The Douglas A-3 Skywarrior, the first aircraft to rumble with the sound of jet engines on Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, is home.

The aircraft returned Friday, touching down at about 1 p.m. After some work to render it incapable of flight, the A-3 Skywarrior will be permanently displayed near the main gate at the corner of Ault Field Road and Langley Blvd., just a few hundred yards east of the Chiefs Club.

The A-3, also called “the whale” because of its size, was first stationed on NAS Whidbey in 1956 with Heavy Attack Squadron 4, the first jet squadron on the island. Six squadrons and a training squadron would also call Whidbey Island home during the Skywarrior’s service; the last was decommissioned in Feb., 1971.

The A-3 was originally designed as a strategic bomber during the cold war, but was mostly used by the Navy as a refueling tanker, and also for photo reconnaissance and electronic warfare.

In all, 251 people lost their lives flying and working on the Skywarrior. It has returned to Whidbey Island to stand as a memorial because of the efforts of the Whidbey A-3 Skywarrior Memorial Foundation.

Foundation members Bill Burklow, Ralph Estes, Bill Young and many others have worked relentlessly to get a “whale” to Whidbey and their work has paid off.

“The whole reason behind this is to dedicate the memorial to 251 lost souls,” said retired Navy Capt. Young

Aviators flew the A-3 out of NAS Air Station Whidbey Island, off carriers and other land bases at the height of the Vietnam War. Though it was the biggest and heaviest plane on aircraft carriers — 73 feet long by 72 feet wide — it was quick.

“It was very fast,” said Young. “Its cruise speed was faster than most other airplanes could go. F-4’s would have to go to afterburners to keep up with them.”

Young remembers his first trip to Vietnam in an A-3 Skywarrior off the USS Coral Sea (CV-43).

“The first time I flew into Denang on Bingo (low) fuel, there were 10 other aircraft trying to land and the base was under attack,” Young said.

“I was number five in the formation and I saw what looked like the fourth of July with tracer bullets coming up in front of us.

“Somehow they got the attackers off the base and all 11 planes landed,” he said.

Young eventually had 1,152 flying hours in the Skywarrior out of a total of 3,864 flight hours.

The A-3 Skywarrior Memorial Foundation originally started in 2000 but was unsuccessful and it folded.

In 2009, Estes sent at letter to then base commander Capt. Gerral David, agreeing to help with developing a display and getting information on plans and funding.

This time, the project took off.

The foundation has raised $100,000 so far and spent about $75,000 to get the plane here.

The group wants to raise more money to embellish and protect the plane.

Which should please 251 lost souls.