Torpedo is center of sub vet memorial

Veterans honored

TIMES photographs by Annette Beard

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8109 built a veterans memorial in Pea Ridge with monuments naming veterans from many different wars. Members present at the new submarine veteran memorial dedication Saturday included front, from left: Howard Schuettpelz and Bob Hauter; and back, from left: Chris Snow, Les Hinton, John Ruddick and commander Jerry Burton.

All veterans present at the memorial dedication Saturday posed in front of the torpedo and memorial. Veterans from the Army, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard and Marines were present.

Young Boys Scouts waited patiently until it was their turn to raise the Arkansas and POW flags at the memorial dedication Saturday. Speakers from the Veterans of Foreign Wars, USS Snook Base, Congressman John Boozman's office and Mayor Jackie Crabtree were seated on the platform to speak.

Members of the USS Snook Base of Northwest Arkansas placed a submarine veterans memorial in Pea Ridge. Sub vets in front of the Mark 37 torpedo are, front from left: John Hansen Jr., Pete Rathmell, Gary Reynolds, Herb Wise and Bob Andregg; and back from left: Jasper Herran, John Zurn, Ken Spencer, Tim Costello, Tom Ramsey, Le Osterfeld, Randy Jordan, Mike Rainwater and Armand Deleuere.

Tim Costello, manager of the Pea Ridge Walmart Neighborhood Market, visited with state Senator Cecile Bledsoe Saturday morning before the dedication ceremony began. Costello is a submarine veteran and member of the Northwest Arkansas chapter of the USS Snook Base.

Veteran Chris Snow, a member of the VFW Post 8109, videotaped the memorial dedication ceremony Saturday. He stood at attention during the pledge of allegiance while taping.

State Representative Austin McCollum with Tim Costello and Pete Rathmell, USS Snook Base members, and State Senator Cecile Bledsoe. McCollum is the son of former Vice Admiral Luke McCollum who works for Walmart and was instrumental in providing transportation of the Mark 37 torpedo from Hawthorne, Nevada, to Pea Ridge.

Members of the Boy Scouts Pack 911 and Girl Scouts Pack 911 waited to raise the Arkansas and POW flags at the dedication ceremony of the Submarine Veterans memorial at the Veterans Memorial at Pea Ridge Saturday. A Mark 37 torpedo was placed on the north side of the memorial for the sub vets.

Annette Beard

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Community on 05/17/2017