Change In Plans For Veterans Event

Thursday, May 24th 2007, 3:49 pm

By: News On 6

Lots of parents take their children to see the USS Batfish War Memorial in Muskogee. It's a 1943 submarine just off the turnpike. The Batfish had hoped to host a wide range of Memorial weekend activities, but has had to change those plans.

On most Memorial days, the USS Batfish holds Memorial weekend activities to honor veterans. This year there will be a ceremony on Monday, but the park is scaling back on a number of planned events.

"We want to make sure we do an event that is honorable to their memory and that they can be proud of," said park manager Rick Dennis.

Dennis says a combination of things led to the decision. The rainy weather is one, but Dennis also says unfortunately, there just wasn't enough interest from the public.

"It's such a treasure,â€ said park volunteer Rod Mish. â€œIt's everybody's treasure."

The park had hoped to have a special showing of documentaries and a big party.

The park's manager had hoped to hold a special night time event as part of Memorial weekend activities, a picnic on the ground of the USS Batfish. But again, there didn't seem to be enough interest and there weren't enough volunteers.

The park, which relies heavily on donations, attracts 25,000 visitors each year, many of them school children. But there is only a handful of volunteers.

"Wonderful thing we could have done if we would have had the help out here," Mish said.

While the Batfish will still hold Monday's burial at sea ceremony, workers say it could have been so much more, and hopefully it will be in the future.

Some of the events that were scheduled for this weekend will be rescheduled for a later date. In addition to Monday morning's ceremony at 9, the Batfish will also hold its Red, White and Blue Day on July 4th.

For more on the U.S.S Batfish visit www.ussbatfish.com.

Watch the video: Veterans Event Scaled Back After Lack Of Interest