USS Batfish LbNA #10405 (ARCHIVED)

The USS Batfish is a Submarine. Now you might be thinking, "why on earth would there be a submarine in Oklahoma?" And let me tell you I asked the same thing myself, as Oklahoma is 500 miles from the nearest sea. But here it sits, dry docked in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The USS Batfish was commissioned on May 5, 1943 at Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is a well decorated veteran of WWII. Her first Skipper was Captain Wayne R. Merrill. Commander J.K. Fyfe, was Skipper during most of her war patrols. But you can read and learn all about her at Muskogee's War Memorial Park when you go to see her and find the letterbox. I will tell you that it got there by accident. It was on it's way up the Arkansas River to the Port of Catoosa, near Tulsa. But, it couldn't get any farther up the navigational channel, because the channel is so narrow and crooked in places. For more than a year, the Batfish, which was retired to the mothball fleet in Orange, Texas, in the late 1960's, sat in the river, at the Port of Muskogee. In 1972, the city of Muskogee, formed the War Memorial Park Authority, and pulled the submarine onto dry land.
Today when planting the letterbox my cousin and I took a walk through the sub. It is hard to imagine how 80 men lived and worked in that small of a space. It was very enlightening. The operating hours of the park are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Saturday, being closed on Tuesdays, and Sunday's 12:00 noon to 5:00 PM. The cost is $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for Senior Citizens and $2.00 for children, under 6 years old are free.
Now for our hunt: From Tulsa take the Muskogee Turnpike south. Take the Port of Muskogee exit (#33) follow the signs to the Memorial. You will go through the museum and out the back to the submarine. Take a left before going across the bridge to the sub, this will take you to the grassy area that the sub sits on. Go under the bridge to the back of the sub. (When walking up to the submarine it is facing away from you) Under the "aft" torpedo tubes on the east side of the sub (the right side if you are facing the back of the sub) there is an opening with a metal door that has fallen off, the letterbox is behind the metal door (the door is not attached to anything). Please take time to tour the inside of the Batfish, it is very interesting. Also, the grounds of the park are very well maintained and have lots of things for kids to climb on. On the way out please stop and blow a kiss at the POW and MIA memorial just outside the museum on the right. I did get permission from the lady inside the museum to plant the box. Her only concern was that people would ask her about it. I told her that anyone that would know about the box would enjoy the hunt and to just tell them it is out there some where go and find it! :)
Dee