Pilot visits his old gunship at Veterans Park

Army helicopter pilot Bill Heilman of Hooks, Texas, exchanges stories with local veterans at Veterans Park, during a visit to Dixon.

Heilman, an Indiana native, racked up 800 combat hours, 40 of them in the park’s  two-seat Cobra; however, he mostly flew UH-1 Hueys during his military career.

During his two tours in Vietnam, Heilman spent a lot of time on reconnaissance missions. Among his duties was patrolling along the Cambodian border.

The Army chief warrant officer spent 6 years in the Army and 26 years in the National Guard, allowing the small-town Hoosier to see the world.