USS Coontz Transom Donated to City of Hannibal, MO

By DANNY HENLEY
Of the Courier-Post

Ken Coontz II joked Saturday that Hannibal might be one of the few places on earth where most people might be able to spell his name correctly. Anyone with a question on the proper spelling of that name need go no further than Nipper Park, where the nameplate of the USS Coontz was dedicated Saturday during a special ceremony.

Among the speakers addressing the crowd of approximately 125 people was Rear Adm. Nathan Jones, deputy chief of information for the U.S. Navy. According to Jones, Hannibal native Robert E. Coontz, who eventually rose to the rank of admiral, was worthy of the honor paid his memory during the ceremony.

"He was our second CNO - chief of naval operations. He came from Hannibal, Mo., so he's in the heartland, went to the Naval Academy and provided 43 years of service to this nation, really filling a lot of key places including commander and chief of the U.S. fleet," he said.

Jones also paid homage to the guided-missile destroyer and her crew, a number of whom were on hand Saturday.

"This ship was able to provide 29 years of great service around the world for this nation," said Jones. "The crew members that were on board, which was nearly 400, manned it for those 29 years. This nation owes them a lot of 'thank yous' and many of the sailors that served on board were able to come here today for this dedication."

Among the ship's former crew members in attendance was Terry Cordingley, secretary of the USS Coontz Association. He was pleased with the strong turnout of association members, many of whom contributed money to save the ship's transom.

"We just started holding annual reunions in 2005 and this is really our first event here as an official association," said Cordingley, who makes his home in Oklahoma. "It's great that everyone came together. Without them and without their donations, and the time and effort everybody has put in on this, it never would have become a reality."

Ken Coontz, the great-grandson of Admiral Coontz, was not surprised by the association's representation at the dedication.

"I think that anything like this deserves a strong turnout," he said. "The guys in the association really do back this project and really are sincere about who they are and what they believe in."

Chris Atkinson, director of the Hannibal Parks and Recreation Department, was hopeful the veterans would enjoy the dedication program.

"It was a perfect culmination to the 12 months of hard work that we put into this project. The memorial service was real simple, real nice," he said. "Everything went really, really well. The gentlemen who served on the USS Coontz appreciated and liked what we did, and that's the main thing. As long as they're happy, I'm happy."

A high point of the program was the unveiling of the transom. The restoration work of Central Stone on the 3-foot by 14-foot piece of steel drew praise.

"They (association members) are really appreciative of all the work the two gentlemen who worked on the transom for us actually did," said Atkinson. "They can't believe how it actually turned out. They remember when it was on the back of the ship."

"It looks brand new. It looks perfect. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out," said Cordingley. "When we first donated it to the city, it was looking pretty rough. It was rusty, dented and bent. I was really concerned about how the finished product would look and it's beautiful."

Both Coontz and Cordingley expressed their satisfaction with the transom's riverside location.

"I think it's a wonderful place," said Coontz. "It's in a very well decorated environment and it couldn't be better to have the flags there."

"Nipper Park is the perfect location, overlooking the Mississippi River," said Cordingley. "I think Admiral Coontz would be proud. I know I'm proud. All the shipmates here are proud. I hope that the residents of Hannibal are proud of it and it will become an attraction here in the city for them as well."