Oklahoma’s War Memorial and Museum is getting a new temporary home. The museum’s curator says it’s the first tangible step in the effort to move the USS Batfish.
As James Erb rolls boxes of artifacts into Three Forks Harbor, he says it’s a step in the right direction.
“This is the first concrete step, the first tangible step we’ve seen,” said James Erb.
He spent the day carefully packing up helmets at their old location. They’re just a small sampling of the artifacts collected over the years. Some of the helmets are now behind glass, as Erb curates the perfect exhibits for their new temporary home.
“Now we’re actually seeing the progress made and now I can sleep a little bit better at night because I’m going to see this thing actually come to fruition,” said Erb.
Erb has been curator of the museum for four years after volunteering for fifteen years. The museum is the companion to Oklahoma’s only submarine, the USS Batfish.
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“This is a piece of historic artifact that needs to be preserved,” said Erb.
The Batfish itself will eventually also have a home at Three Forks Harbor and be open for guided tours. They haven’t hosted tours since the 2019 flood.
“It’s been a long, hard grind, and now there’s daylight at the end of the tunnel,” said Erb.
In May, Oklahoma lawmakers allocated $4 million to the move. Erb says it’s about 1/3 of the funding they need. Once all the money is in place, they’ll be able to create a world-class museum with the Batfish sitting nearby.
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“It’s there to show that the American spirit is indomitable,” said Erb. “We can do what we set out to do.”
The museum’s exhibits are temporarily housed inside the Robinson Gallery and Event Center at Three Forks Harbor. It’s the first time in 52 years they’ve been moved.
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