F-106A 58-0793 arrives at Castle Air Museum (CAM) Atwater, CA on a truck 2 Dec 2002 from AMARC, Tucson AZ. Dean Rager, Bill Emery and John Marcotte collections

Prayer written and delivered by Castle Air Museum Board Member Sandi Tavolario at the arrival ceremony of F-106A 58-0793 after being trucked to the museum in Nov 2002 from AMARC:
"O God, our greatest provider, who knows our needs before we understand them ourselves, we ask your blessings and protection for this F-106. In the days ahead, many will give of their sweat and talents to restore this aircraft to benefit future generations. Keep them faithful in their labor, and may the work of their hands bring them great pride. May future generations look back to this day and understand it took the work of many to return this aircraft to Castle Air Museum. We thank you for those who dreamed the dreams and made the efforts to bring this F-106 home and to the many contributors of time and money who made this day possible. We pray in thanks and gratitude in your holy name. Amen."


Merced Sun-Star Newspaper: Delta Dart returns to Castle at noon today [Saturday, December 21, 2002, By Stacey Wiebe
CASTLE — The excitement in Joe Pruzzo's voice could not be dulled by miles. For months, the Morgan Hill resident and die-hard aviation enthusiast had been jumping hurdles to bring a rare warbird back home. Originally housed at Castle Air Force Base, an F-106A Delta Dart — number 155 of just 277 manufactured — has been acquired from Davis Montham Air Force Base in Arizona. When Castle's F-106A rolls through the museum's gates at noon today, Pruzzo's dedication to the museum's "Save-A-Six" project will pay off. "It looks quite impressive going down the road," he said Thursday, from somewhere on the roughly 800 miles of road connecting Castle Air Museum and Tucson, Ariz. "We're getting quite a few looks from onlookers." Communicating via cellular phone, Pruzzo, a member of the museum's executive board, said the going was slow but steady. "We can only go about 20 mph," he said. Jameson Harvesting Inc. of Turlock donated time and transportation to bring the aircraft back to Castle, carrying the fuselage and disassembled wings with a semi-truck and two trailers. "It took close to three days to get it loaded correctly," said Pruzzo, who left Arizona with his precious cargo Wednesday night. The Save-A-Six Fund was established in March of 2002. Castle's F-106A, serial number 580793, had been stored at Arizona's Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Center after its retirement in 1998. For a grand total of about $30,000, the craft was disassembled, demilitarized, crated and transported to Atwater, said Amy Rose, the museum's special events and marketing coordinator. "It was mainly what the 456th did," she said, of efforts to raise funding. "They were very dedicated to it." The "456th" was the 456th Fighter Inceptor Squadron, the men who, along with the 84th Squadron, manned the six to 12 F-106's based at Castle in its heyday. The F-106A being carted back to Castle was delivered to the Air Force in 1959 and, at the time of its retirement, was one of the last flying F-106s. Designed solely as an interceptor, the F-106 was deployed during the Vietnam War and cruised the West Coast during the Cold War. "They (aircraft) are living testimonials, just like many of our national symbols," Pruzzo said in July. "They are a symbol that there's a price to be paid for maintaining our liberties."
About half the funding needed to completely demilitarize and restore the aircraft has been raised. Donations are still being accepted to help the museum cover the cost of restoring the aircraft, said Jean Astorino, interim chief executive officer of the museum. The public is invited and encouraged to attend the free ceremony to welcome the F-106 back to Castle on Saturday.

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