For decades, the vintage fighter jet had been a familiar sight at Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale -- until Hurricane Wilma all but destroyed it in 2005.

Now the F-86 Sabre Jet is soaring again.

It has been repaired, repainted in camouflage colors and remounted on a 12-foot pedestal. To celebrate its return, as well as to salute war veterans, a ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Veteran's Day.

``It is absolutely beautiful,'' said Harvey Bennett of Boynton Beach, a member of the Air Force Association, which spearheaded the jet's refurbishment.

The ceremony, hosted by the city and the Air Force Association, will be held near the park's west entrance near War Memorial Auditorium, 800 NE Eighth St.

Keynote speaker will be retired Air Force Maj. Gen Frederick C. ``Boots'' Blesse, who served two combat tours during the Korean War and flew 121 missions in an F-86 Sabre. Students from the Dillard Center for the Arts will perform music.

The snub-nose F-86 Sabre was instrumental in aiding the U.S. armed forces during the Korean War, from 1950 to 1953.

The plane that landed in Holiday Park never flew in that war; it was built in 1954. The city obtained it from the Maryland Air National Guard and put it on display at the park in 1974.

Since then, the jet has had its ups and downs. It was in such disrepair by 1999 that it was sent to Homestead Air Reserve Base to be restored, a project that took more than four years.

In November 2004, it was rededicated at the park. Eleven months later, in October 2005, Hurricane Wilma wrenched it off its pedestal, damaging its wings and fuselage.

The plane was repaired again, this time by American Aero Services of New Smyrna Beach, at a cost of $71,200. The fee was covered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the city's insurance.

Ran Meriam, a vice president of the Air Force Association, a nonprofit group that supports the military, said that in the event of another hurricane, the jet will be better secured with guide wires.

``Next time Mother Nature acts up, she won't be buffeted by the winds,'' said Meriam, of Coral Springs.

Mayor Jack Seiler said the plane had become a historical landmark, as well as a tribute to all the men and women who have served in the military.

``It rightfully belongs in Holiday Park in front of War Memorial Auditorium,'' he said.

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