Two anchors from the decommissioned USS Nashville (LPD-13) have been delivered to campus. One anchor is currently positioned outside the ROTC building on the corner of 19th and Edgehill Avenue. The other is being held in a campus facility until the new football stadium is completed, where Vanderbilt Athletics will likely place it.
The USS Nashville was an amphibious transport dock active in the United States Navy from 1970 to 2009 involved in missions in the Mediterranean and Europe. The anchors are meant to represent the strength of Vanderbilt’s ROTC program, as well as an enduring commitment to unity throughout the university, according to Sean Rewers, project manager in the Campus Planning and Construction Department. Fundraising efforts by ROTC alumni supported the implementation of the anchors.
“It is an honor to have a piece of history in our front yard to remind us of our heritage and traditions,” John Campiti, sophomore Navy ROTC student, said.
Rewers said the implementation of bringing these anchors to campus involved a year of planning, which included refurbishing the anchors’ appearance and managing transportation logistics.
“The anchors were in need of some preparation before placement, including applying the gray primer coat they sport now,” Rewers said in an email to The Hustler. “We prepared the concrete slab over the summer months and used a crane to set the anchor in place in October.”
The anchor outside the ROTC building is 12 feet tall and weighs 25,000 pounds. Three crane lifts were used to get the anchor on and off flatbed trucks and on-site.
“We wanted to show off the scale of the anchor on site,” Rewers wrote. “We decided welding the shank vertically and the proportions of the concrete base and supports would help showcase its size.”
Campiti said the scale of the anchor is significant as it reflects the strength of the navy.
“It is astounding how large it is, and an LPD is not nearly the largest ship we have in the fleet,” Campiti said. “The anchor truly reveals the size and might of the Navy.”
Charlotte Smith, a first-year Navy ROTC student, said seeing the anchor outside the ROTC building gave her a sense of pride.
“When I first saw it, I thought it was pretty incredible,” Smith said. “It’s cool that our alumni network did this for us. It shows the commitment they have to the unit, and I’m proud to be a part of that unit.”
Smith said she believes the anchor is significant for both the history and future of Vanderbilt ROTC.
“I think part of the significance is that it represents the amount of sacrifice sailors have given,” Smith said. “This is truly inspirational, especially for the ROTC community where we’re all going to commission into the military when we graduate.”
Rewers said the planning team hopes the anchor will fuel enthusiasm for Vanderbilt’s ROTC program moving forward.
“We think it’s something that will be long-lasting on the Vanderbilt campus, and we hope it will continue to be a draw for the ROTC for decades to come,” Rewers said.
