November 11th is Veteran's Day, a day where we pause to reflect and thank ALL our veterans of military service for doing their duty and keeping our nation safe and secure.
First and foremost, if you're reading this and you are a veteran of any of our armed services - on behalf of everyone here at Mainstream Fiber, THANK YOU. It's because of people like you that we're able to enjoy our freedom every day, and for that you have our forever gratitude.
But, no matter whether you're a veteran, the family of one, or you're just a grateful citizen looking for a place to reflect or learn, there's a ton of places in the great state of Indiana where you can find tributes and homages to service members who are still with us and those who have passed on from this life. No matter what part of the Mainstream network you're on, there's a place nearby that you can check out this week that celebrates your local military history. Let's start in the northern part of the state, with a beautiful sight to behold in the town of Montpelier.
1) A Piece of History in Montpelier
This absolute beauty is an F-84F Thunderstreak, which was donated to the town of Montpelier, Indiana back in 1970 by the US Air Force and the 122nd Tactical Fighter Wing of the Indiana Air National Guard. According to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, this variant on the straight wing F-84 was developed in 1950 and started finding regular use in 1954, largely as a ground support bomber and later remodeled as a photo reconnaissance plane during the Berlin Crisis in the 1960s. After that, many of these Cold War era machines started being transferred to National Guards, which is how it found its way here. This particular plane was likely not used for recon - you can tell because the air intake isn't on the wing roots, an accommodation necessary to place a camera in the nose back then.
Today, this fantastically maintained plane sits in a place of honor in Baldwin Park in Montpelier. It's hard to miss as you drive along the main drag of town, just off the highway. If you have an Air Force member in your family, this is an absolute treat to go see, as there's not many F-84Fs around in the Midwest. The next nearest one we've found is all the way up in Fort Wayne. And your kids can also enjoy the nearby park while you take a look at this awesome piece of history.
2) A Place to Reflect in Crawford County
If you find yourself in either the Tri-State or the Louisville metro and you're looking for a road trip this Veteran's Day, situated perfectly between the two in English, Indiana is an absolutely stunning tribute to all of our armed forces, and the small town is a perfectly quiet place to sit and reflect on the veteran in your life. Situated just across the Crawford County Judicial Center, this is a full circle art tribute to every major branch of the military, with the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Air Force, and National Guard each having a stunning black stone marvel soaring above the brick, with stunning artwork embossed into each display.
In the center is a beautiful statue of a bird perched above, watching over all, and surrounding the entire display is a collection of flags and a series of benches where you can take in the sights, take photos, or just quietly sit and reflect on this Veteran's Day.
3) Head Towards Your County Courthouse!
No matter what county you're in here in the great state of Indiana, you'll likely to find some beautiful local sculpture work honoring your local military history at your county's courthouse, town hall, or even a dedicated war memorial. We've traveled across the state installing fiber, and almost every time we stop in the downtown of a local community, we're bound to find a few honorable works dedicated to those who served. Pictured here are a couple of our favorites we've found during our travels, including in downtown Corydon.
No matter where you are on the Mainstream network, we encourage you to take a trip soon, check out some of these pieces of art in your community, dig into the history of military service of your town, and finally take the time to thank a veteran for their steadfast service to our nation. That one act of kindness can go a long way!