Two Arizona boy scouts have joined the effort to restore historic gun barrels from the USS Arizona and USS Missouri. Once construction is complete the barrels will be incorporated into a complete WWII Memorial to be built near the state capitol in Phoenix.
Ben and Hal Owens decided to earn their Eagle after learning their grandfather earned his award in the 1940s. As part of their Eagle projects, each boy is organizing materials, directing and overseeing the work of their team. Ben Owens will work on the USS Arizona barrel and Hal Owens will manage the work on the USS Missouri gun.
According to the National Eagle Scouting Association, the Eagle Scout Award is scouting’s highest rank and among its most familiar icons. Those who have earned it count it among their most treasured possessions.
Each scout has invited friends, family and fellow scouts from Troop 340 to participate. They expect to have more than 16 scouts and friends painting the guns on Saturday, April 6 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and on Sunday, April 7 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Precision Components Incorporated where the guns are being temporarily stored.
Home Depot of Cave Creek and Dunn-Edwards Paints generously donated the materials for the project, including primer, paint and the equipment required to restore the barrels. The 161st Air Refueling Wing of the Arizona Air National Guard removed the old paint and rust last week.
Ben and Hal are members of Troop 340 which is part of St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church and has nearly 20 active members which range in age from 10 1/2 to 18 years old. The Troop is led by Scoutmaster Ralph McCloskey.
“We’re honored that Ben and Hal Owens have led the effort to get these barrels ready for installation,” said Secretary of State Ken Bennett. “Eagle Scouts serve as positive examples of trustworthiness, courage and loyalty within their community and it appears that Ben and Hal are already exemplifying those ideals.”
Secretary Bennett has spearheaded a project to build a WWII Memorial which include barrels from the USS Arizona and USS Missouri. The barrels will be displayed as a part of a complete WWII exhibit representing the beginning and end of the war. The centerpiece of the Memorial will be a steel structure forged into the shape of a ship’s hull which will display more than 1500 individual names of the Arizonans who perished in WWII.