Wallet Card Takes A Walk Around Town

The city where I live, Chandler, is a small East Valley suburban community of Phoenix (about 20 miles away) with a long connection to agriculture and military. While the city has grown, roughly 250,000 people now, there is still a tight-knit feel where you can still walk around downtown to visit shops and restaurants, there are community events like parades, festivals and a Tumbleweed Christmas Tree lighting every December.

One of the sights to see is the F-86 Sabre Jet located near downtown. The decommissioned jet was originally dedicated in 1961 at Dr. A.J. Chandler Park but following a redesign of the park in the 1980s the plane was moved to its current location, roughly 200 yards from its original location.  

The jet was donated to the city by the Air Force as a “Thank you” due to the community’s support of the local Williams Air Force Base and their personal. It was placed in the park, which is a central focus of the city, but was eventually moved to Chandler Blvd. because it was the main street that led to Williams AFB. Many military families lived along the Blvd. so it was a perfect location to be seen by everyone who passed through town on their way to the base.

The monument is located on the corner of Chandler Blvd. & Delaware St. right next to the city’s main Post Office and is kept in pristine condition within a small park. The plane is surrounded by roses and a small plaque is located under the plane that can be seen from the road.

I took a couple of pictures from the side because I wanted to get a good shot of the complete jet, it wasn’t until later that I realized that I forgot to get pictures from any other angles so I pulled up a 2013 image that is from AZ Central’s website taken by Arizona Republic photographer Weldon B Johnson (Located below).