October 7, 2002

On September 3, at a news conference along the Arkansas River, North Little Rock Mayor Patrick Henry Hays announced that "North Little Rock now has a navy."

Mayor Hays made the announcement following a twelve-day trip to Turkey to strengthen cultural, educational, and economic ties between the United States and Turkey. One of the striking results of his trip was acquisition of the submarine, the "Razorback."

In March 2002 Turkey's decided to decommission a submarine, the Murat Reis, purchased from the U.S. Navy in 1970. Turkey has donated the submarine, originally named the Razorback while in the service of the U.S. Navy, to become a museum piece in North Little Rock.

The name of the submarine comes from a reddish whale rather than the University of Arkansas mascot. "Not that it makes any difference! To all of the college athletic world, the word -Razorback- could only means those wild hogs that roam the Ozark hills as Arkansas Razorbacks," Mayor Hays says.

The mayor notes that the Razorback will become the newest riverfront attraction in North Little Rock, likely by next spring. The 311-foot-long submarine, one of only two remaining out of twelve submarines present during the 1945 Japanese surrender to end World War II, could arrive in time for the 2003 Memorial Day weekend's Riverfest celebration, the Mayor said. Plans are now being made to sail the submarine from Turkey, and Mayor Hays claims to have already picked out his berth.

The historic submarine is planned as part of a maritime museum, enhancing riverfront development plans for North Little Rock and Little Rock. It will be adjacent to or near the planned $5 million state Game and Fish Commission Nature Center, a possible aquarium and hotel complex, and Alltel Arena. The $155 million Clinton library is being built across the river in Little Rock.

Mayor Hays is also working to obtain the U.S.S. Hoga, a tugboat that fought battleship fires during the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, to be part of the planned museum.

Mayor Hays led the delegation to Turkey, which visited local leaders, including the Mayors of Ankara and Esenyurt, the Ankara Chamber of Commerce, and the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce, the largest business organization in Turkey and one of the largest in the world, educational institutions, and a number of other governmental, military, business, educational, and corporate leaders. Ankara Mayor I. Melih Gokcek asked Mayor Hays to bring a delegation of U.S. mayors to be his guest for a visit to his city and country.

The mayor pointed out that the United States and Turkey have been staunch allies for over a half a century. "Our visit," Mayor Hays says, "underscores the importance of building relationships, sharing experiences, and underscoring international friendships, such as those with the Turkish people, in order to work together for peace.

"We are honored to have received the Razorback submarine as a symbol of that friendship and as a first major part of our planned maritime museum. Converting the museum from a military to an educational purpose symbolizes our hope and conviction that although our two nations have fought side by side in wars and are militarily prepared, our ultimate goal is to realize peace in the world," Mayor Hays emphasized.