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ESCANABA - A renewal agreement between the Department of the Air Force - National Museum of the United States Air Force was approved Tuesday by the Delta County Board of Commissioners. The agreement will keep a military aircraft on display at the entrance to the Delta County Airport.

The F-84F which graces the entrance to the airport was obtained by Jon Thorin while he served as the manager for the Delta County Airport.

The plane was flown to the former K.I. Sawyer AFB in Gwinn in October 1971, where it was officially decommissioned from active service. After arrival at the local airport, John Leny, who was a Harnischfeger corporate welder, designed and fabricated the steel base which holds the aircraft today.

The county board received a renewal package from Patricia Ochs, administrator for the National Museum based at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, for the display at the entrance of the Delta County Airport.

"The agreement is really just a formality, as it is renewed every year," said Connie Ness, Delta County Airport manager.

Commissioner Dave Rivard said he thought the county owned the decommissioned aircraft and was genuinely surprised to learn otherwise.

Under the terms of the one year agreement, the county agrees to retain the F-84F fighter in a careful and prudent manner, or to modify the display in any manner.

The agreement also outlines the responsibility of the county in maintaining annual upkeep on the F-84F.

"It's really Don Poe and volunteers from the Delta County Chapter of the Civil Air Patrol who work to maintain the static display," said Ness.

Ness added it was Poe, who made repairs to the fighter's canopy, in addition to working with other volunteers to provide the static display with its current camouflage paint.

In addition to maintaining the display, the county also agreed to the return of the aircraft to the National Museum of the United States Air Force upon request if the agreement is terminated. However, the return of the aircraft is at the county's expense.

The F-84F, or Thunderstreak, was used by the Air Force in the 1950's during the Korean Conflict. What set the F-84F apart from its counterparts was its swept wing design.

During the Korean Conflict, the F-84F saw 60 percent of its ground targets destroyed. Those who piloted the F-84F referred to the aircraft as a "Lead Sled," or "Iron Crowbar" due to its sluggishness while taxing down the airstrips.

The F-84F was replaced during the 1960's with the F-100 Super Sabre.