The Fargo Air Museum received an F-101B Voodoo on September 14, 2022. The F-101B Voodoo is the “celebrity” plane for the Fargo Air Museum’s annual fundraiser, the 14th Annual Celebrity Dinner & Auction. The Celebrity Dinner & Auction will be held on September 24, 2022, starting at 5 pm.
The F-101B Voodoo will be on loan from the 119th Wing, ND Air National Guard. It participated in the 1970 & 1972 USAF Weapons Competition(s), also known as William Tell, where it helped the Happy Hooligans come in first place at both competitions. Since its retirement in 1977, it has been on display at the NDANG base and hasn’t been accessible to the general public since 1997. This is a rare moment for the Fargo-Moorhead community to get up close and personal with a Cold War-era fighter jet that has local ties to not only Fargo but North Dakota as a whole.
The fundraiser will consist of a plated dinner, bar service, live & silent auctions, entertainment, and more. Tickets and tables to the event can be purchased on the Fargo Air Museum’s website or this link, https://fargoair.home.qtego.net/
“We are honored to have a great relationship with our Local ANG the Happy Hooligans,” said Ryan Thayer, Fargo Air Museum Executive Director. “We greatly appreciate all the service and sacrifices that our Armed Service Men and Women have offered to our great country, our great state, and the Fargo-Moorhead region! Please come out and join us to celebrate our local military and the Museum’s great mission with preservation, education and restoration at this once-in-a-lifetime event!”
“The F-101 served nearly eight years with the Happy Hooligans,” said MajGen (ret.) Alexander “Mac” Macdonald (ret.). “During its tenure, the unit distinguished itself with two William Tell first-place finishes. It also won the Hughes Achievement Award, given to the most outstanding US Air Force unit with an air defense mission, the first time in its 22-year history it was awarded to an Air National Guard unit. It was awarded the Daedalian Maintenance Award, the first ANG unit so honored, given to the best maintenance unit in the entire Air Force. It was the first time these two awards were held by the same unit. The “Voodoo” served us well.”
The Fargo Air Museum was founded with the nonprofit mission of promoting aviation through education, preservation and restoration. Located on 19th Ave. N. just east of Interstate-29, the Fargo Air Museum is home to aircraft of all eras. Visit www.fargoairmuseum.org for additional information.
