Last night the old Marine Corps A-4 Skyhawk fighter jet that’s been mounted at the Santa Ana Civic Center since 2008 was trucked to the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. The move happened at about 1:20 this morning, according to County of Orange Public Information Manager Molly Nichelson.
Bragg Crane and Rigging was tasked with moving the Skyhawk, according to the OC Fair. The Skyhawk’s new home is the Heroes Hall at the Fairgrounds.
“Heroes Hall is a free, permanent, year-round museum and education center with exhibitions, performances and educational programs that celebrate the legacy of Orange County veterans and others who have served our nation,” states a county staff report from April on the move. The official unveiling of the jet at its new home will take place during the annual Salute to Veterans event on Nov. 9.
The OC Board of Supervisors voted in April to move the Skyhawk, which is on loan from the U.S. Navy, to make room for the impending demolition of the Hall of Finance and Hall of Records buildings. The move had to take place by Sept. 30 to meet construction deadlines, county officials said back in April.
According to the Memorandum of Understanding between the county and the Orange County Fair, the county paid about $206,000 to relocate the jet–more than double the $100,000 value placed on the jet by the Navy Department.
The Skyhawk on display was built by Douglas Aircraft in 1970 for the U.S. Marine Corps. It was one of about 3,000 A-4 aircraft built for U.S. and foreign use. They saw extensive use during the Vietnam War, Falklands War and first Gulf War, firing rockets and cannon rounds as well as dropping high explosive, cluster and napalm bombs.
Anthony Pignataro has been a journalist since 1996. He spent a dozen years as Editor of MauiTime, the last alt weekly in Hawaii. He also wrote three trashy novels about Maui, which were published by Event Horizon Press. But he got his start at OC Weekly, and returned to the paper in 2019 as a Staff Writer.
Does it take quarters?
Not this one,
But The M.I.C. and company takes every Dime
and Life it Can though.
Just business…
This is my dad’s monument that sadly he died before he saw the completion. I know he would be very happy at where it now will stand.