos
By Deb Patterson
InkFreeNews

MENTONE — It was standing room only in the Bell Museum hanger in Mentone Saturday afternoon, Sept. 14, to hear Brad “Woodstock” Stockwell, talk about flying Huey helicopters in Vietnam and after his tour of duty.

Stockwell, a member of the American Huey 369, was the guest speaker at Roters over Mentone.

The U.S. Army helicopter pilot learned about the museum prior to COVID from a Rochester resident he met in Phoenix, Ariz. He made a trip to the museum and fell in love with the exhibits and the preservation of the Huey and Lawrence Bell’s creation. He has made it a point to attend Roters over Mentone each year.

He stated upon his first visit in 2020, he met Tim Whetstone, who came up to him and talked to him about the Bell 48 and stated he had one. Stockwell was even shown the data plate with a hole punched out indicating it was no longer flyable.

Stockwell, who flew Bell UH-1 helicopters in Vietnam joined the Army and was sent to Vietnam in 1971, leaving in 1973. He talked about attending helicopter training, which they called high school to flight school. He was given a nine-month flight school before getting his wings. He was stationed with the first Calvary division, Snoopy unit. He later met several others who had been in the same unit through the American Huey 369 organization and at the Bell Museum.

He told various stories of initiating new pilots, attending the USO Show on Christmas Day in 1971.

He noted during his time, there were 40,000 attending flight school and every two weeks 200 pilots graduated. He also told stories of other pilots and their experiences with the Bell helicopters.

However, upon leaving the Army, helicopter pilots had a hard time getting jobs as there were not a lot of helicopters being used.

He talked of becoming a police officer in Seattle, Wash., where the department had been given 20 helicopters, but a pilot had to be an officer. After leaving the police force he worked for PHI and flew out over the Gulf of Mexico to the oil fields. He noted at that time a pilot didn’t have GPS, or navigational equipment. All they had was a map, compass and a watch. He also flew medical helicopters before his retirement in 2016.

Stockwell took an interest about Bell and learned who he was and research on his helicopters and planes.

The event included helicopter rides, several stationary helicopters to view, food, and information along with the opportunity to see the Bell 47 “Whirlybird” displayed in the museum and the Mentone Historical Museum.

The program included a welcome from Brian Iddles, and an invocation by Pator Emily Gearhart of the Mentone United Methodist Church. The Tippecanoe Valley Band played the National Anthem and also provided a medley of armed forces anthems.

The program for the event concluded with recognition of sponsors and volunteers who helped with the event.