Memorial Day in OKC

As we’ve written about in the past, Oklahoma City has deep ties to our armed forces. With Memorial Day approaching, we thought it would be a good time to revisit those connections and look at ways you can celebrate and honor those who have fallen in service to our country.

Of course it all starts with Tinker Air Force Base, one of the largest Air Forces bases in the country. Tinker employs more than 26,000 and is our state’s largest single site employer. The base houses the Air Force Sustainment Center which is the focal point for all the Air Force’s weapon systems, providing crucial support in defending our country. You can read more about Tinker AFB in our past post.

Our city and state have also had the honor of having a battleship and a submarine named after us. Most famously the USS Oklahoma, which fought in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Tragically, 429 crewman were killed in the attack as the ship was sunk. The anchor of the ship is located in Campbell Park, just north of Downtown Oklahoma City. Read more about the USS Oklahoma here.

There has also been a submarine and light cruiser christened the USS Oklahoma City. The submarine is currently active and has been used to fight the War on Terror and illegal drug shipments. The light cruiser fought in both WWII and Vietnam and has accumulated more than 13 battle stars. You can read more about those ships here.