Frank McChesney of Terre Haute served as the commanding officer of the 114th aviation company for the US Army during the Vietnam War. A pilot of a Huey utility helicopter, McChesney was on a group mission when one of the helicopters flown by a pilot named Bailey Jones was shot down. McChesney radioed to say he planned to pick up Jones and his crew, but Jones told him not to come; with Vietcong soldiers only 40 yards away, “It’s too hot,” he said. McChesney arrived anyway and rescued Jones and his crew, one member already killed. Several years later, Jones wrote his memoirs about his experiences in Vietnam, and sent one of the books to McChesney with an inscription on the coversheet that read: “Frank McChesney, I thank you for saving me and my crew from being captured by the Vietcong who shot us down” and signed it “Bailey Jones.”
This display includes uniforms and items that belonged to McChesney, including a photo of him receiving an award from General William Westmoreland, commander of US forces during the Vietnam War.