The 13-ton anchor came from USS Platte (AO-186), the second U.S. Navy warship named after the Platte Rivers flowing through Iowa, Nebraska and Missouri, including Platte City. The first USS Platte (AO-24) served in three wars from 1939 to 1970 and earned 22 battle stars. The second USS Platte was commissioned in 1983, served in the Persian Gulf War, measured 700 feet in length with a beam of 88 feet, and displaced 37,815 tons when loaded with 180,000 barrels of oil and 600 tons of supplies. In 1999 it was decommissioned and transferred to the Naval Fleet Reserve before being scrapped in 2014. During its commission, AO-186 earned four campaign medals, four unit commendations and three Navy Battle "E" ribbons. Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan wrote in 1890 that fuel stood first in importance among a fleet's resources, and fleet oilers provided the fuel, ammunition and supplies needed to sustain carrier task forces, amphibious strike forces and surface battle groups at sea for extended periods. The anchor honors both ships named USS Platte and the thousands of men and women who have served the United States of America in maritime service.