Charlie Troop is looking to increase its "Band of Brothers". Members of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA) and the Vietnam Helicopter Crew Members Association (VHCMA) are already active members and we're looking for more.  With 5 Cobras getting ready to take flight again, a Huey or two inbound and even some fixed wing aircraft, puts a big need on us to sign up more flight crews.  Join up and earn some "sweat equity" and get a seta reserved for the next mission.  HOOAH!

In a nutshell, Celebrate Freedom Foundation is an organization that honors its veterans and educates the public and needs your help.  We have been extremely successful at gathering retired military equipment but not as well at gathering up retired troopers.  We have been concentrating on equipment and now we are focusing on our mission to attract new members.  What was the term we all remember?  We need some FNG's

But that stops now!

Here's our Regimental patch.  We are actually a part of the famous 1st Cavalry Division.   We removed the horse head and replaced it with our Palmetto Tree and Crescent.  The 1st Cavalry patch is probably the best known patch by the public and with our simple modification it'll make it uniquely ours. 

More specifically we're 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment (Separate, LH (Living History)), 1st Cavalry Division.  (This is where you should say HOOAH!)

Initially we wanted to reach out to all of our Vietnam Helicopter pilots that live in South Carolina.  So we contacted the President of the VHPA and asked him if we could start a new SC Chapter and fold it into the Foundation.  He said yes and VHPA supplied us with mailing labels.  Postcards were designed, printed, stamped and delivered.  Hopefully we'll get some feedback and most assuredly some new members.  After all - look what we have available to the membership.

There's another Cobra off the picture to the left.  It's one of our Vietnam Vets, flew with 2/20th ARA, 1st Cavalry.  Of course it's been upgraded to the latest F model and has been release by the Army to be returned to flight status.  The B model Huey has some interesting holes in its documentation as well as a few interesting holes in its fuselage.  Why interesting?  Well the Army claims it never went to Vietnam, but bits and pieces of the log books show trips to Corpus Christy and maintenance on ASA (Army Security Agency) radios.  There's more "spook" stuff but you'll have to visit the hangar to check it out.  We have a few more "flyable" aircraft on the way as well as some dual engine fixed wings (with the stipulation that we fly them at least once a month.)  What kind of starch wing you ask?  Well you have to come to the drill next month to find out.  Here's a hint (puff)

Pilots who are current will have the opportunity to AC our aircraft for public displays, celebrations, and air shows.  CFF has no plans to become a "Blue Angels" type of show but rather an educational and "hands on" type of organization.

Above is aircraft 352.  It's also a Vietnam Vet.  Flew with 1st of the 9th. 1st Cavalry.  Would you believe that one of our members actually flew this aircraft in Vietnam!  Again, it's been upgraded and released for flight.  But, for now, we've mounted it on its own custom built trailer. 

In conjunction with local Army Recruiters, we take 352 to local high schools and have a kind of "discovery day".  We have volunteers that explain to the students the ins and outs of the Cobra.  We emphasize that not only pilots are needed but all types of support people. Students get to climb into the Cobra and watch Cobras in action on heads-up displays that we've installed.  We've been very successful at doing this and Army Recruiting Command has been very pleased with our support.  Wait until you see the updated version of this arrangement.  The plans and an animated video will be displayed at the December Drill.

Charlie "Viper" Troop is the air wing of our Regiment.  The VHPA Chapter of the Celebrate Freedom Foundation will reside in this organization.  After we finish with this membership drive, for pilots, we'll offer the same opportunity for members of the Vietnam Helicopter Crew Members Association (VHCMA), the 1st Cavalry Association, the Bullwhip Squadron, BlueMax, Big Red One, 25th Div, etc. etc. etc.
We need to grow the organization in order for the Foundation to accomplish its mission of education and supporting the military. 

This is Hercules, our beautifully restored D-Day veteran.  It's part of our Bravo Troop, the mechanized troop of our regiment.  Bravo has dozens of restored vehicles that we use for parades, displays, etc.  They are well staffed with volunteers - much more so then the "Vipers"

So come join us!  At least come on out to the "Viper Den" at Woodward Field /Camden airport on December the 13th.   If you're lucky you might get a ride in a "Mattel Messerschmitt"  (Remember those)

for more information call Larry Russell at 803-553-0113 or email him at Larry.Russell@ArmyAv.Org