As the jeep became the symbol of the World War II Soldier, the UH-1 helicopter, commonly known as the Huey, really symbolized the aircrews of all four services in Vietnam.  The Huey was the workhorse helicopter of the war.  The personal connection with the Huey remains for many Vietnam veterans.
“I can also attest to you that it was not just a machine, it became a part of us,” Brig. Gen. Alberto Jimenez said.

Jimenez was an helicopter pilot in Vietnam with more than 700 combat hours.

“It was our lives," he said. "It was our friend. It was the aircraft that took us in and out of Vietnam, and it was also the aircraft that saved many countless lives as we rushed the wounded and the sick out of the battlefield.”
About 7,000 of 16,000 Hueys produced since the 1950s were flown in Southeast Asia. ...