F-105 Thunderchief display at Arnold AFB honors Bond
The F-105 Thunderchief now on display at the Main Gate of Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn., is silhouetted against the setting sun as it approaches the Arnold AFB airstrip for its final landing in early 1984. The plane was assigned for several years to the 18th Tactical Air Command Fighter Squadron based at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. After that assignment, it became part of the 419th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, where it was used primarily as part of the flight inventory of the Air Force Reserves. The static display of this F-105 at Arnold is dedicated in memory of Lt. Gen. Robert Bond. He was killed on April 26, 1984, when the aircraft he was piloting crashed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The dedication occurred Nov. 9, 1984, and it was the first static display to be dedicated at Arnold. (U.S. Air Force photo)