Effingham County’s event to mark the return to service of the submarine USS Georgia is set to take place at the Veterans Park in Springfield on Thursday at 4 p.m.

The county is taking part in the welcome home of the USS Georgia with a flag that will travel through every county in Georgia and be a part of ceremonies that will include locally signed documents from each county. These documents will be among the “Georgia” things that will be placed on the submarine permanently.

The submarine Georgia has undergone a two-year retrofitting, including a refueling overhaul and conversion. The Georgia is one of four (out of 18) that the Navy selected for such work to give them the capability to fire 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles and the ability to carry and deploy from the submarine special operations forces through lockout chambers. The official designation is USS Georgia (SSGN 729).

The Navy League and the regional development centers throughout the state planned and carried out the details for the flags trip through Georgia.

“We are going to have a real ceremony that will involve a number of individuals from Effingham in paying tribute to USS Georgia’s new role in our national defense but will also pay tribute to the past duty performed by the submarine and its crews,” said county clerk Patrice Morris, who is coordinating the event.    

City and county officials will be present to participate. Commission Chairperson Myra Lewis will welcome the attendees. There will be Navy veterans from the war eras (WW I—Afghanistan-Iraq) present as an honor guard. Veterans from the Navy submarine service also will participate in the program. Commission Vice-Chairman Reggie Loper will give a brief summary of the events with the flag and its final destination at Kings Bay.

The Effingham Community Orchestra will provide music for the event. The public is urged to be a part of the event.