A memorial to submariner veterans will be included to the Veterans Memorial in Pea Ridge thanks in part to a generous donation from the Pea Ridge Walmart Neighborhood Market.
Manager Tim Costello is also a "sub vet," according to Pete Rathmell with the U.S.S. Snook Base, Northwest Arkansas.
Costello presented a $1,000 check to Rathmell and Mike Rainwater, both sub vets, and Jerry Burton and Howard Schuettpelz, with the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Post 8109.
"This will add the finishing touch to our Veterans Memorial," Burton, VFW commander, said. "It will honor all submariners who have been lost."
For several years, members of the Northwest Arkansas base for submarine veterans have been trying to erect a submarine memorial in Bella Vista, but there have been many delays, Rathmell said, explaining that the opportunity presented itself to put the memorial in Pea Ridge and was approved by both members of their base and the VFW. Rathmell is commander of U.S.S. Snook Base.
The original drawing of the memorial showed a cannon in the center behind the flagpole, but Civil War cannons are difficult to find and expensive to restore. The veterans agreed placing a Mark 37 torpedo there would be appropriate.
Rainwater, store keeper and project chairman for the memorial, found a retired torpedo at a museum in Hawthorne, Nev., and they were able to get a truck driver from Wal-Mart, thanks to Reserve Rear Admiral Luke McCollum.
Wal-Mart has a road team that assists veterans, Rainwater said. "Wal-Mart did that in 10 days; they really stepped up and helped us."
"Tim is also a submarine veteran," Rathmell said, explaining that Costello said he would be interested in donating to the cause. Rathmell wrote the grant, which was approved by the Walton Foundation.
"At Walmart, we are grateful for the sacrifice our nation's veterans, military men and women, and their families have made in service to our country," Costello said. "When we at Walmart work together with the community, we have the power to change and enhance the community. We are happy and pleased that we can make this donation to support this effort in Pea Ridge."
The Mark 37 torpedo is 19 inches in diameter and almost 12 feet long, Rainwater said. It weighs 1,500 pounds without the war head.
The base has almost $4,000 in contributions and has a matching grant for $2,000 from the national submarine base, providing almost $6,000 for the memorial, Rathmell said. There will be granite pillars for stanchions on which the torpedo will rest and a smaller one with the wording for the memorial on it.
Rathmell served on the USS Bream (SS 243) from 1966-1968; Rainwater, USS Chivo (SS 341) from 1969-1971; Costello served 1979-1991 in the U.S. Navy serving on two U.S.S. George C. Marshall (SSBN 654), U.S.S. Ulysses S. Grant (SSBN 631).
Sports on 01/18/2017