An Erie County landmark is looking a lot better today after receiving a much needed facelift from a group of professional painters.  It's a Korean War era military jet that sits inside the Erie County Memorial Gardens Cemetery along Interstate 90 in Summit Township.

It was just after the July 4th weekend when Erie News Now's  "The Last Word" did a special feature on the popularity of the F-94 Starfire jet and how it badly it needed a paint job.  The plane is owned by Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Any repairs must be done by painters certified by the military.  None have been available. Fortunately, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) became aware of the problem.

"At our last local meeting with the union, it was brought up in discussion.  One of the members’ wives saw it on the news,” said Jerry Ferilla, Business Agent, IUPAT Local 549.
  

Local 549, with members throughout Western Pennsylvania, decided to take on the job.  The volunteers power-washed the plane a couple of days ago and today, they scraped it, sanded it, and gave it the fresh coat of paint it has needed for years.

"All of the members here were ecstatic about it. They were all gung-ho.  I believe one of the members actually has a family member buried here,” Ferilla said.

"My father was in the military.  My grandparents were in the military.  This airplane is actually a part of this cemetery.  In my opinion, it's the heart and soul of this cemetery,” said John Bunce, IUPAT Local 549.
  

The jet has been on display inside Erie County Memorial Gardens since 1959.  In a matter of only a few days, it has been transformed from drab to delightful.  Thanks to union members who saw a news story in July.

Joe Monaco, is the Family Services Manager at the cemetery.  He is thankful.

"I did not realize that it was going to happen so fast and we're so ecstatic that it did get done so fast from July until now. We're so happy and we appreciate it and we think the community will appreciate it,” he said.

About a dozen union members volunteered for the detail.  The paint was donated by Sherwin Williams.