NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The North Little Rock community is coming together to celebrate the birthday of an iconic city landmark next month. Wednesday, April 3 will mark the 80th anniversary since the USS Razorback SS 394 was commissioned on the same day in 1944.
A small ceremony will take place at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum, home of the USS Razorback, located at 120 Riverfront Park Drive in North Little Rock from 11 am. - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch will be provided for guests and crew members from the USS Razorback will be there to share sea stories.
The USS Razorback is a Balao-class submarine named appropriately after the Razorback whale.
The keel of the submarine was laid in Portsmouth Naval Ship Yard in Kittery, Maine back on September 9, 1943. Then, the USS Razorback was commissioned on April 3, 1944.
In late 1970, the submarine was sold to Turkey for use until they decommissioned the USS Razorback in August 2001. USS Razorback SS 394 was commissioned between two countries for 50-plus years of active duty.
When U.S. Crew members of the submarine found out that she was being decommissioned, they brainstormed the perfect location to put it, officially beginning the process of moving the USS Razorback from Turkey to Arkansas.
In 2004, the World War II submarine reached her final mooring site at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum in North Little Rock.
