Crew Of USS Tulsa Visit Ship's Namesake City

Sailors from the USS Tulsa are spending a few days in Tulsa to learn more about the city. Tuesday night's reception at Mother Road Market wraps up the crew's second day spent exploring the city.

They've had a full schedule, stopping by a number of Tulsa landmarks like the new Greenwood Rising center and driving on Route 66.

In addition to sightseeing, it's a chance for the crew to get to know the people in the city. The sailors met with officials - and stopped by Union high school, where they spoke to students.

This trip brought four sailors to the city. It's the first visit since the ship's commissioning crew came in 2017. They hope to at least double the number of crew who get to visit in the future.

Commanders William Dvorak and Erin Connor with the USS Tulsa said this is all part of a Navy effort for crews to get to know what their ship is named after and create a connection to the community.

"We had a little bit of free time in our schedule to do something interesting like this. To visit the city that is our namesake so we jumped at the opportunity," Dvorak said.

"It really puts a personal touch on it," Connor said. "We are lucky in that we're named after a city. We feel the spirit of Tulsa and we want to take that back to the crew so they really feel connected to the city."

On Wednesday, the crew will get a tour of city hall - and have a ceremony at the Tulsa Historical Society at 10 a.m.