Oklahoma’s Submarine Memorials 

Although Greg Slavonic, RADM, USN (ret) and Tucker McHugh, CDR, USN (ret) never served under water during their Navy careers, both have played a crucial role in preserving the history of submarines connected with Oklahoma. Most recently, they spearheaded the USS OKC (SSN-723) Memorial Park, which is planned along the Oklahoma River. “We have a beautiful river, and it’s only right to have the submarine near water,” Slavonic said. “It’s important to remind Oklahomans we have a strong Navy.” 

The park’s design, by architect Don Beck, will replicate the footprint of the submarine’s actual length, 362 feet, about the size of a football field. Additional nautical items are planned for the park, including artifacts from the previous USS OKC (CLG-5), a surface vessel in operation from 1944 to 1979. 

Slavonic of Oklahoma City and McHugh of Edmond assisted in commissioning the second USS OKC, a nuclear-powered attack submarine, in 1988. When it was decommissioned in 2022, Slavonic and McHugh asked Governor Stitt and OKC Mayor Holt to write support letters for saving the main top sail and the dive planes, as other cities have done. 

Before the 120-thousand pound sail and dive planes can be transported to Oklahoma, however, the decommissioned submarine will undergo a multi-year process to remove its nuclear components before being dismantled. Since the exact arrival date is unknown, a mock-up of the sail will be constructed for the park, which is funded with federal, local and private dollars. 

Pearl Harbor’s Oklahoma Memorial 

Raising money for a submarine memorial is not new to McHugh and Slavonic, who are also responsible for the USS Oklahoma (BB 37) Memorial at Pearl Harbor. In 2001, McHugh saw a documentary about USS Arizona sinking during World War II, resulting in the loss of 1,177 men. McHugh, who served 20 years in the Navy, was stationed in Hawaii during the Vietnam War, but he didn’t recall seeing a USS Oklahoma Memorial, which had the second highest number of lives lost, at 429. 

McHugh asked Slavonic to double check while he was in Hawaii. Slavonic’s search for a USS Oklahoma Memorial was fruitless, but he did observe the 40-foot tripod mast of the Oklahoma battleship, sticking up out of the water during low tide. “We decided, ‘That’s not right. Those sailors and marines deserve to be honored, too,’” said Slavonic. So, they began fundraising. Don Beck designed the memorial, with 429 white marble pillars representing each casualty. On December 7th, 2007, a date significant as Pearl Harbor Day and Oklahoma’s centennial year, McHugh and Slavonic attended the dedication ceremony to hear the reading of each man’s name. 

The Purpose of Submarine Memorials 

For both McHugh and Slavonic, their mission to create memorials is an extension of their Navy careers. McHugh, who tracked Russian nuclear subs in the Pacific Ocean, recently had a grandson serving on a ballistic missile sub. “We want observers to be reminded of what it takes to maintain freedom,” McHugh said. 

After a 34-year Navy career, Slavonic served as the 18th Assistant Secretary and Acting Under Secretary of the Navy from 2018-2021, during which he was responsible for submitting Oklahoma as the name for a new submarine. Currently in production, the USS Oklahoma (SSN 802) should be christened by 2025. Slavonic’s wife, Molly, is named as the ship’s traditional sponsor. 

“It’s important to remind Oklahomans we have a strong Navy,” Slavonic said. “The U.S. Navy is responsible for protecting, patrolling and keeping sea lanes open, because 90% of all products we use daily come via shipping from around the world.” 

“It’s meaningful for everyone to know the important mission of our Navy in defending our Nation and especially remembering the City’s namesake ships/submarines,” said Slavonic. “Like it or not, our history has made us a country. It tells our story, and God willing, these memorials will help keep those stories alive.” 

Learn more at ussoklahoma-ssn802.us. Tax-exempt donations can be mailed to USS OKC Park, Box 8693, Edmond, OK 73083 or made through the website.