History of Veterans Memorial
The Veterans Memorial at Robert G. Hunter Memorial Park is the poignant centerpiece of honor and remembrance for all of Douglas County’s fallen servicemen. Almost taking a decade to manifest, the determination of three men allowed the Veterans Memorial to become a reality in order to preserve a legacy.
On May 25, 1966, 1st Lt. Robert G. Hunter was forced to punch out of his F-105D over northern Laos during a close air support mission after being struck by anti-aircraft fire. Tragically Lt. Hunter lost his life that day, becoming Douglas County’s first casualty of the Vietnam War. Months later the Douglasville City Park was renamed after the fallen Air Force officer and a stone monument would be erected in his honor in 1967.
Years would past as the war would come to a close in 1973. Hunter Memorial Park expanded to include more ball fields and programs as the population grew. However in growing times the history and honor associated with the park faded, a community moved on with living and newcomers would simply not know.
Below is a comprehensive history of the Veterans Memorial that is being provided by the Saving Hunter.
1991-1996
Bob Harper and retired Vietnam War Army Veteran, Keith Williams, came together while working for the City of Douglasville to relinquish the honor of 1st Lt. Robert G. Hunter and other Douglas County servicemen by formulating a plan to erect a new memorial for veterans. In the summer of 1991 both men were in pursuit of an F-105D, the same aircraft Lt. Hunter was flying while shot down over Laos, to be placed at Hunter Memorial Park.
Bob Harper contacted the Air Force Aircraft / Missile Donation Program at Davis-Monthan AFB to see if an F-105D could be acquired for static display purposes. In August a response came with a disappointing answer: an F-105D could not be provided due to aircraft panels having radiation material and there was no program in effect to remove such panels.
Instead the Air Force was able to provide an F-4C [Wikipedia] that was at Sheppard AFB, despite the dramatic difference between the two aircraft. The F-105D Thunderchief [Wikipedia] is a supersonic fighter-bomber that was designed to carry and drop a nuclear payload at low levels and high speeds. Whereas the F-4 Phantom was a purpose built all-weather long-range fighter-bomber that could attack flying aircraft and ground targets using standard ammunitions.
Although the information from the Air Force was upsetting, Harper and Williams never gave up in searching for a way to obtain an F-105D. It would take another six years before an opportunity would come knocking at their door.
1997
After elections were concluded in 1996, the new year began with a slew of new personnel at the city. Elected to the city council was retired Marine Earl Cosgrove, who was also the Commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Post 10798. Councilman Cosgrove heard about the efforts made by Harper and Williams after taking office.
Since Councilman Cosgrove was associated with the VFW, the veteran’s organization had access to demilitarized aircraft through the Aircraft Maintenance and Regeneration Center at Davis-Monthan AFB. Suddenly the opportunity to snatch the coveted F-105D was in sight.
On 3 May 1997, Cosgrove, Harper, and Williams landed in Tucson, Arizona, to finally choose an F-105D of their choice located at the Bone Yard on Davis-Monthan AFB. For the first couple of days the men met with Tom Dunlevy, a representative of AMARC, to go through paperwork, maintenance issues, service to be done on the aircraft and transportation.
Then on 6 May the group headed out to the Bone Yard where five F-105Ds were resting underneath the hot Arizona sun. Some of the aircraft had been mothballed, meaning that parts of the aircraft were covered for protection. In one part of the yard there were two F-105Ds standing between two F-106s [Wikipedia].
Both aircraft were from the 149th Virginia Air National Guard (VANG) unit with their distinctive markings on the tail and recognizable nose/body art on the fuselage. Nose wheels were missing on both aircraft as they sat on blocks of wood, preventing the aircraft from sinking into the ground.
The two aircraft were identified as 60-0492 and 61-0164. F-105D, 60-0492, had the nose cone and parts of the fuselage mothballed, but needed some attention. According to the book Roll Call: Thud, 60-0492 was known as Ye Old War Horse during her time with the 149th VANG. In her early years the aircraft served with the 36th Tactical Fighter Wing at Bitburg Air Base, Germany, for the intention of facilitating a nuclear strike against a European county during the Cold War.
Unfortunately the aircraft was as not appealing as the bird that sat next to her, 61-0164. This particular F-105D had more parts of the fuselage covered, including the cockpit and tail cone. During an interview with Earl Cosgrove, he stated that the F-105D “was the best looking” with little service to be done for it to be rolled to the gate and ready for transportation.
The three men decided on 61-0164 was the bird to represent Lt. Hunter’s F-105D that he flew during the Vietnam War. All that was left was the $25,000 for transportation from Davis-Monthan to Hunter Memorial Park. The VFW would pay for the maintenance and service needed at the gate, but it was up to the community and local governments to come together for funding the project.
Back in Douglasville the ball began to roll on raising funds with the City of Douglasville donating $2,000 on May 20th toward the $25,000 transportation fee. The Douglas County Board of Commissioners supported plans for the F-105D for the Veterans Memorial by passing a resolution on 3 June 1997, however the county would not supply funds until the following year.
Cosgrove, Harper and Williams were shooting for a Veterans Day debut in 1997, but were facing the harsh reality that coming up with $25,000 would be harder than once thought. Promotion of t-shirt sales and newspaper articles reverberated throughout the community, but it still was not enough by the time November passed.
At one time plans were being devised to have the fighter-bomber plane loaded into a C-5 Galaxy at Davis-Monthan AFB and flown to Dobbins AFB where the aircraft would be reassembled and painted. This did not manifest as it was later decided to transport the aircraft cross county via semi-truck. Despite of various setbacks, in September the Veterans of Foreign Wars received the title to the F-105D, making it official that the old bird had changed hands.
The F-105D sat under the hot Arizona sun waiting for a trip to a new home while a new deadline of Memorial Day 1998 was the new anticipated deadline. Ironically it would be 32 years to the day that Lt. Hunter went down over northern Laos in 1966.
1998
The New Year rang in and the F-105D was still in Tucson – seven months had passed since the trip to Davis-Monthan for the selection process. Raising the $25,000 to dismantle and transport the aircraft had become an enduring task. To remedy the situation, Councilman Cosgrove publicly asked for commercial businesses to help obtain the money needed, instituting that each $1,000 donation would be recognized on a plaque at the memorial.
Quickly public reaction came with over thirty donators seeking recognition for their large contributions. In no time enough money was raised to bring the F-105D home. By the end of January AMARC was given the okay to proceed in the tear down and loading procedures of the aircraft.
Once loaded onto a flatbed trailer, it was a five day, 1,750 mile journey cross country to Douglasville where everyone was anxious to come to terms with a dream \that had been in the making for almost a decade. Then on 1 February 1998 a blue semi-truck piggy backing the F-105D was approaching the Alabama/Georgia border.
The Douglas County Sheriff’s Department rallied together to escort the fighter from the border to Hunter Memorial Park, approximately 36 miles along a stretch of Interstate 20. Lead escort was by Captain Ron Cain followed by Sgt. Andy Cooke and Deputy Keith Hayes. Captain Cain originated the idea for the escort, marking the special occasion of the event.
Chatter on the police band increased as the convoy neared the Douglasville exit. Patiently city officials, veterans and the selection team awaited in the cold morning at the park as the convoy came upon the exit, crossing over the interstate bridge down Highway 5. Minutes passed before the semi-truck rolled slowly down the windy park entrance road, coming to a stop in front of a crowd in the main parking lot.
City and County officials, along with veterans, gathered around the massive F-105D to look over what took seven years to accomplish with the help of city councilman Earl Cosgrove. The local newspaper, the Douglas County Sentinel, showed up for the occasion and captured the event for the next day’s print.
But pressure for constructing and completing the new memorial on time was mounting. There was still $5,000 left to raise in order to obtain materials to rebuild and paint the aircraft, which would be raised in a matter of weeks. Then there was the matter of working area, placement, and coordinating volunteers to piece the F-105D together.
The next day work began on the memorial as the fuselage of the aircraft was being prepared to be moved from the flatbed truck to a custom-made wooden cradle on the ground. A crane was brought in to move the fuselage, however it was not powerful enough to do the job. In haste another crane capable of lifting 20 tons was acquired and completed the move with ease.
Local retirees from the 116th Fighter Wing stationed at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Marietta, volunteered to help reconstruct the aircraft since a similar model, the F-105G known for “Wild Weasel” missions, was at the base in the 1970s. Maintenance manuals of all kinds were dug out of backrooms and personal collections to ensure all would be well.
On February 17 the Douglas County Board of Commissioners held their regular meeting to discuss government affairs. The eleventh item on the agenda as called “Sponsorship of F-105D Thunderchief Veterans Memorial at Hunter Park.” During the discussion of this item, local veteran John Sheffield, who was also the commander of the Douglasville American Veterans Post 118, proclaimed that the Commissioners come forth and donate money to the memorial project as did the City previously.
At the time Hunter Memorial Park served as a memorial to all veterans in Douglas County, however the new memorial would incorporate the names of the fallen for the first time, although a monument was erected in 1967 to honor Lt. Hunter and his fellow fallen servicemen. Commissioner Ash, who was a B-17 gunner during World War II, further pushed the commission to correspond with a donation of $5,000.
The Commission agreed to the donation, but it would not be until the end of April before the donation would be placed in the memorial fund. Still Councilman Cosgrove was accepting donations. Those who donated $1,000 could have their picture taken in front of the F-105D fuselage to be displayed in the newspaper. This move secured the money needed to complete the memorial.
Excellent weather between the months of February and May made the reconstruction process of the F-105D much easier. Volunteers from the 166th FW fitted the wings, ailerons and tail with the fuselage resting in the cradle. Despite the aircraft no being able to be mechanically operated, there was enough hydraulic fluid in the control system to move parts manually.
With the completion of the fuselage, it was time to reorient the aircraft to face the entrance of the park in anticipation for the final lift and placement at the memorial. The Thunderchief needed to stand on its own to begin the prep phase toward paint. As the aircraft dangled from the lift under strain from the straps, workers lowered the landing gear into the down position and placed locking pins in the gear for security.
The aircraft was lowered to the ground slowly as 27,500 pounds of weight was taken on by the wheels. Back at Davis-Monthan the tires were filled with a special foaming material that solidified allowing no future maintenance for airing the tires. There stood in the spring sun of Georgia F-105D, serial number 61-0164, ready for its last mission of duty.
All the while work was being done to the pedestal of the memorial. Councilman Cosgrove as able to have gravel donated to the memorial site to be spread out during the construction phase. Buddy Allison and his team of city engineers had already graded and laid out the dimensions for the memorial base. Then concrete was poured for the landing gear pedestals and surrounding base.
