An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Oct. 20, 2010

Former Guardsman rescues historic Apache

By Rick Wood, Joint Base Lewis-McChord

TUMWATER, Wash., - Sitting amid storage sheds and greenhouses near Olympia, the old cobra looks exactly the same as the 12 other attack helicopters that surround it.

Literally moments from the chopping block, the slightly faded tail number on a surplus AH-1G attack helicopter saved a piece of history from being reduced to spare parts.

When Washington State Department of Natural Resources helicopter mechanic Tom Wojnar, an Army Vietnam War veteran, saw the number "66-15259," he instantly knew he was looking at a historic aircraft.

"Sixty-six was significant," Wojnar said. "That's an old helicopter. It had to be one of the first ones made."

In fact, because the tail number indicated the year of manufacture, it was most certainly one of the first 12 cobras produced in the world, he said.

"I immediately stopped removing parts from it," Wojnar said.

"Virginia Rose II" flew into the history books on Sept. 4, 1967 as the first AH-1G to fly in Vietnam.

The helicopter's next possible milestone remains debatable but according to online forums, the "Virginia Rose II" also scored the first combat kills in theater.

Wojnar served with the Signal Corps in Vietnam from 1968 to 1969. After completing his enlistment, he opted to return to the service via the National Guard where he trained as an aviation mechanic.

"I love working on cobras," Wojnar said. "When I was in, they were state-of-the-art."

Now, being around so many of the attack helicopters makes him feel like a kid in a candy store, he said.

Part of the DNR's "Helitack" Program, the cobras provide direct helicopter and firefighter support for initial and extended attack wildfire suppression operations within Washington State.

The state acquired 21 of the former Army helicopters through government surplus as both a cost-saving measure and to enhance their capabilities.

"We have five AH-1Gs that are operational right now," Wojnar said. "Not a bad investment at a dollar a piece."

Scavenging parts from several aircraft, along with ordering new parts, has helped create a fleet of unique rapid-response firefighting helicopters, he said.

After having identified the "Virginia Rose II," Wojnar said he hopes to find her a better home.

A couple of museums have already expressed interest, he said.

A tour of the aircraft reveals tail art depicting a silhouette of a Viet Cong soldier with three red dots on it. Also, upon closer inspection, the original three-color camo pattern can still be made out under the current olive drab paint scheme.

"It would make a great static display," Wojnar said.

It is possible that the "Virginia Rose II" might end up in Maryland as a display for the National Guard unit that originally sold the aircraft as surplus in 2001.

Time and budget cuts are the enemy right now, he said.

"The state could decide to end this program," Wojnar said. "If more people knew this aircraft was out here, it would stand a better chance of being preserved."

 

 

Related Articles
Air National Guard judge advocates and state partnership program attorneys pose for a photo inside the North Carolina Supreme Court, in Raleigh, North Carolina, July 31, 2025. The North Carolina Air National Guard judge advocates invited state partnership program attorneys from Malawi, Zambia, and Botswana to participate in a Mini African Military Legal Forum at the Charlotte Air National Guard Base on August 1-2, 2025.
North Carolina Air Guard Hosts Mini African Military Law Forum
By 2nd Lt. Mary McKnight, | Aug. 26, 2025
CHARLOTTE-DOUGLAS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BASE, N.C. - Judge Advocates from the North Carolina Air National Guard hosted the North Carolina National Guard’s state partner legal advisors from Malawi, Zambia and Botswana for a...

Airmen from the 157th Air Refueling Wing and airport personnel from Amílcar Cabral International Airport offload a KC-46 Pegasus with 33,000 pounds of cargo on the flight line Aug. 18, 2025, at Amílcar Cabral International Airport, Cabo Verde. The mission with medical resources flew the most considerable amount of freight ever loaded on a single New Hampshire KC-46.
New Hampshire Airmen Deliver Hope to Cabo Verde After Hurricane Erin
By Tech. Sgt. Victoria Nelson, | Aug. 26, 2025
PEASE AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, N.H. – In a swift response to the devastation resulting from Tropical Storm Erin that hit the Cabo Verde Islands Aug. 11, Airmen from the New Hampshire Air National Guard loaded nearly 40,000...

U.S. Air Force HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter assigned to the 129th Rescue Squadron, California Air National Guard deploys countermeasure flares as a U.S. Air Force F-15D Eagle from the 144th Fighter Wing, California Air National Guard, maneuvers overhead during a joint over-water test flight, Aug. 20, 2025.
Guard, Reserve and Navy Test Helicopter Countermeasures Over Water
By Senior Airman Serena Smith, | Aug. 26, 2025
MOFFETT AIR NATIONAL GUARD BASE, Calif. — The 129th Rescue Wing, based at Moffett Air National Guard Base in Mountain View, California; the 144th Fighter Wing, based at Fresno Air National Guard Base, California; and the Air...