Rochester, New Hampshire Teens Captured Flying Inside a Black Hawk Helicopter
Rochester residents and neighbors became equal parts concerned and curious yesterday morning when they kept seeing a military helicopter circle in the sky. Facebook user Shanna Welch-Lafountain was one of the first to call attention to it with her post in the You KNOW you're from Rochester, NH when... group on Facebook.
"Anyone know why the helicopter is circling from downtown to frisbee? I would think military training but it's a week day and I assume that's during the weekends or summer time."
The New Hampshire National Guard was visiting Spaulding High School
It turns out that Shanna was half-right in assuming that military training wouldn't be taking place during the beginning of the week in November. The New Hampshire National Guard made a special trip to Spaulding High to interact with recruits at the school, which included letting them experience riding in a Black Hawk helicopter first-hand.
The experience wasn't only limited to the recruits, though. Numerous Spaulding High students were allowed to walk out onto the school's triangle (Spaulding High's equivalent to a college quad) and not only check out the Black Hawk up close and personal, but they also had the opportunity to sit inside while it was grounded.
The New Hampshire National Guard has been around since the 1600s
The first instance of the New Hampshire National Guard being used as a militia traces back to 1623, when it was used as a means of self-defense amongst the first settlements near the mouth of the Piscataqua River in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. From there, they had a presence and impact on the French & Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, and 9/11. Which fits right in with their simple mission of "Fight & Win America's Wars, Secure the Homeland, and Build Enduring Partnerships."
Certainly an amazing opportunity for both Spaulding High students and recruits to experience such a massive part of Granite State history.
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