June/July Events

Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Come to Wind Crest on July 9

On Thursday, July 9th form 9:00am to 4:00pm in the parking lot next to Pikes Pond and the Legacy Garden we will have the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Vietnam War Helicopter Pilots Association Association and their mobile museum (see photo above) staged for all residents, staff and interested family members.  Refreshments and Docents will be present to answer questions and discuss items in the museum.

Did you know:  Over 10% of all combat and combat support deaths in Vietnam occurred in helicopter operations, a total of 6,175 (2,202 pilots, 2,704 aircrew and 1,269 passengers).

The records of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) reveal that of the 2,202 pilots killed in the war, 1,882 (86%) were U.S. Army and that over two-thirds of that number died while serving in an Assault Helicopter Company or an Air Cavalry Troop. VHPA records also reveal that although casualty rates varied greatly between units, average casualty rates for AHC’s and ACT’s were roughly equal, a statistic often masked by the more glamorized histories of certain air cavalry units.

In addition to the human cost of the helicopter war in Vietnam, the helicopter casualties of that war were staggering by today’s standards.

A total of 11,800 helicopters of all types served in Vietnam. Approximately 5,000 helicopters were destroyed there, of which all but 500 were U.S. Army. Of these, roughly 3,000 were Hueys of all types, 1,100 were Scouts of all types and 300 were Cobras. The vast majority of these were lost while operating in an Assault Helicopter Company or an Air Cavalry Troop.

June Newsletter from the Buckley Retiree Activities Office

Go to the Resources page of our Veterans website (or click here) for a link to the latest (June 2026) newsletter from the Buckley Space Force Base Retiree Activities Office.

Some new material in this month’s newsletter that may be of interest:

• military observances in June;
• RAO Casualty Assistance Support;
• El Paso County Veteran’s Expo;
• Vetstock Music Festival;
• Estate Planning Workshops;
• Veteran Social;
• VA Pre-Need Eligibility for burial in a veteran’s cemetery;
• Vet Connect Event;
• Monthly Tricare Briefs on base;
• Virtual Medicare Brief;
• VA Disability Claims Help at M&FRC and DAV;
• Events for Seniors;
• Wings Over the Rockies Museum events; etc.

Final Week for Freedom Plane Tour at Colorado History Museum in Denver

Through Sunday June 14, the Freedom Plane National Tour will carry rare original Founding-era documents to only eight U.S. cities in 2026 as part of the nation’s 250th anniversary. See the information about the Freedom Plan by clicking the following link to the second posting on the home page of the Veterans website). Look for the headline: “Freedom Plane National Tour comes to Denver History Museum.”