August 14, 2005
SIMI VALLEY - An F-14 Tomcat fighter jet will be hoisted into a permanent
display area next week close to the nearly completed Air Force One Pavilion
at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum.
The 30,000-pound Northrop Grumman aircraft will be carried by a crane
outside the pavilion in a ceremony celebrating Reagan's "peace through
strength" strategy and marking a milestone in the making of the Air Force
One Pavilion.
"This is the last of the really large artifacts coming to the library to
complete the Air Force One Pavilion," said Melissa Giller, director of
communications for the Reagan Library. "Although the F-14 will sit on the
Peace Plaza and not inside the pavilion, it helps complete the story of
President Reagan's initiative of peace through strength."
There will be standing room only for the Aug. 22 ceremony as the aircraft is
craned over a 35-foot-high outdoor colonnade viewable from the Peace Plaza.
Following the aircraft's placement, Rear Adm. David Venlet will discuss the
role of the F-14 in current warfare. Venlet received the Distinguished
Flying Cross for his role in the shooting down of two Libyan Su-22 aircraft
in 1981, marking the first combat kills for the F-14.
"This incident played a critical role early on in the Reagan administration
as it sent a clear message to those governments who chose to provoke the
United States," said R. Duke Blackwood, executive director of the Ronald
Reagan Library and Foundation.
- From wire reports
"The Tomcat went on to serve an important role in President Reagan's
rebuilding of our defenses and will forever remind us of the importance of a
strong military