WEST CHESTER, Ohio — Next to a soccer park in Butler County, it’s loud. But not because of screaming kids. It's because of saws, hammers and construction cranes.
It's music to Dick Young's ears. He’s been waiting two decades to hear this. Because it takes him back to his time in the Navy. More specifically, his time on a submarine — where he says he sometimes only got three hours of sleep.
“I was a poor student in high school,” Young said.
Then, he joined the military and spent four years working on a submarine. A submarine built during the Cold War that monitored USSR ships targeting the United States.
His job was to work the radio. It was a job that put other people's lives in his hands. A job he continued as a 911 dispatcher once he got out of the military.
“That gave me the confidence that I could do anything in the world,” Young said.
Go behind the scenes of the massive submarine construction project in the video below:
Young is standing outside a construction site near the Voice of America soccer fields in West Chester. He smiles and shakes hands with Joe Jaap, president of the Submarine Cincinnati Memorial Association.
Neither veteran has been here since construction began. Jaap is giving a tour to township officials, and he invited me to tag along.
“The USS Cincinnati represents this huge investment the US made in defense,” Jaap said.
This submarine was in service from 1978 until the USSR collapsed in 1991. Veterans in Cincinnati have been working for more than 20 years to establish a memorial for it. We visited last year, when there was nothing here but grass.
Now, the skeleton of a massive replica submarine is going up. It's more than 30 feet in diameter and as long as a football field.
“I feel guilty when people say thank you for your service, because I had a blast when I was in,” Young said. “And I learned a trade that took me through the rest of my life.”
A trade that Jaap says needs more people, which is part of the reason for this $9.5 million project.
“We can’t build enough submarines that we’ve allocated, because of the lack of welders and electricians and pipe fitters,” Jaap said. “They’re all in need of skilled workers.”
And these vets hope the memorial will get more young people interested in the skills it takes to build them. Because when it's finished, you’ll be able to walk inside and learn all about submarines like it.
“I knew I was going to be impressed by the size of it,” Jaap said. “But now that I see it, I’m even more impressed.”
Young nods his head.
“This is a dream come true,” Young said.
When can you see it?
The goal is to open the memorial next year.
Jaap tells us money has been raised for construction of the replica submarine, but his organization still needs to raise funds for educational materials inside the submarine skeleton. If you’d like to learn more, including how to donate, click this link.
If you have a veteran story to tell in your community, email homefront@wcpo.com. You also can find more Homefront stories here.
