ANCHOR DEDICATION 2006

Bill Clabo Field

On Friday, May 4th, dignitaries including Congressman John Duncan, Jr., Senator Tim Burchette, members of Knox County Government, school officials, and members of the Navy who served on the USS Farragut were on hand to dedicate the anchor.

The USS Farragut – DDG 37, served the Navy for almost 30 years. The ship was designed as a guided-missile destroyer capable of simultaneous anti-submarine, surface-to-air, and surface-to-surface combat missions.

The USS Farragut was decommissioned in October of 1989 and was the 4th Navy ship to bear the name of the Navy’s first Admiral, David Farragut. Since that time the ship has been in storage. The anchor has been almost five years in getting to Farragut. Through the efforts of longtime Farragut football supporter Clyde Floyd, Head Coach Eddie Courtney, and with the help of Congressman Jimmy Duncan, the anchor was officially reserved and set aside for Farragut High School. The anchor was trucked from a salvage yard in Brownsville, Texas by Pemberton Truck Lines. It was stored on the truck for the past 5 months and was delivered to the field on October 16, 2006. It was hoisted into place on the monument platform at the field entrance pass gate and welded with steel supports to fix the anchor to the monument platform. The booster club members on-hand to help position and secure the anchor were Richard Wigren, Paul Attanasio, Jeff Pitt, Lynn Wigren, and Dan Hoag. The anchor will be painted in Navy gray with Admiral blue accents. A commemorative plaque was added to the anchor monument commemorating the USS Farragut and seagoing servicemen and women. The official dedication of the anchor monument took place on November 3rd, 2006 during the first-round playoff game against Bearden, when the Admirals beat Bearden 20-6.