Former U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell’s name will fly in the skies for decades.
The U.S Army recently unveiled the MV-75 Cheyenne II, the newest long-range assault aircraft that will replace the infamous “Black Hawk” as the Army’s primary assault helicopter.
One of the first aircraft will receive the “Nighthorse” moniker in honor of the late U.S. senator and Northern Cheyenne chief, as requested by Northern Cheyenne President Gene Small.
“We are honored to commemorate Mr. Campbell’s significant contributions to both the nation and the Cheyenne people. His legacy of service and leadership is an inspiration to us all,” wrote Jeffrey Poquette, Future Long Range Assault Aircraft program manager, in a letter to Small.
“Nighthorse” will be painted below the pilot and co-pilot windows, with the Northern Cheyenne flag displayed directly beneath it, Poquette said.
“I’m tremendously proud,” Shanan Campbell said in a written response to The Durango Herald. The family has known about the honor for several weeks but had been unable to say anything until the formal announcement, she said.
Nighthorse Campbell left high school to enlist in the U.S. Air Force and serve in the Korean War.
“That decision changed everything,” Shanan Campbell said. “It gave him structure, discipline, and a sense of purpose that carried through the rest of his life.”
The Army has a tradition of naming rotary-wing aircraft after Native American nations – the Apache and the Black Hawk, for example.
For this first series of aircraft, the Army worked directly with the Northern and Southern Cheyenne Nations to name the individual aircraft. Four will be named in honor of the Northern Cheyenne, and four in honor of the Southern Cheyenne.
The aircraft is a hybrid rotary-wing vehicle that takes off like a helicopter and flies with the speed of a fixed-wing plane. It has a combat range of 500 to 800 nautical miles and can carry a full squad of soldiers into battle.
“My father would be deeply honored. He was never someone who looked for recognition, but this would mean so much to him,” Shanan Campbell said.
jbowman@durangoherald.com
