A project years in the making was completed Thursday when a helicopter that flew in the Vietnam War was mounted on a display at the American Legion post in Ellinwood.

Ken Lebbin, an Ellinwood veteran who served as an Army air traffic controller in Vietnam, spent years looking for a military aircraft in salvage condition. He located an OH-58A Kiowa helicopter near Dorrance in 2022 and restored it to its Army appearance at his hangar in Ellinwood.

“It has three bullet hole patches on the right side,” Lebbin said. A hole from an AK-47 bullet can be seen on the left side.

That’s not surprising. The helicopter, which the Army began using in 1967, was part of a hunter-killer team. The unarmed, single-pilot scout helicopter was teamed with a Cobra gunship. The scout flew lower than the Cobra and snooped around, intentionally drawing gunfire. The Cobra’s mission was to eliminate the target. Because of the nature of that mission, the Army lost many of the pilots who flew these helicopters.

Thursday morning, Ellinwood employees and volunteers moved the helicopter from the hangar to the display area at the southeast corner of Main Street and Santa Fe Boulevard. They attached the rotors and used a crane to lift the helicopter onto a pole.

The display area, mostly the work of John Roth, has a 16-foot metal pole set in a concrete pad. Six feet of the pole are underground, and it extends 10 feet above ground. With an angled mount at the top, the helicopter appears to be coming in for a landing.

“I’m so relieved to see it up there and together,” Lebbin said.

American Legion officers approved the purchase of the helicopter in 2022, and fundraising began to complete the project.

“That first year, I spent a lot of time calling around, all over the United States,” Lebbin said. “A lot of pieces weren’t there, and I learned a lot about it as I went.”

Lebbin, who is now the post adjutant, said fundraising continues because plans call for adding a plaque explaining the helicopter’s significance as well as LED lighting. Donations may be made by check to American Legion Post 320, with “Helicopter Project” in the memo line. Checks may be mailed to Ken Lebbin, 204 W. 11th St., Ellinwood, KS 67526.

A dedication ceremony will be planned in 2027.