Here's what may become the newest installation in Sherril Veterans Memorial Park
A 60-ton, 17-foot-tall addition to Sherrill Veterans Memorial Park may find its way to Corpus Christi’s bayfront within the next two years, should an agreement be brokered between city officials and a local nonprofit.
As proposed, the sail of a decommissioned submarine named U.S.S. City of Corpus Christi would honor 3,500 submariners who perished in service, according to city records.
The “sail” is the familiar tall structure that juts from the tops of the submarine.
In this case, it is shown in images as painted black, with USS City of Corpus Christi inscribed in red and gold coloring.
The vessel that the sail had accompanied is considered a fast-attack submarine, and referred to on a U.S. Navy site as a type considered “the backbone of the submarine force.”
What would need to happen?
Documents outline a local nonprofit – USS City of Corpus Christi SSN-705 Submarine Memorial Inc. – as a donor of the sail, proposed to occupy a corner of the park, close to where Cooper’s Alley and S. Shoreline Boulevard meet.
Among the provisions of the drafted agreement, the nonprofit group would handle procuring the sail, its transport to Corpus Christi and its maintenance, including the associated costs.
The nonprofit’s plans — to include specifics on the sail’s ancillary landscaping and plaques – would require presentation to city officials and subsequent sign-off, records show.
The agreement stipulates the nonprofit procure the sail within the next two years.
Its installation in Sherrill Veterans Memorial Park, spread over about 2.7 acres, would fulfill one component of a larger master plan crafted by the city officials and cleared by the council in the spring.
The proposed agreement will be on the table for approval Tuesday.
How does the park honor veterans?
If realized, the sail would join 11 existing memorials in the park, named in tribute to Warren Joseph Sherrill.
A 21-year-old yeoman and Corpus Christi resident, Sherrill was killed in the Dec. 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor attack.
Dedicated to remembrance and recognition of members of the armed forces, the park is the site used for the majority of the local ceremonies honoring military service.
Other memorials currently displayed include:
Sherrill Park Memorial
World War I
World War II Memorial
Global War on Terrorism Memorial
POW marker
U.S. Coast Guard Memorial
Korean War Memorial
Pearl Harbor Survivors Memorial
Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Birmingham marker
Bench dedicated to all veterans
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: This may be the newest addition to Sherrill Veterans Memorial Park
