Submarine Veterans Group Proposal for Memorial at Sunset Park To Move To City Commission

The Parks and Recreation Advisory Board unanimously approved a proposal from the United States Submarine Veterans' Dorado Base to place a memorial at Sunset Park during their meeting on Tuesday.

Vaughn Mortimer, representing the Dorado Base, presented plans for a memorial to honor submarine veterans and the 52 submarines lost during World War II.

The memorial would be placed in the southwest corner of the existing war memorial area at Sunset Park.

"Presently there's nothing in Salina Park to commemorate the United States Submarine Service that lost more than one in five sailors during the war," Mortimer told the committee.

The proposed memorial would be similar in size to the existing Purple Heart Memorial at the park, featuring a stone monument on a 10-foot by 10-foot base. The design includes submarine insignias and images of World War II and modern submarines, along with an inscription honoring "shipmates on Eternal Patrol."

Mortimer explained that the Dorado Base, which represents submarine veterans from the area south of Interstate 70 in Kansas, would fully fund the construction and installation costs.

The group hopes to complete the memorial by Memorial Day.

Jeff Hammond, Parks and Recreation Department Director, supported the proposal, noting that the southwest corner is currently the only corner of the central monument area without a memorial.

"It would make some sense to have something in there that honors something that's not really recognized in the area, submariners who served in the military," Hammond said.

Dennis Arnold, Parks Superintendent, confirmed that the city would handle site preparation at minimal cost, including clearing the area and rerouting irrigation if necessary.

The Dorado Base plans to use the memorial site for annual ceremonies honoring fallen submarine sailors.

Mortimer noted that the submarine force suffered the highest casualty rate of any branch of service during World War II, with 22 percent of personnel lost.

The group has ties to Salina through founding member O.J. Cooper, whose wife Norma Jean Cooper was the first female mayor of Salina.

The Dorado Base receives funding through the O.J. and Norma Jean Cooper Fund with the Greater Salina Foundation.

The proposal will now move to the Salina City Commission for approval.