Monitor Photo/Carla Gray
Friends of Kaufman County Veterans Park Board Member Dallas Fox (from left), Kaufman County Veterans Service Officer Robert Hunter, TVEC Operations Superintendent Josh Lathem, TVEC Journeyman Colby Stone, TVEC Crew Foreman Lance Robison, TVEC Apprentice Lineman 4 Jaime Llamas and Friends of Kaufman County Veterans Park Board Member and Fundraising Chairman Ray Raymond admire the latest addition to the Kaufman County Veterans’ Memorial Park a Bell 8 H-1 Cobra helicopter. TVEC volunteered time, equipment and personnel to position the helicopter in its new home.

KAUFMAN‑The City of Kaufman has a new icon that was delivered to the Kaufman Veterans’ Memorial Park. It is a Bell 8 H-1 Cobra helicopter that was donated to the memorial by President of Veterans Resource Center in Dallas Ken Waterson.
County Veterans Service Officer Robert Hunter has been working on the Veterans’ Memorial Park, with updates and repairs, along with the help of citizens and local government of Kaufman a purchase of a four-fifths size replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Hunter is always looking to add new features to the memorial park and when he discovered Waterson was looking for a home for the helicopter he was eager to offer it a home in Kaufman.
The Cobra is a single engine, attack helicopter. According to Hunter the helicopter would have only one purpose “bullets on targets.” It is unclear where this helicopter would have served but it is “a high probability that it did serve.” Hunter continued, “The helicopter held two pilots, of which they sat one behind the other, so it is a very narrow cockpit.” Over the next year the helicopter will be restored to  its original color, with parts that have gone missing to be replaced. Hunter continued,“It will look like it is mission ready. As of now Marines is on one side of the tail and Army is on the other side. When it is repainted Marines will be on both sides of the tail in honor of Waterson, who was a Marine.” 
The helicopter arrived at the memorial sight in December, on a custom-built trailer, but until recently, weather conditions made it difficult to place it on the concrete pad. Trinity Valley Electric Cooperative (TVEC) is a supporter of the memorial, so they sent out help to move the helicopter from the trailer to the concrete pad. 
According to TVEC Media and Content Supervisor Don Johnson, The massive helicopter had to be lifted off the trailer while carefully making sure it did not turn. The volunteer team had to use a digger truck, which is used for lifting heavy equipment and telephone poles. The crew that uses a digger truck is highly trained at maneuvering heavy objects.
Another piece of equipment that was used was a bucket truck. A bucket truck is a heavy-duty truck with a hydraulic electric lift system that has a bucket attached to a boom (arm), helping the worker to reach above trees and telephone poles. Johnson said, “the bucket truck was used to keep the helicopter stable, from spinning as it was being lifted off the trailer.” Hunter said, “once the helicopter was lifted, about a foot, the trailer was pulled out from underneath and the helicopter was placed on the concrete pad.”
Johnson said that TVEC has a great appreciation for our service men and women. When they were contacted to help move the helicopter, volunteers were ready and willing.
The helicopter can be seen at the Kaufman County Veterans’ Memorial Park, 3800 S. Houston, in Kaufman. There are three events that happen at the park yearly, Memorial Day, Veterans’ Day and Wreaths Across America, each event begins at 11 a.m..