SR 766: St. Marys Submarine Museum; honor

Senate Resolution 766

By: Senators Hodges of the 3rd, Walker III of the 20th, Harrell of the 40th, Hickman of the 4th, Summers of the 13th and others

A RESOLUTION

Honoring the St. Marys Submarine Museum upon its 30th anniversary; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, the St. Marys Submarine Museum was a dream that became a reality on March 30, 1996, due to the heroic efforts of many people led by the late Georgia State Senator Sheila McNeill, who was the founding President of the Museum, and then St. Marys Mayor Jerry Brandon; and

WHEREAS, the late Rear Admiral Eugene Fluckey, Commanding Officer of the WWII Submarine USS BARB, and one of seven submariners to receive the Medal of Honor in WWII, was the commissioning speaker; and

WHEREAS, for the past 30 years the partnership between the St. Marys Submarine Museum and the City of St. Marys has been a great example of a public-private partnership that not only works, but works well; and

WHEREAS, donated to the City in 1936 by the Lucas family of Georgia, the museum has remained located in a historic building on the waterfront in downtown St. Marys, that used to serve as both the St. Marys movie theater and then the city's youth center, and has continued that service to the community at large, with this museum paying tribute to the silent service of the United States Navy; and

WHEREAS, the men and women who have been stationed over the years at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay have benefited from the history afforded at this incredible facility and have been able to hold reenlistments, officer promotions, chief promotions, and change of command receptions as well as so many other events at the museum; and

WHEREAS, for the past decade the midshipmen of both the Naval Academy in Annapolis and ROTC Universities across the country have been provided history lectures and tours of this great museum, assisting them in making informed career decisions about their path for service following graduation each year; and

WHEREAS, the museum has taken the lead role in the annual Kings Bay Submarine Veterans of WWII Memorial Week which has been held annually for 37 years, honoring the 65 submarines our nation has lost and thousands of submariners who were lost in the line of duty during service to our nation in its 126 year history as a submarine force, bringing submariners from all across the county together with our allies from the United Kingdom; and

WHEREAS, the late Retired Navy Master Chief John Crouse was instrumental in bringing the museum to life and served as the first manager from 1995, before the doors were opened to the public, until his untimely passing in September 2010; and

WHEREAS, Retired Navy Senior Chief Keith Post, who served on the museum's Board of Directors for 5 years, picked up the reins in 2010 and has led the Museum since then serving as Executive Director, building on the legacy started by John Crouse and bringing the Museum to new levels of service to the community, becoming part of the Georgia WWII Heritage Trail in 2020, and aggressively expanding Submarine Crew Reunions held in the Camden County area bringing not only visitors but also economic activity to the area.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body recognize the St. Marys Submarine Museum on the occasion of its 30th anniversary and encourage all Georgians to visit this outstanding museum to learn about our nation's incredible submarine history.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the St. Marys Submarine Museum, the public, and the press.