The city of North Lake has long been honored for its Vietnam War memorial which holds the names of locals who served in Vietnam, and a Vietnam-era cobra attack helicopter on a monument. This monument had become run down in its two decades of being at fireman’s park, so local boyscout, Sebastian Shaw, made it his eagle scout project to repaint the massive helicopter to bring it back to its former glory.

North lake’s unique War memorial was repainted as an eagle scout project of Sebastian Shaw, who not only had the entire plane refinished and repainted,  but also apon completion, held a rededication ceremony complete with guest speakers, a color guard, and the army officer who commisioned the restoration. The ceremony took an hour and a half, and thanked the multitude of orginizations which helped bring the project together and raise funds for the transportation of the cobra.

The project offically began after Sebastian had already gotten the idea approved by the local VA, his scout council, and by the local government. Then, upon gathering the needed materials and funds, the helicopter was hoisted off the pedistal by crane, and lowered onto a flatbed truck, where it was then carried to Rubicon WI for restoration. The rededication and repainting of the gunship took over a month, and was extremely complex in detail. After the restoration was complete, the cobra was loaded back onto the flatbed truck, and carefully driven back to north lake.

The helicopter was installed on its pedistal in 2001 to commerate our veterens who served in vietnam, however was beguining to show its age, as it rusted and its color faded. This is what prompted Staff Sergent Anthony Overby to contact local orginazations and see if anyone was willing to take on the project of restoring it, Sebastian rapidly abliged because of its significance to the community and his scouting carreer. “It’s a great project for the veterans,” Shaw said. “I want to help the veterans that paid so much for this country and their families that sacrificed too.”

Now looking brand new, the helicopter honors not only those who served in vietnam, but also those like Sergent Overby and Sebastian Shaw, who served their community and helped to better it.