| Swift Transportation And American Truck Training Assist In USS Oklahoma Memorial |
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Story by Erin Watson
Photographs by Lemuel Finlay
The
crew of USS Oklahoma finally got their day in the sun. Sixty-six years after the attack on Pearl
Harbor, a tribute to the 429 men that died on the USS Oklahoma is finally
open. The USS Oklahoma suffered the
second highest casualty rate during the attacks at Pearl Harbor. Constructing the memorial was no easy task
though. The combined efforts of Swift
Transportation and American Truck Training’s Jerry Thurman assisted the long
awaited memorial’s dedication in Pearl Harbor.
The memorial consists of 429 granite pillars that Swift transported from
Oklahoma to California. Each pillar is
engraved with a fallen soldier’s name.
The
USS Oklahoma memorial, dedicated on Dec. 7, 2007, cost $1.1 million dollars,
all of which came from private donors and the Oklahoma Centennial
Commission. For his part, Thurman is
just glad a memorial has finally been erected, “This is something that needed
to happen a long time ago...It’s something that needs to be taught in
schools.” Because of the patriotic
effort of Swift Transportation, American Truck Training and others, the men who
died on the USS Oklahoma finally have a legacy, a legacy that Americans for
generations to come can cherish and honor.
These were some of the bravest men the world has ever seen. For more information on the USS Oklahoma memorial, please visit the website at www.ussoklahoma.com .
Survivors and their families pose beside the Swift truck that hauled the memorial from Oklahoma to California.
Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry speaks at the Oklahoma state capitol as Pearl Harbor survivors wait their turn to speak.
A photograph of the USS Oklahoma signed by crew members.
The United States, Oklahoma and US Navy flags wave in the breeze at the Oklahoma state capitol during a dedication ceremony.
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