This last weekend Señora and I went to Checotah, Oklahoma. On the very long shot chance you do not know about Checotah, it is the birthplace of yours truly. Way back in 1952 there was actually a three bed hospital in Checotah on 3rd street where I was born, delivered by Dr. N. E. Cornstubble. It is also the home of Carrie Underwood and the Steer Wresting Capital of the World, having many champion steer wrestlers from around Checotah. When I was a kid there was a rodeo arena within walking distance of my grandmother’s house, and we used to walk down there to watch them practice. If you are a fan of cowboy clothes you will know about the line of cowboy shirts from Wrangler named Checotah.
My great grandparents and grandparents farmed/sharecropped in this part of Oklahoma, ending up in Macintosh County with many of my aunts and my uncle going to Checotah schools. It was and is the biggest town in the county at just at a little more than 3,000 souls. For these reasons it can be considered the home of my Uncle Paul for whom a US Navy missile frigate, the USS Carr, carried his name until it was decommissioned after 30 years of service. Because Checotah was the home of my uncle, the former crew members chose Checotah as the spot of their inaugural reunion. Another reason was that the Checotah Welcome Center, in an old Katy Railroad Depot building, has a small museum with one wing dedicated to my uncle.
What was so tremendous over the life of the ship was how involved the Navy kept the family. Many family members were there for the keel laying, the commissioning and decommissioning of the ship. The various commanders involved the family in Friends and Family cruises and various other activities of the ship. It was and is a remarkable honor for my uncle, the Carr family and for Checotah. I have written about my uncle and the USS Carr in previous blog articles, but for an article that gives the most detailed description of my uncle’s story and why the ship was named after him see: Paul H. Carr inducted into the Oklahoma Military Hall of Fame.
One story I heard several times at the reunion was how connected the former sailors felt to the ship. Most commonly Navy ships are named after places or very famous people. For example the USS Missouri or the USS Ronald Reagan, perhaps places and people that are not instantly relatable nor intimate. In the mess deck of the USS Carr was a large picture of my uncle and every crew member saw it daily. They all knew and appreciated his story. It was very touching to hear the crew members’ stories as to how they related to the history of my uncle. In fact there is a group of them agitating to get one of the new class of naval frigates to carry on the name of my uncle. Just thinking about that gives me chill bumps.
One of the TV stations in Tulsa sent a reporter to the reunion. I am including a link to that story here: Navy Sailors On USS Carr Reunite In Checotah To Honor Man The Ship Was Named After
And as a bonus and just cause… here is Carrie Underwood’s song, I Ain’t In Checotah Anymore
To see a slide show of the Family and Friends cruise out of Norfolk around 2006/2007 click the following link: Family and Friends Cruise
And so it goes.