Perch Base USSVI August 2026 USS Phoenix (SSN-702) Cold War Monument Grounbreaking Ceremony Photos

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Perch Base Submarine Veterans (USSVI) participated in the USS Phoenix (SSN-702) Cold War Monument Ground Breaking Ceremony on Saturday, August 1, 2026, at the Steele Indian School Park in Phoenix, Arizona.
The event was sponsored by the Phoenix Parks & Recreation Department which provided about 50 chairs, tables, and a continental breakfast.
The Ground Breaking Ceremony started at 8 AM and lasted about a half hour.
Perch Base USSVI staged our USS Phoenix (SSN-702) parade float at the event.
Dignitaries included Laura Pastor, Phoenix City Councilmember, District 4; Marty Whitfield, Director of the Phoenix Parks & Recreation Department, Navy Capt (ret) Pete Lumianski, Cold War Monument Director, and CDR, USN (ret) former Phoenix Mayor Hon. Terry Goddard. Pete has been involved with the USS Phoenix (SSN-702) since 1989, first as a USS Phoenix Commission member, and for the past 30 years as a leader in the effort to save parts of the USS Phoenix and place them in the Park. Terry Goddard was the creator of the USS Phoenix Commission, established by the City of Phoenix to support the crew of the nuclear submarine USS Phoenix (SSN-702) back when it was still operating, CAPT Carol Culbertson, USN(ret). Other attendees included some members of the USS Phoenix (SSN-702) crew, including Plankowners.
Credit to Don Robertson who first, washed the float and his towing truck, then hauled the float a long way back and forth, arriving at 0630, then got it properly lined up for the purpose of making the groundbreaking scene much more fun/interesting.
The USS Phoenix (SSN-702) sail, planes and rudder are in storage on the grounds of the Arizona National Guard Facility near McDowell Rd and 52nd St until they are ready to be installed at Steele Indian School Park.
Read and see more about when the USS Phoenix (SSN-702) sail and planes were delivered at the Papago Park Military Reservation from the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard on August 12, 2016, HERE.
Read and see more about USS Phoenix Welcome Home and Re-Christening Ceremony on Tuesday, September 20, 2016, HERE.
Read and see more about USS Phoenix (SSN-702) Cold War Monument Concept Reveal on the "Submarine Force Birthday," Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at the Steele Indian School Park HERE.

Click on any thumbnail for a larger picture.

August 2026 Cold War Memorial Ground Breaking Photos

The Ground Breaking Crew, holding the shovels (l-r:)
Aaron Allan, Principal, J2 Design; Vispi Karanjia, Grace Design; Zach Trott, Ardurra, the General Contractor/Engineering Consultant; Zach DeMark, son/Assistant Manager for DNG Construction’s owner Dominic DeMark; Laura Pastor, District 4 Phoenix City Councilwoman, Pete Lumianski, Captain, USN (ret), Executive Director, USS Phoenix Cold War Monument Foundation; Terry Goddard, former Phoenix City Mayor; Bill Rothert, Captain, USN (ret), first skipper of the USS Phoenix (SSN-702; Carol Culbertson, Captain, USN (ret), Chairwoman, USS Phoenix Cold War Monument Foundation; Marty Whitfield, Phoenix City Parks Director.
Thanks to Bob Gilmore who captured this photo!

Most of the attendees at the Ground Breaking Ceremony.
Thanks to Bob Gilmore who captured this photo!

The USS Phoenix (SSN-702) ship's clinometer, indicating the boat's degrees of dive or rise.

A photo of the USS Phoenix (SSN-702) breaking the surface upon an emergency blow. (I wonder what the ship's clinometer read on this surface!)

Perch Base Life Member Jim Denzien being interviewed by one of the several news stations that attended the Ground Breaking Ceremony.

Marty Whitfield, Director of the Phoenix Parks & Recreation Department, opens the Ground Breaking Ceremoy and introduced Laura Pastor, Phoenix City Councilmember, District 4.

Laura Pastor, Phoenix City Councilmember, District 4 addressed the attendees.

Perch Base brought our USS Phoenix (SSN-702) float to the Ground Breaking Ceremony.
(l-r:) George Woods, Chris Gahan & Jerry Benham setting up the float.

Perch Base brought our USS Phoenix (SSN-702) float to the Ground Breaking Ceremony.
(l-r:) Don Robertson & George Woods setting up the float.

Your Perch Base Webmaster, Dan Marks.

This banner was the gangway banner for the USS Phoenix (SSN-702).

This photo was provided by Ed Henry's city contact. These are the USS Phoenix (SSN702) Plankowners that were present for the Cold War Memorial Ground Breaking Ceremony.
(l-r:) John Smith, Ed Henry, Capt. Bill Rothert, Chuck Luna, Larry Arndt and Norm Guillemette.

This photo was provided by Ed Henry's city contact. These are the USS Phoenix (SSN702) Plankowners including family that were present for the Cold War Memorial Ground Breaking Ceremony.
(l-r:) John Smith, Ed Henry, Capt. Bill Rothert, Macy Rothert, Laura Luna, Chuck Luna, Gladys Rosowitz (Laura's Mother), Larry Arndt, Norm Guillemette, and Ann Guillemette.

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