MAJOR BAIN BLACK DONATES ART AND REUNITES WITH HUEY 66-15187

November 20, 2024
 
Major (Retired) Bain Black shared his firsthand experience with the Huey helicopter 66-15187, which is currently on display at the Mid America Museum of Aviation and Transportation. In addition to recounting his time with the aircraft, Major Black donated an original oil painting depicting the Huey in action over the Mekong Delta during the Vietnam War.  Black served in the 281st Aviation Battalion and flew on 66-15187 during their military service.
 
The appearances of Black are especially meaningful, as Huey 66-15187 holds a prominent place in the museum, offering the community a unique opportunity to connect with a piece of history. Nicknamed the "Huey" after the phonetic sound of its original designation, HU-1, the UH-1 Iroquois helicopter became the workhorse of the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. Its distinctive sound and versatile capabilities made it an iconic symbol of the conflict, transporting troops, supplies, and medivac casualties in some of the most dangerous environments of the era.
 
Black is pictured in 187 in the Captain seat and recalls the many sounds and sites of the chaos of battle in Vietnam.

K. Bain Black was born in October, 1945 and grew up in Charlotte, NC. Following a year at North Carolina State, Bain was working and saving money for a return to school when he was drafted.  Prior to deployment to Vietnam, his military career included Armor Officer Candidate School, Rotary Wing Flight School and duty with the 82nd Airborne Division.
From May 1968, for one year, Bain served in the U.S. Army with the 281st Assault Helicopter Company (AHC) as both operations officer and platoon leader of the Wolf Pack gun platoon.
 
The 281st AHC was attached to the 5th Special Forces Group.  The 5th flew Long Range Recon missions along the border with Laos and Cambodia. Many tactics developed during these missions continue to be used in special ops worldwide. Following the war, the 281st AHC was designated by the Secretary of the Army as “The Army’s First Special Operations Helicopter Company.”
 
After Vietnam and during the Cold War, Bain spent two years in Germany with the 3rd Armored Division. In 1972 he returned to college, changed his field of study from engineering to business and graduated.
 
The North Carolina National Guard was a great part-time job during college. It lasted 16 more years until military retirement in 1989. Bain retired as a Major. During his guard years he served as an instructor pilot, detachment commander and State Aviation Safety Officer.
 
Bain had a successful civilian career working for manufacturers in the electrical, telecom, and lab equipment industries. He lived in more than 10 different cities, including Phoenix, AZ, where he founded TechMetals, a company that developed and manufactured telecom infrastructure products. TechMetals was also a certified Boeing manufacturer.
 
In 2000, after selling TechMetals, Bain returned to North Carolina. He and his wife, Karen, now reside in Huntersville, just north of Charlotte.

Black was joined with Matt Baughman of the Lincoln, Nebraska area where Baughman and his father worked on the restoration of 66-15187 and it's ultimate donation to the airmuseum in Sioux City.  

The public was invited.  You can also access a recorded interview that is part of the Library of Congress Veterans History Project at https://www.loc.gov/item/afc2001001.122037/.

The museum is especially honored to host Black and his wife as they reunited with us at the museum.

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Black describes the scene where he is in 187 firing shots into a bridge and VC firing at their formation.