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The unveiling of a specially commissioned model of the Texaco Oklahoma is planned at noon Wednesday in Port Arthur.

The Texaco Oklahoma homeport was Port Arthur. There were 44 souls onboard, primarily from Port Arthur and neighboring cities.

On March 22, 1971, she left Port Arthur, heading to Boston, but never made it. She broke in half March 27 and went down March 29, along with 31 men. Only 13 survived.

Everyone in Port Arthur at that time knew someone onboard or knew someone who knew someone onboard. There were tales of men who were supposed to be onboard, who miraculously were not. One such person was the father of longtime community leader and supporter Verna Rutherford.

Her dad, Leonard O. Wood, was the regular chief engineer, and was scheduled to go back from vacation to be onboard. However, as Verna relates, he suffered a massive stroke and was not able to go.

The family thought that this was the worst thing that could have happened until several years later on March 27, 1971, when the ship went down.

Others onboard were not so fortunate.

After visiting the Savannah, Georgia Maritime Museum in 2017 with brother Leonard V. Wood (now deceased), the two discussed a desire to have a model of the Texaco Oklahoma.

Afterward, the Rutherford/Wood family donated funds and helped gather information leading to the creation of this model. The model is in memory of those whose lives were lost and their families, along with the survivors, their families and others who were impacted.

Verna thanks Mike Bandy, Father Sinclair and Doreen Badeaux for countless hours of work that contributed to making this project a reality.

Special thanks goes out to Mike Bandy, who was the youngest survivor, who was able to tell the model makers what the ship had and what it didn’t have to create a near 100 percent likeness.

This model will now be displayed at the Seafarers’ Center in order to give honor and respect to the memory of those who went down to the sea with her, as well as the survivors and their families who were forever changed on that day.