Memorial officials also just announced the grand opening weekend for the public will be May 16 and May 17, with big crowds anticipated to see the unusual military history attraction.
“Raising the flag atop the sail was more than a key step in the construction plan among hundreds of other steps,” said Bob Viney, vice president and program executive of the Submarine Cincinnati Memorial Association.
The military ceremony “involved the rendering of honors to the flag, which involved playing the bugle call ‘Attention to Colors’ followed by the playing of the National Anthem.”
“We had seven submarine veterans participating in the ceremony. It was a bit emotional for me personally, as it has been about 52 years since I last rendered honors during the raising of the flag aboard a submarine,” said Viney.
When completed and opened in May, the $9.5 million memorial will feature walk-through spaces of the submarine’s skeleton frame and educational kiosks on the historical vessel — which was launched in 1977 and decommissioned in 1996 — and its global impact on patrolling international waters.
The Cold War Memorial will sit on the same grounds as another historic American site, the Voice of America National Museum of Broadcasting, both of which are visible from Tylersville Road.
Viney said the major opening activities will be on Saturday, May 16.
“We don’t have the agenda of activities defined yet, but we will have a ceremony to dedicate that day. The memorial will be open for visitors from Friday May 15 through Sunday May 17. And we will have docents on site Friday afternoon, all day Saturday, and Sunday afternoon, to provide information about the submarine operations in each, the major equipment and the science behind how it operates, and the roles of the watch standers and crew living experiences around the submarine.”
“And the memorial will be open every day following the Grand Opening during the hours for Butler County MetroParks,” he said.
The fundraising campaign continues as memorial officials strive to cover all the site’s costs. For more information and donation options to the memorial fund see the Submarine Cincinnati Memorial Association website.
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