Retired Fighter Jets Being Refurbished for Display in New Military Park

Aug. 1—On Tuesday, Misco employees carefully moved a retired F-84F Thunderstreak fighter jet to a nearby hangar at the Indiana Air National Guard base.

The military plane will be refurbished and brought back to life, but not for flight.

Instead, it will be sanded and painted in preparation for future display at a new military park, part of Veterans Memorial Park at 3300 Wabash Ave., also the site of Memorial Stadium.

The Indiana Air National Guard display would be known as Racer Air Park.

"It's pretty exciting and a huge community effort," said Col. Charles Goad, wing commander of the 181st Intelligence Wing, located at Hulman Field.

The aircraft was the first of four that will be refurbished through donations and volunteer efforts. The goal is to have a ribbon cutting before Memorial Day in 2024.

"It will be a great display on Wabash Avenue," said Rick Burger of Duke Energy. The Duke Energy Foundation has donated $10,000 toward the project, as has Center Point Energy. Lowe's is donating materials and equipment.

"It's going to cost a lot of money to bring these planes back to life and in the right way, too," said Burger, who also sits on a committee overseeing the effort.

Each aircraft will take about two to three months to refurbish.

Estimated cost of the project is about $200,000. Goad said government funds cannot be used.

Volunteers with expertise on the fighter jets, including retired Air Guard members, will assist with refurbishing efforts.

On Tuesday, Misco Crane Service employees used a crane to raise the jet onto a platform to wheel it into a nearby hangar.

As planned, the Racer Air Park would be located on the southeast corner of Veterans Memorial Park.

"We will have a section that is the Air Guard section," Goad said. The plan is to make the area where the planes are displayed look like a small runway. The planes would be elevated off the ground.

"It's all about heritage and legacy," Goad said. "This unit has done great things for the world through various missions, both flying and not flying. This is just a way to mark that and to show appreciation to the community."

The project would not be possible without community partners, including the mayor and county commissioners as far as land use, he said. RJL Solutions also has been involved as well as the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce.

In addition to refurbishing the planes, other costs will include moving the aircraft to the site, display, lighting and sidewalks.

Without community partners, "None of this would be happening," Goad said.

Jeff Hauser, current executive director of Terre Haute Regional Airport, previously served as commander of the 181st Fighter Wing and later the 181st Intelligence Wing.

"I think this is a great thing," Hauser said. "When we became an Intelligence Wing, the public didn't get to see them [fighter jets] anymore."

Putting the planes on display at Veterans Memorial Park "will give people a chance to look at the history we've had here in Terre Haute that a lot of people didn't even know about," he said.

Efforts to secure necessary funds are still underway, and Burger encouraged those interested in donating to contact either the Terre Haute Chamber or RJL Solutions.

"You're just seeing the start of what's going to really be a neat destination," Burger said.

The project recognizes veterans as well as those currently serving in the armed forces. "We want to recognize the men and women who have fought for our freedom," Burger said.

Sue Loughlin can be reached at 812-231-4235 or at [email protected] Follow Sue on Twitter @TribStarSue

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