USS Razorback celebrates 80th anniversary of commission
NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – It’s a birthday party unlike any other.
The USS Razorback celebrated 80 years since its commissioning Wednesday morning, serving two countries over 50 years of active duty.
The North Little Rock celebration also brought together veterans of the submarine as well as families of those who served, all remembering the grit and determination necessary to be a submariner.
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The USS Razorback was commissioned on April 3, 1944. It was named after the razorback whale, as was tradition to name submarines of that time after fish.
Between its service to the United States and 30 years of duty in Turkey, the Razorback saw crews of submariners who became more like family; a thought echoed by Captain Fred Reker who felt returning to the ship was like meeting an old friend.
“Oh, it’s wonderful to see it,” Reker said, “and I still can climb through it. I took my kids stem to stern and showed them the boat – We remember one thing: that ship always got us home.”
The Razorback made its way to North Little Rock in 2004, where it’s now anchored at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum.
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The museum is also unique in that it’s one of just two locations home to “bookends” of World War II: the start of the war represented by the Razorback’s neighbor, the USS Hoga, and the end of the war marked by the submarine itself.
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