For a Vietnam veteran and his grandson, a moment beside a historic helicopter captures why preserving the past matters—and how Friends of the Fleet members help keep those connections alive.
Standing beside a helicopter at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, Chauncey Clark III and his grandson see the same aircraft, but through very different eyes.
For his grandson, it's a chance to explore something he's only beginning to understand. For Chauncey, a Vietnam veteran and former Army combat helicopter pilot, it's a connection to a history he lived—and an opportunity to share that history with someone he loves.
It's a moment that captures what makes Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum so special. Here, history isn't confined to the pages of a textbook. It's something families can experience together, where stories of service and sacrifice become conversations between generations.
For Chauncey, who also serves on the USS Yorktown Foundation's Board of Directors, preserving these experiences is deeply personal.
"When children can reach out and touch a helicopter like this, history becomes real. As a veteran and grandfather, I know that preserving these aircraft honors those who served, provides a place for us to remember and reflect, and gives our children and grandchildren a connection worth keeping. It's how we make sure these stories are never forgotten."
Preserving more than history
Behind every historic ship, aircraft, and exhibit at Patriots Point is an ongoing commitment to preserving the past for those who will come after us.
Through the USS Yorktown Foundation, philanthropic support helps protect these irreplaceable pieces of history, provide educational opportunities and scholarships, and create meaningful experiences for visitors of all ages.
That work is never finished.
After completing the restoration of 12 historic aircraft aboard the USS Yorktown, the Foundation is now turning its attention to four helicopters in the museum's Vietnam Experience—aircraft that help tell the stories of those who served during the Vietnam War.
But preserving these aircraft is about more than maintaining metal and machinery. It's about ensuring that future generations can stand where Chauncey and his grandson stood, ask questions, discover stories, and better understand the people who came before them.
Your membership helps keep those stories alive
That's where the community plays an important role.
Through the Friends of the Fleet membership program, individuals and families become part of the mission to keep history within reach.
Membership comes with benefits like unlimited admission, special discounts, and more. But its impact extends far beyond a return visit. Membership dues join other generous contributions to support the preservation, education, and exhibits that make experiences like Chauncey's possible.
For a veteran, Patriots Point can be a place to remember and reflect. For a student, it can bring a history lesson to life. For a grandparent and grandchild, it can open the door to conversations and memories that last a lifetime.
These are the connections worth preserving. And membership is one way to help ensure they continue.
Because the greatest gift we can give the next generation isn't simply a place to learn about history. It's the opportunity to experience it, understand it, and carry its stories forward.
A place to remember. A way to connect.
Become a Friends of the Fleet member and help keep history within reach.