SR766: SR766 St. Marys Submarine Museum; honor

26 LC 129 9019 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 anniversa ry; and for other1 purposes.2 WHEREAS, the St. Marys Submarine Museum was a dream that became a reality on March3 30, 1996, due to the heroic efforts of many people led by the l ate Georgia State Senator4 Sheila McNeill, who was the founding President of the Museum, and then St. Marys Mayor5 Jerry Brandon; and6 WHEREAS, the late Rear Admiral Eugene Fluckey, Commanding Offic er of the WWII7 Submarine USS BARB, and one of seven submariners to receive the Medal of Honor in8 WWII, was the commissioning speaker; and9 WHEREAS, for the past 30 years the partnership between the St. Marys Submarine Museum10 and the City of St. Marys has been a great example of a public-private partnership that not11 only works, but works well; and12 WHEREAS, donated to the City in 1936 by the Lucas family of Geo rgia, the museum has13 remained located in a historic building on the waterfront in downtown St. Marys, that used14 to serve as both the St. Marys movie theater and then the city' s youth center, and has15 S. R. 766 - 1 - 26 LC 129 9019 continued that service to the community at large, with this mus eum paying tribute to the16 silent service of the United States Navy; and17 WHEREAS, the men and women who have been stationed over the yea rs at Naval18 Submarine Base Kings Bay have benefited from the history afforded at this incredible facility19 and have been able to hold reenlistments, officer promotions, chief promotions, and change20 of command receptions as well as so many other events at the museum; and21 WHEREAS, for the past decade the midshipmen of both the Naval Academy in Annapolis22 and ROTC Universities across the country have been provided history lectures and tours of23 this great museum, assisting them in making informed career decisions about their path for24 service following graduation each year; and 25 WHEREAS, the museum has taken the lead role in the annual Kings Bay Submarine26 Veterans of WWII Memorial Week which has been held annually for 37 years, honoring the27 65 submarines our nation has lost and thousands of submariners who were lost in the line of28 duty during service to our nation in its 126 year history as a submarine force, bringing29 submariners from all across the county together with our allies from the United Kingdom;30 and31 WHEREAS, the late Retired Navy Master Chief John Crouse was instrumental in bringing32 the museum to life and served as the first manager from 1995, before the doors were opened33 to the public, until his untimely passing in September 2010; and 34 WHEREAS, Retired Navy Senior Chief Keith Post, who served on the museum's Board of35 Directors for 5 years, picked up the reins in 2010 and has led the Museum since then serving36 as Executive Director, building on the legacy started by John C rouse and bringing the37 S. R. 766 - 2 - 26 LC 129 9019 Museum to new levels of servi ce to the community, becoming part of the Georgia WWII38 Heritage Trail in 2020, and aggressively expanding Submarine Crew Reunions held in the39 Camden County area bringing not only visitors but also economic activity to the area. 40 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body41 recognize the St. Marys Submarine Museum on the occasion of its 30th anniversary and42 encourage all Georgians to visit this outstanding museum to lea rn about our nation's43 incredible submarine history.44 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed45 to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for dis tribution to the St. Marys46 Submarine Museum, the public, and the press. 47 S. R. 766 - 3 -