F-105D “Thunderchief” Aircraft

Delivered to the U.S. Air Force in May 1958 as a low-level, high-speed nuclear strike aircraft, the F-105 saw extensive service in the Vietnam War. During the war, the U.S. Air Force utilized the F-105 as a strike aircraft and surface-to-air missile suppression “Wild Weasel” aircraft. Heavily laden with conventional bombs, pilots had difficulty maneuvering the aircraft and suffered terrible losses to anti-aircraft fire and North Vietnamese fighter aircraft. Over half of the 610 F-105s built were lost in combat during Vietnam. This aircraft is a living tribute to all U.S. pilots lost in the Vietnam War.