Hunter’s Forgotten Memorial, Part 2

It was in 1997 when the pursuit to erect a memorial for 1^st Lt. Robert Gerald Hunter, Douglas County’s first victim of the Vietnam War, was beginning to manifest. The projected completion date was to be by Memorial Day of the same year, but delays and setbacks forced for a 1998 opening.

Douglas County’s Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 10798 went in search of purchasing an F-105D model, the same aircraft 1^st Lt. Hunter was shot down in over the skies of Laos. It was out in the hot Arizona desert, in a place referred to as the “Bone Yard”, where 1 of 6 last remaining F-150D’s were known in the world. For close to $40,000, the plane was purchased, strapped down on the back of a trailer and driven to Hunter Memorial Park.

Through an entire volunteer effort, the aircraft was overhauled to resemble Hunter’s aircraft during the War. On May 25, 1998 the memorial debuted with the F-105D sitting atop a concrete pad, beneath the parents of 1^st Lt. Hunter and may other constituents. But since May 1998, most of those who were affiliated with the memorial have forgotten about the deeper meaning of that day.

For those that still remember, they are asking the question: “Why hasn’t anything been done in the last eight years?” Losing Georgia has found those answers to that question and more.

Before going into the detailed account of events that have led to the aircraft’s condition as of today, a few facts need to be presented. Information provided in this post are from minutes and resolutions by the City of Douglasville, Department of the Air Force, interviews, photographs from 1998 and visual inspection of the aircraft.

FACTS

• F-105D, serial number 61-0164, 2,880 flying hours, never saw combat
• DCVFW purchased F-105D in January 1998
• DCVFW transferred responsibility of F-105D to the City of Douglasville on August 3^rd, 1998
• F-105D is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force
• The City of Douglasville is solely responsible for maintaining and servicing the aircraft
• No funds have been budgeted to maintain the aircraft or memorial since inception

Newspaper articles dating all the way back around the time when the F-105D arrived and later displayed, have been looked upon to discover that nothing has been reported publicly about the aircraft or memorial’s degrading condition in the last eight years. Furthermore there are multiple infractions of the loan agreement with the U.S. Air Force that was renewed in March of this year.

Problems began for the aircraft before the debut on Memorial Day 1998 by the aircraft not being fully completed. For one the paint job was never completed; a clear coat was needed to protect the paint from weathering which would have cost $85 at the time. The City of Douglasville was not willingly to pay for the costs and the aircraft was left as is.

The memorial itself was not complete as well. At the time of debut, the front portion of the wrought iron gates were not installed, not fencing was installed under the aircraft and no parking lot or amenities were available.

As time wore on, exposure to the elements forced the aircraft to age faster, leaving the paint to fade rapidly while rust began to form on the wrought iron fencing. It was not until February 2002 that maintenance was conducted by an outside source voluntarily. Boy Scout Troop 500 repaired the iron fencing at the memorial as an Eagle Project. Rust was removed from the fence, then prepped, primed and painted black. No work was done on the aircraft.

Afterwards no other maintenance has been done at the memorial besides lawn care. The aircraft has never been repainted or washed since its completion in 1998. An open records request conducted this year further showed that no maintenance/service logs were ever created, which is mandatory via Section A, Part C of the loan agreement with the U.S. Air Force.

Other stipulations include corrosion on the aircraft’s surfaces, leaking hydraulic fluid, mold underneath the canopy, vandalism of iron fencing, and not cleaning the aircraft periodically. Strict guidelines are set forth in the loan agreement and conditional deed of gift that outline the responsibilities for the borrower, in this case it is the City of Douglasville.

As a result of the lack of maintenance and the infractions that are known, the U.S. Air Force Museum may terminate the loan to repossess the F-105D. After which the aircraft is likely to be scrapped for parts or destroyed. Whether this action will be advised is unclear for the moment. Below are two excerpts referring to the termination of the loan agreement and defining gross negligence set by the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

14.1 The failure of the Borrower to observe any of the conditions set forth in this Loan Agreement and Attachments 1, 2, and 3 thereto shall be sufficient cause for the Lender to terminate the loan and repossess the loaned property. Repossession of all or any part of the loaned property by the Lender shall be made at not cost or expense to the Government; the Borrower shall defray all maintenance, freight, storage, crating, handling, transportation and other charges attributable to such repossession.

Attachment 3
“Failure to have proper tie downs, repair damage, insurance coverage, perform annual upkeep, proper security requirements, fire suppression systems for loaned items housed inside buildings, proper cases, etc., may be viewed as gross negligence.”

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