Museum Relocation
Its no secret, the park has some issues. The flood in 2019 caused some serious issues. On top of the flooding, the lease is up on the land. The War Memorial Park Board commissioned a feasibility study to consider moving the USS Batfish. They considered options that the study presented. You can download and read a draft of the executive summary in the link below.
Just recently the board met and it looks like the Three Forks Harbor location is at the top of the list.
One thing we know for sure, it will be expensive, a lot of work and take a lot of dedicated people to keep the history and memories alive.
You can watch the recent interview by Channel 6 news with the Alex Reynolds, Chairman for the War Memorial Trust here.
2019 Flood
A week of relentless rain caused water on the Arkansas River near Muskogee, Oklahoma, to rise more than 42 feet, inundating the submarine. The river was higher than any level since May 1943, when it topped 48 feet. The river hasn’t hit 40 feet since then; the closest it came was 1986, when levels hit 39.6 feet.
The Batfish floated in 1986, too, and came close to snapping its lone tether and floating off.
But if it wasn’t for that history and the work of dozens of people over the last 48 hours, the Batfish might have broken free, floated downstream and collided with a bridge, or somehow worse, a dam.
The entire site of the museum and memorial was at risk of flooding. The mast of the USS Oklahoma, which sat at the bottom of Pearl Harbor after Dec. 7th, 1941 for 70 years, was already underwater once again.
Volunteers did the best they can to save history. The group rescued and cataloged 17,000 artifacts, some priceless, others personal, before the worst of the flooding hit. They couldn’t save them all, but they saved the ones with real history, real meaning.
Photos from the 2019 Flood
![FM0 FC101111000:zzzzzz0 d c8 00 0 05f04224503ea1040 c30139243 55 0220 01e7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 01e7b19eb190 064 01d3b1b9b1bb 064 01bfb1a5b1ae 0 0 01dbb169b173 06f 01dfb1adb1b4 064 01e3b1b6b1c6 064 01e7b1cbb1ea 064 01ebb1d2b1f4 064 01efb1e8b208 064 01f3b1f9b216 064 01f7b1f8b213 064 01efb1f6b217 064 01efb1eeb20f 064 0](https://ussbatfisharc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Original-Resting-Place-scaled.jpg)
![FM0 FC111010100:zzzzzz010 92 00 0 05f04224503ea1040 c30139243 55 0210 01e7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 01e7e1a7e15b 064 01d3e19ee15e 064 01bfe1a9e174 0 1 01abe187e151 06e 01c7e15de122 064 01cbe19ae13c 064 01cfe19ae143 064 01d3e19de14c 064 01d7e1a2e155 064 01dbe1a7e155 064 01dfe1ace155 064 01e3e1b1e15c 064 01e7e1b3e15b 064 01ebe1b1e155 064 01e3e1a9e14a 064 01e3e1afe153 064 0](https://ussbatfisharc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Last-pic-of-USS-Oklahoma-Mast-at-Evacuation-scaled.jpg)
![Flood-Waters-Rising-on-USS-Oklahoma-Mast](https://ussbatfisharc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Flood-Waters-Rising-on-USS-Oklahoma-Mast-2.jpg)
![FM0 FC110010001:zzzzzz0 b aa 00 0 05f04224503ea1040 c30139243 55 0213 01e7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 01e7e102d1cd 064 01d3e10ad1b9 064 01bfe0fad19d 0 6 01dbe0d5d164 06e 01dfe0efd17d 064 01e3e0ecd175 064 01e7e0e7d168 064 01ebe0e2d16c 064 01efe0ded16a 064 01dfe0ded169 064 01dfe0d6d164 064 0](https://ussbatfisharc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/First-Light-Inspection-of-Water-Rising-scaled.jpg)
![Port-Aft](https://ussbatfisharc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Port-Aft-1.jpg)
![FM0 FC111001101:zzzzzz0 e 9b 00 0 05f04224503ea1040 c30139243 55 020d 01e7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 01e7c1cfb198 064 01d3c198b147 064 01bfc154b132 0 c 01dbc113b116 06e 01dfc139b13f 064 01e3c14db13d 064 01e7c13cb145 064 01ebc134b154 064 01efc14eb14a 064 01f3c15cb141 064 01f7c178b13e 064 01fbc161b143 064 01f3c155b144 064 01f3c158b14c 064 0](https://ussbatfisharc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Port-Midship-scaled.jpg)
![FM0 FC010011011:zzzzzz0 e a33c0 0 06c24dc2b22701040 c30139243 55 0219 01e7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 01e7c101c11c 064 01d3c11bc14f 064 01bfc104c135 0 1 01dbc0edc0ee 06e 01dfc126c120 064 01e3c127c141 064 01e7c124c157 064 01ebc12cc16f 064 01efc12fc171 064 01f3c12cc16c 064 01f7c12ec16e 064 01fbc12bc16f 064 01ebc120c165 064 01ebc135c17b 064 0](https://ussbatfisharc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Water-Rising-Sarboard-Stern-scaled.jpg)
![FM0 FC100010111:zzzzzz0 d c0 00 0 05f04224503ea1040 c30139243 55 0212 01e7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 01e7d18ad1c0 064 01d3d184d1bd 064 01bfd16dd197 0 0 01dbd163d175 06e 01dfd1b4d1de 064 01e3d183d1d4 064 01e7d17cd1dc 064 01ebd1ced24e 064 01efd1f1d285 064 01f3d1fbd29c 064 01f7d1fad29f 064 01efd1eed288 064 01efd1f0d27d 064 0](https://ussbatfisharc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Water-Rising-as-seen-through-Museum-Back-Door-scaled.jpg)
![FM0 FC011111101:zzzzzz0 b c0360 0 06b64d42c42821040 c30139243 55 020f 01e7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 01e7d101c1ff 064 01d3d083c131 064 01bfd07bc11c 0 2 01dbd070c0f0 06e 01dfd07cc0e9 064 01e3d07dc0f3 064 01e7d07ec105 064 01ebd086c119 064 01efd085c117 064 01e7d084c113 064 01e7d085c116 064 0](https://ussbatfisharc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/First-Light-Inspection-on-Morning-of-Evacuation-scaled.jpg)
![FM0 FC000000000:zzzzzz011 88 00 0 05f04224503ea1040 c30139243 55 0249 01e7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 01e7f10ef10f 064 01d3f101f107 064 01bff0d2f0da 0 0 01dbf0a9f0b2 06e 01dff0e0f0ea 064 01e3f0e7f0f2 064 01e7f0edf0f8 064 01ebf0fcf106 064 01eff0fcf108 064 01f3f102f10f 064 01f7f107f113 064 01fbf10af114 064 01fff109f112 064 0203f10bf112 064 0207f108f10d 064 01fff104f107 064 01fff10bf111 064 0](https://ussbatfisharc.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Coax-Flood-Damage-at-Bow-scaled.jpg)