Mayor’s task force for the USS Columbia reacts to news of Pearl Harbor shooter
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
The Navy submarine USS Columbia holds a special place in the hearts of many in Columbia, making the news of the deadly shooting at Pearl Harbor hard to hear.
Columbia, Missouri, is one of the namesake cities for the USS Columbia submarine. The other two cities are Columbia, Illinois, and Columbia, South Carolina.
The Columbia City Council established a Mayor's Task Force for the USS Columbia in 1994 to help the city maintain a positive relationship with the ship's crew.
Anne Moore, chair of the task force, said she was asked to design an entertainment system for the submarine when it was first built.
"We are grieving for and with the USS Columbia," Moore said.
This year was the 25th anniversary of USS Columbia launch. Moore said the crew comes to Columbia almost every year to visit and has strong ties with the University of Missouri and Columbia College, where they have recruiting events.
"This tragedy does not take away thing away from the relationship we have built with the crew," Moore said. "We are their friends. Long-distance as we may be, we are their friends and remain very loyal to them."
Moore did not know if the shooter had visited Columbia with the crew prior to Wednesday.
She said the task force had just finished making holiday cards for the crew when they heard the news.
"I will reach out to (the ship's commander) in the next few days and let him know our thoughts and prayers," Moore said. "And see what kind of support he would like for the crew and whatever we can offer we will certainly do."
She didn't know an exact date of when the crew will be back in Columbia but said they are expected to come sometime next year.
