After a decade of planning, Steele Indian School Park is set to break ground on a new monument honoring a Cold War-era submarine while paying tribute to the service members and shipyard workers who supported its mission.
"At the Capitol building in downtown Phoenix we have different monuments and memorials for the other wars." said Lynn Bennett, one of seven board directors for the USS Phoenix Cold War Monument Foundation. "But for this monument to be at a centralized location, walking distance to the Arizona Veterans Home, it's perfect for veterans and the public to come and learn about the Cold War."
The City of Phoenix Parks and Recreations Department announced that a ceremony will be taking place for the groundbreaking of the USS Phoenix Cold
War Monument at Steele Indian School Park Aug. 1, at 8 a.m., according to a media advisory from Teleia Galaviz.
Councilwoman Laura Pastor will be in attendance, alongside USS Phoenix Cold War Monument Foundation board members, Parks and Recreation Department staff, community advocates and partners, Galaviz stated.
The USS Phoenix was one of 62 nuclear-powered Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarines built between 1972 and 1997 and was the 15th vessel in the class to be launched.
The monument will showcase salvaged components of the USS Phoenix as the centerpiece of the exhibit. The USS Phoenix's conning tower, diving plans, and rudder will be on display at the memorial, according to Bennett.
Designed to educate the public and honor America's submariners, Cold War veterans and defense industry workers, the monument will feature a walking path tracing the USS Phoenix's exact dimensions, along with tributes to each branch of the U.S. military that served during the Cold War.
"There will be commemoration boards for the Navy, Army, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, the shipbuilders as well as one for the civilians." Bennett said.
The information boards featured at the monument will also provide information as to where you are standing at the monument. Footprints of the engine room, sleeping quarters, dining room and other rooms will be included, Bennett stated.
Beyond its educational purpose, Bennett said the future monument will serve as a site for military ceremonies, including Oath of Enlistment ceremonies, as well as recruitment and enlistment events hosted by the Army and Navy.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: A monument a decade in the making is set to break ground in Phoenix
