Jonesboro, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – A Jonesboro resident will be speaking to the Craighead County Historical Society next week to detail the history and legacy of the U.S.S. Arkansas.
Richard Hartness, Sr., is a member of the USS Arkansas Commissioning Committee. The nonprofit committee, formed in 2016, was created to honor the U.S.S. Arkansas, a nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarine and the fifth boat bearing the state’s name.
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Hartness will be speaking to the organization about the previous U.S. Navy vessels that have had the “U.S.S. Arkansas” name, a legacy dating back to the Civil War.
“The heritage of the name and all these different boats, and some little stories that go along with it,” Hartness said of what he’d be discussing.
He gave JRN a preview of his presentation, detailing how the creation of the Arkansas state flag was tied to one of these boats. In the early 1920s, the Daughters of the American Revolution wanted to give the new-at-the-time U.S.S. Arkansas to fly three flags: Old Glory, the U.S. Navy Battalion Ensign, and the Arkansas flag.
“But the Secretary of State at the time said, ‘I’m sorry, ladies, we don’t have an official state flag.’ So, they have a contest, and the lady that won the contest, her design, with a few little tweaks, became what we have today at the Arkansas state flag,” Hartness said. “That’s one little relationship between the U.S.S. Arkansas at the time, and then these ladies making the state flag happen.”
Along with speaking about the ship’s long history, Hartness will collect donations and sell U.S.S. Arkansas memorabilia to raise funds for events to be held the week of the submarine’s commissioning in fall 2027.
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In addition, for a $1,000 donation, an embroidered logo of a city, county, civic group, or business will be placed on one of the boat’s 147 bunk curtains and remain on the boat for its 30-year lifespan.
So far, Hartness said logos of Arkansas cities such as Caraway, Hot Springs Village, Craighead County, Trumann, and more have been secured. Arkansas State University and the A-State Army ROTC Alumni have also pledged donations for logos. He added that he is working on securing a City of Jonesboro logo for the vessel.
The Craighead County Historical Society meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, at 7 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall of First Baptist Church, located at 701 S. Main St. Attendees are asked to use the Union Street entrance. The meeting is open to the public.
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