The USS Ponchatoula was a gift, of sorts, to its namesake Louisiana town. After the residents far exceeded expectations in a WWII scrap metal drive—local students reportedly gathered 475 tons of metal to donate—the tanker ship born out of those scraps was dubbed the “Ponchatoula” as a show of thanks. The Navy launched a second USS Ponchatoula in 1956.
Both ships have now come to port for good, decommissioned and scrapped by the Navy. But before the second ship was dismantled, the USS Ponchatoula Association stepped in to reclaim and repurpose selected scraps, led by veteran John Hearn, who served on the ship during the Vietnam War. The ship’s rear rails and flag mast feature prominently in the local memorial, erected outside the Collinswood Museum and dedicated in a public ceremony on May 16.
“The teacher who led the scrap metal drive was actually at the memorial when they dedicated it,” said local business owner C.J. Scanduro of CJ’s Antiques.
“It’s made just like the aft deck on the Ponchatoula,” he added. “These guys would go down [to the USS Ponchatoula] and pick up the parts.”
The newly installed memorial will lend an additional grace to the city’s annual July 4 flag raising, in which local organization The Minutemen hoist a magnificent 40x70-foot Old Glory in salute to the nation’s independence. Members of the USS Ponchatoula Association are expected to attend the occasion as well, after which the public is invited to refreshments at CJ’s Antiques (160 Southeast Railroad Avenue). The ceremony begins at 8 am. 100 East Pine Street.
