Tonawanda in Erie County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)

Remembering Vietnam Monument

Photographed by Bradley Owen, April 20, 2025

1. Remembering Vietnam Monument

WO 1 Jim Ferguson
A/4/77 ARA
Pilot 19 Jan 1972
67-15690

CPT Michael Neufeld
Practice being kind
instead of being right

Inscription.

Remembering Vietnam Monument. . Remembering Vietnam This memorial was made possible by the Niagara Aerospace Museum of Niagara Falls. The helicopter is on "permanent loan" to Vietnam Veterans of American Chapter 77 and the City of Tonawanda., AH-1G Helicopter 67-15690 On 19 January 1972 CPT Michael John Neufeld and W01 Jimmie D. Ferguson in Cobra 67-15690 while on a Command and Control North mission were shot down. The mission was based out of Danang Air Base. On a flight to Phu Bai with five UH-1's and four AH-1's helicopter 67-15690 sustained two 30 caliber hits., One round struck the aircraft on the right bottom side and lodged in the 40 MM drum. The second round hit the pitch pull tubes, center punching one and severing the second one. The pilot W01 Jimmie D. Ferguson lost control of the aircraft and it crashed upside down in four feet of water in a rice paddy. CPT. Neufeld managed to get out of the rear seat and proceeded to get to W01 Ferguson. In the process CPT Neufeld took his survival knife and punched a hole in the windshield, as W01 Ferguson was trying to get out he was stabbed in the right forearm. Both pilots were rescued by the other helicopters in the flight. The helicopter was recovered and repaired and went back into service. In 1972 it was returned to Ft. Lewis, Washington and assigned to a unit. In early 1974 it was sent to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky and in late 1974 to Ft. Hood, Texas. From the 1990's to the early 2000's the Cobra was flown by the Army National Guard out of Rochester, New York, then retired and sent to Ft. Drum, New York where it was deactivated and the engine removed., The Army awarded the Cobra to the Niagara Aerospace Museum in downtown Niagara Falls where it was displayed on the roof for several years before the museum moved and it was placed in storage. Museum director Paul Faltyn began looking for a place to display it, and contacted the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 77 and an agreement was made to make a permanent loan for the memorial., CPT Michael Neufeld passed away in 2011 at age 64 in Kansas from the effects of Agent Orange exposure., W01 Jimmie Ferguson resides in Bowling Green, Kentucky..

Remembering Vietnam
This memorial was made possible by the Niagara Aerospace Museum of Niagara Falls. The helicopter is on "permanent loan" to Vietnam Veterans of American Chapter 77 and the City of Tonawanda.

AH-1G Helicopter 67-15690
On 19 January 1972 CPT Michael John Neufeld and W01 Jimmie D. Ferguson in Cobra 67-15690 while on a Command & Control North mission were shot down.
The mission was based out of Danang Air Base. On a flight to Phu Bai with five UH-1's and four AH-1's helicopter 67-15690 sustained two 30 caliber hits.

One round struck the aircraft on the right bottom side and lodged in the 40 MM drum. The second round hit the pitch pull tubes, center punching one and severing the second one. The pilot W01 Jimmie D. Ferguson lost control of the aircraft and it crashed upside down in four feet of water in a rice paddy. CPT. Neufeld managed to get out of the rear seat and proceeded to get to W01 Ferguson. In the process CPT Neufeld took his survival knife and punched a hole in the windshield, as W01 Ferguson was trying to get out he was stabbed in the right forearm. Both pilots were rescued by the other helicopters in the flight. The helicopter was recovered and repaired and went back into service. In 1972 it was returned to Ft. Lewis, Washington and assigned

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to a unit. In early 1974 it was sent to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky and in late 1974 to Ft. Hood, Texas. From the 1990's to the early 2000's the Cobra was flown by the Army National Guard out of Rochester, New York, then retired and sent to Ft. Drum, New York where it was deactivated and the engine removed.

The Army awarded the Cobra to the Niagara Aerospace Museum in downtown Niagara Falls where it was displayed on the roof for several years before the museum moved and it was placed in storage. Museum director Paul Faltyn began looking for a place to display it, and contacted the Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 77 and an agreement was made to make a permanent loan for the memorial.

CPT Michael Neufeld passed away in 2011 at age 64 in Kansas from the effects of Agent Orange exposure.

W01 Jimmie Ferguson resides in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

Erected 2016 by The Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 77 Committee.

Topics. This monument and memorial is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, Vietnam. A significant historical date for this entry is January 19, 1972.

Location. 43° 0.644′ N, 78° 54.258′ W. Monument is in Tonawanda, New York, in Erie County. It is on Niagara Street (New York State Route 266) just east of Veterans Road, on the left when traveling west

Photographed by Bradley Owen, April 20, 2025

2. Remembering Vietnam Monument

. Marker is located in Veterans Memorial Park. Touch for map. Monument is at or near this postal address: 744 Niagara Street, Tonawanda NY 14150, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this memorial monument is in Upstate New York,

specifically in Western New York,

and in the Buffalo Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American Northeast,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Mid-Atlantic.

Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

New Netherland,

and one of the original Thirteen Colonies.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: A Tribute To All Who Served (within shouting distance of this marker); Veterans Park (within shouting distance of this marker); Welcome to Veterans Memorial Park (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Westward to Buffalo (about 500 feet away); The Brewery (approx. 0.4 miles away); Engineering the Erie Canal (approx. half a mile away); Grand Island Ferry (approx. half a mile away); Erie Canal Site (approx. 0.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tonawanda.

Credits. This page was last revised on April 22, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 22, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. This page has been viewed 133 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on April 22, 2025, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia.