Bellwood in Chesterfield County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

F-84F Thunderstreak

circa November 2025

1. F-84F Thunderstreak Marker

Inscription.

Role: Fighter-bomber/Reconnaissance
Manufacturer: Republic Aviation
First flight: June 3, 1950
Introduction: May 12, 1954
Retired: 1972 (US ANG)
Number built: 3,428

General characteristics
Crew: 1
Length: 43 ft 4-3/4 in
Wingspan: 33 ft 7-1/4 in
Height: 14 ft 4-3/4 in
Empty weight: 13,830 lb
Loaded weight: 28,000 lb
Max. takeoff weight: 28,000 lb
Powerplant: 1 x Wright J65-W-3 turbojet, 7,220 lbf

Performance
Maximum speed: 695 mph (604 knots, Mach. 91) at sea level
Range: 810 combat radius with two droptanks
Service ceiling: 46,000 ft
Rate of climb: 8,200 ft/min

Armament:
6x .50 in Browning M3 machine guns, Up to 6,000 lb of rockets and bombs, including one Mk 7 nuclear bomb

Avionics
A-1CM or A-4 gunsight with APG-30 or MK-18 ranging radar

This F-84F Thunderstreak is dedicated in honor of all Virginia National Guardsmen who served during the period of the Cold War, from the end of World War II until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Their discipline and dedication were fundamental to the prevention of a super-power military conflict. The F-84 was the first production fighter aircraft

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

to use inflight refueling. It was the first fighter capable of carrying a nuclear weapon, the Mk 7 nuclear bomb. The Virginia Air National Guard's 149th Tactical Fighter Squadron was activated at the height of the Cold War in 1961, as a result of tensions surrounding the Berlin Wall. Twenty-two Virginia ANG members were sent to Chaumont-Semoutiers Air Base, France, in December 1961 to support the 7180th Tactical Fighter Wing, a deployed unit of the 108th Tactical Fighter Wing. The squadron remained activated in Richmond for nearly a year before being released.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, Cold.

Location. 37° 25.95′ N, 77° 27.126′ W. Marker is in Bellwood, Virginia, in Chesterfield County. It is on C Road 0.1 miles south of North 5th Street, on the right when traveling south. Marker is on post at Defense Supply Center Richmond and is not accessible to civilians without sponsored access or authorized escort. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1 N 5th St, Richmond VA 23237, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally,

F-84F Thunderstreak image. Click for full size.

circa November 2025

2. F-84F Thunderstreak

This is the memorial aircraft described in the marker. The marker's upper corner is visible at far left in the photo. This plane used to be displayed on the south end of the installation adjacent to U.S. Route 1 but was relocated to the Virginia National Guard Headquarters Building once its construction was completed.

this marker is in Virginia’s Piedmont,

in Central Virginia,

and in the Richmond Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Virginia National Guard State Headquarters Building and Site (here, next to this marker); a different marker also named Virginia National Guard State Headquarters Building and Site (here, next to this marker); M41 Walker Bulldog (here, next to this marker); M101A1 105 mm Light Howitzer (here, next to this marker); Elevator Motor (within shouting distance of this marker); 105mm Howitzer Motor Carriage, M7B2 (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); A-10 Thunderbolt II (approx. 0.4 miles away); World War II Memorial

Paid Advertisement

(approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Bellwood.

Credits. This page was last revised on December 2, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 26, 2025. This page has been viewed 54 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 26, 2025. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.