USS Oklahoma Memorial painting unveiled

A painting of the USS Oklahoma Memorial was unveiled today at the state Capitol in memory of the ship and the 429 sailors and Marines who died when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

The painting by Oklahoma City artist Christopher Nick was unveiled during a ceremony in the state Senate chamber by survivors Ed Vezey, 88, and Paul Goodyear, 90.

"It's quite a touching event to see these kids finally memorialized," Goodyear said.

Vezey and Goodyear spearheaded the drive over several years to raise money and build the USS Oklahoma Memorial at Pearl Harbor, which was dedicated Dec. 7, 2007.

In the painting, they are the two sailors in the forefront of the memorial.

State Sen. Jim Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, who also played a key role in getting a memorial to the USS Oklahoma, said the painting is "an honor to the 429 who never came home."

At today's unveiling were members of Claremore High School's Junior Naval ROTC unit, which was a the color guard at last year's dedication in Hawaii.The color guard also is in the painting.

Lisa Ridge, an Indiana school teacher whose grandfather Paul Nash died on the Oklahoma during the attack, got a pleasant surprise at today's ceremony.

Nash's name is on one of the Memorial's columns in the painting.