Yakima Training Center bids a fond farewell to its Huey

The US Army is phasing out the UH-1 "Huey" helicopter by October, 2012. The workhorse of the Vietnam war is one of the most widely recognized helicopters in the world. The Yakima Training Center Air Ambulance Detachment retires its Huey in a final flight ceremony at 10 a.m. this Wednesday, January 25. 

The Huey will have two special guests aboard its final flight around the YTC range, Medal of Honor recipient Colonel Bruce P. Crandall (US Army retired) and Master Aviator and former 9th Aviation Battalion commander Colonel Philip E. Courts (US Army retired). 

The UH-1 Hueys began service with the Army in 1959. More than 15,000 were built, and about 7,000 of them were flown in Vietnam. The Army National Guard retired its Hueys in 2009.

The Huey being retired in Yakima will be replaced by a UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter.