John Blanchard’s THUNDERBIRD TOP FUEL Dragster

Max Loffgren’s POW-MIA ‘55 Chevy

AMVETS present . . . a 1967 UH - 1 H "Huey" Helicopter

The US Armed Services

John Blanchard’s THUNDERBIRD TOP FUEL Dragster

Max Loffgren’s POW-MIA ‘55 Chevy

For one Vietnam Veteran, remembering was not enough. Over the years, each veteran has had to come to terms with the Vietnam War in his or her own way. Max Loffgren choose to pay tribute to those Americans who are still in Vietnam. His 1955 Chevy dragster is adorned with the names of 2,211 POW/MIA.

Loffgren served in the Americal Division in Vietnam between 1969-1970. He is now a firefighter in Fairfield, California who has taken to the racing circuit. "The car speaks for itself. People understand it." His goal is to use the car more to educate, than to race. "This is for those guys and their families."

The Chevy was pulled from a field to be resurrected. With over 3 years of work, the car has been transformed into both a piece of art and a technical triumph.

The hard work is already paying off. People gather around this unusual car to look for a name they might recognize, or reflect on the sacrifice. Dan Ulrich, a volunteer helping with the car said, "You look at the 2,211 names and think about what they and their families went through and your imagination just kind of takes off."

Many individuals and businesses have played a roll in the project. The names create a common bond between those working on the project. Bill Laferriere has spent hours working on the car and is a veteran. He saw the name of a childhood friend. "I also found out three guys from my platoon are MIAs." he said.

"Maybe the families will realize that their son is not forgotten or their dad is not
forgotten," commented Ulrich. In fact, many tears have been shed when family members come in contact with the car. Loffgren recalls that, "A young lady was sitting in the grandstands and saw our flags. She walked up, looked at the names and said, 'That's my dad.' She thanked us and gave us a hug. There were a lot of tears."

 

AMVETS present . . . a 1967 UH - 1 H "Huey" Helicopter                 Our AMVETS, the owners, will be displaying this chopper for guests to enjoy. With the AMVETS present to assist, it will be possible to climb into the chopper and to check out the controls.                             This is the type of helicopter flown in the Vietnam War. The UH-1H (1967-1986) was equipped with an upgraded engine that allowed transport of up to 13 troops. The UH-1H has a two-bladed semi-rigid seesaw bonded all metal main rotor and a two-bladed rigid delta hinge bonded all metal tail rotor. The UH-1H is powered by a single Lycoming T53-L-13B 1400 shp turbo-shaft engine. More UH-1H "Hueys" were built than any other model. It weighs about 3 tons. This Helicopter is being restored by the Concord Vet Center and different veteran service organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area. It will ultimately be a multi-media museum and memorial to the men who flew them and died in them. It will be available for display at schools and at patriotic and veterans events throughout the west. If you would like to help support this project, send donations to the Concord AMVETS Post 26 Helicopter Project at 1899 Clayton Road, Suite 140, Concord CA 94520. All donations are tax deductible.               Honoring the Vietnam Warriors that flew in and died in the Huey Helicopters.             The US Armed Services             The US Air Force             The US Marines             The US Army