Submarine veterans honored

A Mark 37 torpedo is the centerpiece of a new Submarine Veterans Memorial at the Pea Ridge Veterans Memorial thanks to the cooperative effort of veterans, donors — including Wal-Mart — and the Hawthorne Museum in Hawthorne, Nev. The memorial dedication will be held Saturday, May 13.

“Tim is also a submarine veteran,” Rathmell said, referring to Tim Costello, manager of the Neighborhood Market in Pea Ridge. Pete Rathmell, a submarine veteran, wrote the grant to the Walton Foundation.

“At Wal-Mart, we are grateful for the sacrifice our nation’s veterans, military men and women, and their families have made in service to our country,” Costello said. “When we at Wal-Mart work together with the community, we have the power to change and enhance the community. We are pleased to make this donation to support this effort in Pea Ridge.”

The Mark 37 torpedo is 19 inches in diameter and almost 12 feet long, Rainwater said. It weighs 1,500 pounds without the war head.

The Veterans Memorial is a project of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8109. Veterans Jerry Burton and Howard Schuettpelz joined the submarine veterans Mike Rainwater, Bob Andregg and Ken Spencer Tuesday as two more memorial stones were set in addition to the torpedo memorial.

Tim Bertschy, Tony Bertschy, Jake Schroeder, Gary Tillman and Will Ferguson provided the crane and manpower to set the granite stanchions and the torpedo.

Rathmell served on the USS Bream (SS 243) from 1966-1968; Rainwater, USS Chivo (SS 341) from 1969-1971; Costello served 1979-1991 in the U.S. Navy serving on two U.S.S. George C. Marshall (SSBN 654), U.S.S. Ulysses S. Grant (SSBN 631).

TIMES photograph by Annette Beard Submarine veteran Mike Rainwater, left, measures for correct placement of the Mark 37 torpedo in the memorial to submarine veterans at the Pea Ridge Veterans Memorial April 25. Rainwater was the project chief and was assisted by Bob Andregg, project...