Hazen honors aviation hero Eldon Joersz with statue

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - A small North Dakota town is celebrating a hometown hero. Community members and civic leaders gathered at the unveiling of a tribute to the fastest man in the world.

On Friday afternoon, folks in Hazen got their first look at a replica SR-71 Blackbird sculpture just outside of town.

Organizers created it in honor of Hazen native and retired Air Force Major General Eldon Joersz.

Nearly fifty years ago, in July 1976, Joersz climbed into the cockpit of a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird above Edwards Air Force Base in California.

Flying at more than Mach 3 at 80,000 feet, he reached an astonishing 2,193 miles per hour, officially becoming the fastest man in the world.

“This project that’s unfolded has my serious gratitude for sure,” said Joerz.

Now, this monument ensures that groundbreaking moment in aviation history has a permanent home right where his journey began.

Organizers behind the project say the memorial isn’t just about celebrating the past, it’s designed to inspire kids growing up in Mercer County to dream just as big.

Reminding everyone who visits that the road to breaking world records ran straight through North Dakota.

The actual SR-71 Blackbird flown during that record-setting run is on permanent display at the Museum of Aviation in Georgia.

Joersz attended North Dakota State University, where he was commissioned into the Air Force through the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. He retired from the Air Force in 1997, after three decades of service.

b