Dixon in Lee County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
F-105D Thunderchief
Serial # 60-455
— Mfg. by Republic Aircraft, Farmingdale, NY —
Photographed By Sean Flynn, January 7, 2024
1. F-105D Thunderchief Marker
Inscription.
F-105D Thunderchief. Serial # 60-455.
Engine: J-75-P-19W with 26,500 lb. thrust Speed: Supersonic-Mach 2 at altitude above 36,000 ft. Maximum range: 2390 miles with max ceiling at 48,500 ft. Armament:1 20mm M61A1 Vulcan Gatling Gun with 1028 rounds or 16-750 lb conventional bombs or 1 nuclear bomb. This warbird fought in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970. It was stationed at Takhli Airforce Base in Thailand with the 355 Tactical Fighter Wing, of the 833 planes manufactured by Republic. Over half of the fleet was lost to combat or mechanical failures. Two men who flew the F-105D Thunderchief were awarded the Medal of Honor., They are Capt. Leo Thorsness and Capt. Merlyn H. Dethlefson. Both served with the United States Air Force, In 1968 with almost 6000 flying hours, this Thunderchief was retired and placed on display in Jackson Mississippi. It stayed in Jackson until 2010 when it was then transferred here to Veterans Memorial Park in Dixon, IL This aircraft is on loan from the United States Air Force Museum Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH
Engine: J-75-P-19W with 26,500 lb. thrust
Speed: Supersonic-Mach 2 at altitude above 36,000 ft.
Maximum range: 2390 miles with max ceiling at 48,500 ft.
Armament:1 20mm M61A1 Vulcan Gatling Gun
with 1028 rounds
or 16-750 lb conventional bombs or 1 nuclear bomb
This warbird fought in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970. It was stationed at Takhli Airforce Base in Thailand with the 355 Tactical Fighter Wing, of the 833 planes manufactured by Republic. Over half of the fleet was lost to combat or mechanical failures. Two men who flew the F-105D Thunderchief were awarded the Medal of Honor.
They are Capt. Leo Thorsness and Capt. Merlyn H. Dethlefson. Both served with the United States Air Force
In 1968 with almost 6000 flying hours, this Thunderchief was retired and placed on display in Jackson Mississippi. It stayed in Jackson until 2010 when it was then transferred here to Veterans Memorial Park in Dixon, IL
This aircraft is on loan from the United States Air Force Museum Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH
Location. 41° 50.87′ N, 89° 30.182′ W. Marker is in Dixon, Illinois, in Lee County. Memorial is on Palmyra Street (Illinois Route 2) east of Palmyra Road, on the right when traveling west. The Thunderchief is on display in Veterans Memorial Park, on the western edge of Dixon. Palmyra Road (Illinois Route 2) is also the route of the historic Lincoln Highway. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 668 Veterans Parkway, Dixon IL 61021, United States of America. Touch for directions.
The Thunderchief on display in Dixon's Veterans Memorial Park.
sectionhead>More about this marker. The Thunderchief is one of several historic military vehicles and aircraft on display in Veterans Memorial Park.
Regarding F-105D Thunderchief. The first Thunderchief flew in 1959, and the last was withdrawn from service in 1980, according to the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force. It was designed for use as a nuclear bomber, but was used in Vietnam as a conventional bomber, able to hold more than 12,000 pounds of ordinance.
Leo Thorsness, who is mentioned on this marker, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his performance in an engagement on April 19, 1967. Less than two weeks later, on April 30, the plane Thorsness was flying was shot down in North Vietnam, and Thorsness ejected from the plane. Despite a frantic, multi-hour rescue effort, Thorsness was captured by enemy troops, and spent six years in captivity. He was released in 1973 and retired from the Air Force due to the injuries he suffered during his final flight and from the torture he faced while in captivity. Thorsness later served a term as a state senator in Washington State. He died in 1985 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Merlyn Dethlefsen, an Iowa native who is also mentioned on this marker, flew the Thunderchief in Vietnam between October 1966 to June 1967. On March 10, 1967, Dethlefsen's
Photographed By Sean Flynn, January 7, 2024
3. F-105D Thunderchief Marker
In this opposite side view of Dixon's Thunderchief, the marker is visible in the background on the right. The marker in the foreground is dedicated to service members killed in Beirut in 1983.
plane was damaged but he stayed in flight until he destroyed an enemy missile location before returning to base. He was the third airman to receive the Medal of Honor in Vietnam. He died in 1987 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Also see . . . 1. Republic F-105G Thunderchief. A profile of the Vietnam-era bomber from the National Museum of the United States Air Force. (Submitted on January 8, 2024, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.)
4. F-105D Thunderchief fighters over North Vietnam
In this photo, Thunderchief planes are being refueled over North Vietnam.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 9, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 8, 2024, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 59 times since then. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 8, 2024, by Sean Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
