at Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum, November 10, 2011
During a trip to Little Rock, Arkansas, to visit the Clinton Presidential Center on November 8, I met with Patrick Hays, the Mayor of North Little Rock on the other side of the Arkansas River. After reminiscing about the Mayor’s 23 year long tenure in this city of 62,000, and his trip to Turkey with a delegation in 2002 in his office full of memorabilia from Turkey, we talked about the Projects initiated by the Turkish Forum. Than we toured the city and went to see the 72 year old submarine known as USS/Razorback during its service under the US navy and TCG/Murat Reis under the Turkish navy, which is now a part of the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum, almost directly across the Clinton Library. We were met by the Executive Director Greg, who was among the group that navigated the submarine from Tuzla to North Little Rock during its one month long tow, and also member of the 2002 delegation.
The USS razorback was struck from the Navy List on 30 November 1970 and was sold to Turkish Navy to serve as Murat Reis. The sub was decommissioned and struck from the Turkish Navy list in March 2002. On march 25, 2004, North Little Rock took possession of the submarine and it arrived for its Homecoming celebration in August, 2004 following a going away reception at the Rahmi Koc Museum in Istanbul, where a similar submarine is open to the public.
Greg told me the story of the World War II submarine and took me though the structure which is made up of three parts and 301 long. Greg said that the submarine has been refurbished but many items with Turkish names have been left in place, and in fact, it is ready for a start up soon. When I asked him why the startup, he said, “because we can do it.” It is a remarkable submarine, one of 18 around the world which serve as museums, complete with 6 torpedo and a portrait of Ataturk adorning the wall near the Captain’s room. Students and public visits the museum, which numbered over 20,00 last year.
Greg also told me that every year on November 10, the attendants of the Museum together with Turkish professors and students from the University of Arkansas gather to commemorate Ataturk the great leader Ataturk. The Turkish flag was waving at the flag post of the sub together with the American flag.
Congratulations to the North Little Rock and the Turkish Forum and its long tiem President Kaya Buyukataman for this “Turkish Footprint in America”
Yuksel Oktay, PE
11 November, 2011, Washington Township. NJ