LAKE COUNTY, Fla — A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place in Lady Lake to honor a hometown hero and US Navy veteran who lost his life during the attack on Pearl Harbor.
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The new park is a natural preserve with a 2,000-foot walking trail, surrounded by a canopy of cedar, live oaks, water oaks and palm trees. It features amenities, such as picnic shelters, water fountains and restrooms.
The park will be named Snooky Park, dedicated to US Navy veteran Atticus “Snooky” Blanton, who died on USS Arizona on December 7, 1941.
Blanton grew up in Lady Lake during the Great Depression and found himself without a job. When he turned 18 years old in 1940, he decided to enlist in the Navy.
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Blanton’s early letters home to his family talked about his good fortune of being assigned and docked in California before his ship sailed off to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
What Blanton, a Shipfitter 3rd Class, did not know was that on Dec. 7, 1941, Japan would order an attack on the Navy base and ships at Pearl Harbor.
Tragically the USS Arizona was struck by eight armor-piercing bombs, taking the lives of more than 1,100 sailors and marines.
Read: Lady Lake dedicating park to honor a veteran that lost his life during Pearl Harbor
Blanton’s mother, Annie Lottie Blanton, received a telegram from the U.S. War Department, stating, “Your son Atticus Lee Blanton is missing in action.”
But sadly, a month later, a second telegram arrived, which read the same as the first, but continued with “and presumed dead.”
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“Snooky Park is a long-awaited passive recreation facility in the town of Lady Lake,” said Parks and Recreation Director Mike Burke. “We are fortunate to have the support of the commission to help us preserve this beautiful and historic area of Lady Lake.”
The event will be held at 10 a.m. June 29 at 120 W. Lady Lake Blvd., Lady Lake, FL.
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See a map of the new park below:
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