A gathering of city of Phoenix leadership, long-time supporters, project designers and contractors, and Cold War veterans gathered at Steele Indian School Park in August for a ceremonial groundbreaking for the USS Phoenix Cold War Monument (photo by Bob Rink).
At an Aug. 1 event at Steele Indian School Park, city of Phoenix leadership both past and present joined veterans and supporters as they celebrated the ceremonial groundbreaking of the USS Phoenix Cold War Monument.
The USS Phoenix (SSN-702) was the 15th of the 62 nuclear-powered Los Angeles class fast attack submarines built and launched between 1972 and 1997. The future monument will showcase salvaged components of the USS Phoenix and is designed to educate the public and honor America’s submariners, Cold War veterans and defense industry workers for their sacrifice and service to their country.
“Knowing the USS Phoenix will be honored at Steele Indian School Park means a lot to our community,” District 4 Councilwoman Laura Pastor told us following the event. “It’s a powerful reminder of a chapter of history that shaped the world, and a way to honor the veterans whose service often went unseen. We’re proud to have a place that preserves this history and ensures future generations understand the sacrifices made during the Cold War.”
Captain Pete Lumianski, U.S. Navy (Ret.), has from the beginning been a part of the effort to place the 65 tons of salvaged parts from the now decommissioned/deconstructed submarine into a downtown city park. He serves on the board of the nonprofit USS Phoenix Cold War Monument Foundation, which founded the effort. Along with Pastor, Parks representatives, and the project designers and builders, he was joined at the August event by Captain Carol Culbertson, U.S. Navy (Ret.), CEO of the foundation, and former Phoenix mayor and Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, who in 1989 spearheaded the USS Phoenix mission to “befriend” the submarine and bring the salvage home to its namesake city.
The centerpiece of the USS Phoenix Cold War Monument is parts salvaged from the submarine – including the sail and conning tower – after the vessel was decommissioned (rendering courtesy of The Ardurra Group).
The monument project has been 30 years in the making, and after the final funding was secured through the city of Phoenix in late 2023, management passed to the city with the Parks and Recreation Department leading the effort.
The centerpiece of the monument is those salvaged parts – including the sail and conning tower. Informational signs will be located throughout, and a 33-foot by 50-foot canopy will be placed near the center, serving as a shade structure and representing the exact size of the submarine’s hull. Under the canopy, on the floor will be the layout of the submarine to tell visitors what part of the vessel they would be standing in. There will be a series of bollards at the entrance, which will be approximately the same size as the torpedoes carried by the vessel, and the monument will be 362 feet long – roughly the length of the original submarine.
This is not a memorial meant for solemn occasions, Lumianski emphasized, and education will be at the forefront of the monument.
“The foundation’s motto is ‘Learn, Honor, Remember.’ So, you learn about the Cold War, honor those who served and remember the lessons learned,” he said.
He added, “I’m 83. My age group lived through the Cold War – between 1946 to 1991. During that time, there was a face-off between the United States and Russia, the Soviet Union at the time, and it involved a huge amount of nuclear technology and weaponry. I remember times as a school kid hiding under our desk for practice in case of nuclear weapon went off. There was a lot of tension and fear of the possibility of a nuclear holocaust for the planet. And I think it’s important to remember those times.
“This project preserves that history. I’m hoping that this monument will stimulate some interest in that period and also allow people to think about what we’re doing now and what we’re going to do in the future. Learning history is critical for our young generation coming up, so we need to encourage it.”
The USS Phoenix Cold War Monument will be constructed on the east side of Steele Indian School Park, 300 E. Indian School Road, adjacent to the Arizona Veteran Home. The city hopes to complete the project by Spring 2027. Learn more about the history of the project at www.ussphoenixmonument.org.
