WILLIAMSTOWN, Ky. — John Osborne, like so many others who served in the Vietnam War, dealt with his demons when he returned home. Over time he used his creative side to draw and paint his way through the trauma.
"The artwork was my place to go," Osborne said. "It was a place to hide."
Osborne's creative side also led to a meeting with a young Mark Christopher, who took art lessons from him.
"I gave him a lot of crap," Christopher said.
He chalks it up to being a young kid who had some rebellious teenage years.
As years went by, the two remained close friends.
"Slowly through the years, I started learning about Vietnam, learning about his story. I was like, 'John, why don't you talk about that?' He said, 'Look at my artwork.' I was like holy cow," Christopher said.
As years went by, Christopher continued to learn and cherish those conversations. Eventually, he grew up and now serves as Williamstown, Kentucky’s mayor. During a recent conversation, Osborne revealed to Christopher one wish he had.
"One day he and I were talking, and he said, 'I'd like to ride one more time on a helicopter,'" Christopher said. "I said, 'I'll make it happen.' And I had no idea how."
After a couple of phone calls, one of which was to Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, rotors were in motion to get Osborne his final flight in a Huey. It turned out that the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation happened to be in Dayton for an event and July 24 was a travel day back to their home base. The unit made a flight deviation plan to Williamstown.
On a gravel parking area on the edge of the soccer fields off Eibeck Lane in Williamstown, several people gathered to honor Osborne and his service. State representatives and other agencies spoke to the crowd and showered Osborne with accolades.
Interrupting the speakers was the distinct thumping sound off in the distance getting closer and closer. Just moments after the first thumps could be heard, two Huey helicopters and one Cobra helicopter came over the tree line before circling to land in the field.
This was the moment Christopher had been waiting to see.
Osborne was aided onto the helicopter by a fellow Vietnam veteran who served in the same unit but at different times. He sat in the gunner’s position and seated next to him was his daughter Lara.
The flight lasted about 15 minutes and when he landed and was asked about being back on a Huey, he said it was great.
“There’s nothing that compares with that,” he said.
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