By
Landry Brewer
A
retired Marine One just got a fresh coat of paint in Washita County.
The
aircraft flew from Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona, to
Premium Aerospace Center Oklahoma in Burns Flat for restoration.
The
freshly-painted helicopter was recently unveiled during a ceremony at
PAC that featured the company’s owners and Burns Flat personnel as
well as State Sen. Brent Howard and State Rep. Nick Archer.
This
special helicopter joined the Presidential Squadron, HMX-1—Marine
Helicopter Squadron One—which provides all helicopter
transportation for the President domestically and overseas, on
February 25, 1970.
“It
spent its entire career—from the Nixon administration to the Obama
administration—with the squadron and flew missions for the
President all over the world,” said Ed Farris, President of the
National United States Armed Forces Museum.
In
addition to transporting the President and Vice President, Marine
Helicopter Squadron One is also responsible for transporting cabinet
members, visiting heads of state, and other VIPs as directed by the
White House and Marine Corps.
When
the President is on board, the squadron helicopter’s call sign is
Marine One.
The
recently-restored helicopter was retired in 2014 and placed in
storage at Davis Monthan Air Force Base near Tucson. It flew from
Monthan AFB to Burns Flat to be refurbished.
“PAC
was able to prepare, completely paint and stencil the aircraft within
five days,” Farris said. “PAC did a fantastic restoration;
the staff was exceptional.”
The
helicopter left Burns Flat for its new home in Texas. The former
Marine One will be displayed at Ellington Joint Field Reserve Base in
Houston where it will also be used for training and educational
purposes.
