As Christmas ornaments go, a helicopter is different.
In a nod to a Connecticut institution, the official 2019 White House Christmas ornament will feature a likeness of a Sikorsky Marine One helicopter that has shuttled presidents since the 1950s.
The Sikorsky ornament honors President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the first chief executive to use helicopters, beginning in 1957. The White House Historical Association in 1981 began designing Christmas tree ornaments recognizing presidents, beginning with George Washington. Last year’s ornament paid tribute to President Harry Truman and the White House balcony he ordered built.
The White House Historical Association interrupted its tradition a few times, as in 2000 when it honored the bicentennial of the White House.
The Marine One helicopter is a familiar aircraft to Americans, seen landing and taking off from the South Lawn of the White House, shuttling the president to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland outside Washington or Camp David, also in Maryland. It’s also been taken overseas to accompany the president, said Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association.
Eisenhower, a general of the Army before he was elected president in 1952, did not favor one branch of the Armed Service over another, he said.
President Gerald Ford designated it a Marine Corps helicopter during his 1974-77 administration, McLaurin said.
In an interview with McLaurin, Dan Schultz, president of Sikorsky, said the Stratford-based helicopter manufacturer, a subsidiary of defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp., is poised to be the supplier of Marine One for decades to come.
“There’s only one no-fail mission and that is to fly the president of the United States safely,” he said. “Now that we’re selected to start delivering the new presidential helicopter we believe we’re going to be another 62 years.”
The Marine One is not just a source of hometown pride for Connecticut, but also represents high-paid manufacturing jobs.
In May 2014, Sikorsky announced a $1.2 billion contract to build the next fleet of presidential helicopters, ending a yearslong effort to return the high-profile project to Connecticut. The manufacturer was then a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. It was sold the following year to Lockheed-Martin.
Connecticut’s congressional delegation lobbied the Pentagon to end a previous contract with Lockheed Martin and Europe-based AugustWestland following cost overruns and production delays.
Stephen Singer can be reached at ssinger@courant.com.
