Construction is underway on a new memorial honoring two U.S. Navy vessels that carried Oklahoma City’s name.
City officials broke ground Sept. 23 on the USS Oklahoma City Navy Memorial, which will be located in the north section of Wiley Post Park near Robinson Avenue and SW 15th Street along the Oklahoma River.
The memorial will recognize both the USS Oklahoma City submarine and the naval cruiser that preceded it. Plans for the site include a plaza, service memorial walls, historical panels and a temporary replica of the submarine’s sail.
The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Oklahoma City was commissioned in 1988 and remained in service until February 2022. Based in Guam, the 361-foot submarine carried the motto “The Sooner, The Better” and supported missions ranging from anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare to surveillance and intelligence operations. It also became the first U.S. submarine to transition from traditional paper navigation to an all-electronic navigation system.
Former Oklahoma City Mayor Ron Norick, who participated in the submarine’s commissioning in 1988, joined veterans and other officials at the groundbreaking.
The USS Oklahoma City Park Association is raising additional money to eventually bring the submarine’s original sail and dive planes to the site. The group also hopes to display components from the earlier USS Oklahoma City cruiser, including its bell, screw and ceremonial cannon.
The $4.1 million project is funded through Tax Increment Financing and is the second phase of renovations to Wiley Post Park. Beck Design designed the memorial, with Libbert Bros. Inc. serving as the builder.
Once completed, the memorial is intended to preserve the history of the ships and the sailors who served aboard them while creating an educational destination in Oklahoma City.