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Show 6A Lakeside Review South, Wednesday, February 29, 1984 Rites Say Goodbye To F-1- 05 BARRY KAWA Review Staff HILL AIR FORCE BASE The Air Force bugler sounded taps as the three streaked overhead in a missing man formation that signaled the loss of one of their F-1- Thun-derchie- fs own. ;It sent a chill down the spine of those who often saw the formation on a daily basis in the skies over Vietnam. For others too young to remember, it brought hope 'that mans machines would never have to be used for that purpose again. But as the three F- - 105s flew Saturday in ceremonies at Hill Air Force Base to officially retire the plane, it was a time of remembrance and honor for the, pilots and their crews who had called the plane best friend. Men who lost their lives flying were remembered with the the dedication of a permanent pedestal monument near the South Gate of. the base. f that estabi The famed lished itself as a legend in the U.S. Air Force during action in Vietnam from 1964 to 1974 was also honored. The historic cere-- , monies officially retired the after a career of 28 years as a combat and reserve unit plane of the Air Force. The theme of the ceremonies sponsored by the 419th Tactical Fighter Wing was People, Let Me Tell You Bout My Best Friend. An estimated 1,500 Air THE LAST operational flight of the F-1- 05 Thunderchief was an refueling from a ht KC-13- 5 Stratotanker last Saturday at F-1- F-1- F-1- F-1- Force personnel and civilians attended the dedication ceremo- nies, static aircraft displays, displays and flyover by the planes that included two former Medal of Honor winners among the pilots. To me, and to all of you gathered here, the has grown to be something special, said Brig. Gen. Roger P. Scheer, F-1- F-1- F-1- 05 monument dedication speaker and deputy to the chief of Air Force Reserve. Scheer said the Thud has not always been referred to in such pleasant terms by pilots and oth er early nicknames were Ultra Squash Bomber and Hog, Lead Sled. He said, however, in a period of 10 years the earned the affectionate term Thud from the pilots and maintenance personnel who had the opportunity to fly and work on this great airplane." as Scheer praised the an extremely effective airplane," and capable of taking it and dishing it out." was a The fighter bomber capable of delivering conventional or nuclear weapons. The plane came multi-purpos- er as the B-- 750-pou- F-1- F-1- 05 two-seat- model. Top speed was 1,400 miles per hour and top ceiling range above 48,000 feet. The planes bomb bdy could carry a bigger load than a bomber with a total capacity of 16 bombs. The aircraft first broke the sound barrier in October, 1955, and logged .more than one billion air miles with many of those in flying combat sorties in Southeast Asia. The 419th Tactical Fighter Wing at Hill was the last, operational unit that flew the Battle record of the show a final MiG kill of 27V: in the Vietnam war. A total of 98 pilots were listed as missing in action and 1 7 were killed in action during the Vietnam F-1- , in a or as a single seater e, 5s F-1- 05 War. Two pilots were awarded the Medal of Honor for a March 10, 1967, mission flown by then Capt. Merlyn H. and April 19, 1967, mission flown by then Maj. Leo K. Thorsness. Col. Leo K. Thorsness (USAF, Ret.) was the backseat honoree in Saturin one of the said the and ceremonies days beauty of the plane hasnt changed in the 17 years since hes flown one. It became a classic," he said. There never will be a prettier profile plane on F-1- Deth-lefse- n, 5s the outside.- ' WING-TI- P flying i was one of the 5s fortes. - Thorsness was awarded the Medal of Honor for the mission in 1967 when he shot down a MiG 17 and was later shot down and spent six years as a prisoner of war. r AN F-1- 05 urnrv iiwTmWnrirfii If Thunderchief. monument dedicated at HAFB, f V J 4b 4 |