Ellsworth Air Force Base in Pennington County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
F-84F Thunderstreak
Partners in the Cold War: European Allies
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026
1. F-84F Thunderstreak Marker
The United States provided a lot of military aid to European allies early in the Cold War, including more than a thousand of these F-84Fs. This Thunderstreak flew in the French Air Force for 13 years. U.S. military aid helped equip the North Atlantic Treaty Organization—a partnership of free countries who agreed to help defend each other if attacked. The NATO alliance helped keep Western Europe free from Soviet domination.
Europe was at the center of Cold War tension. If it had turned hot, fighting would probably have started there.
CLOSE TO THE IRON CURTAIN
Interceptors from South Dakota guarded against a potential attack coming over the North Pole, but our allies in Europe lived much closer to the Cold War's front line. Their aircraft patrolled within easy striking distance of the USSR's allies in Eastern Europe.
A 1960s gathering of NATO interceptors (clockwise from top left):
West Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Belgium, and France.
DATA CARD
Top Speed mph · 695
Crew · 1
Range · Regional
Payload · Six .50 caliber machine guns, up to 6,000 lbs. rockets
this page online
Erected by South Dakota Air and Space Museum.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, Cold. In addition, it is included in the South Dakota Air and Space Museum series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1954.
Location. 44° 7.999′ N, 103° 4.308′ W. Marker is in Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, in Pennington County. Marker and aircraft are on static display at the South Dakota Air and Space Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2890 Davis Drive, Ellsworth AFB SD 57706, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in West River, in the Badlands, and in Greater Rapid City. It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor, on the prairies, and on the Northern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026
2. F-84F Thunderstreak and Marker
Regarding F-84F Thunderstreak. Although an official field museum of the US Air Force Heritage Program and is adjacent to Ellsworth AFB main gate, the museum does not require access onto the base.
Credits. This page was last revised on October 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 7, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 3 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 7, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
