BLYTHEVILLE, Ark. (November 10, 2022) – Nucor Steel Arkansas and Nucor-Yamato Steel Company each presented $500,000 gifts to The National Cold War Center during the center’s “Cocktails & Cockpits” Gala on Nov. 5.
The $1 million donation will aid ongoing efforts to make the center a major Delta tourism destination by sharing the unique history of one of the most pivotal conflicts in history.
Nucor Steel Arkansas and Nucor-Yamato Steel each operate steel mills in Blytheville.
“Nucor is proud to support The National Cold War Center. Once complete, the center will be a treasure for residents and an attraction for people from all over the world,” said Jon Witherow, Vice President and General Manager of Nucor-Yamato Steel Company. “We succeed when Mississippi County succeeds, and we couldn’t be more excited to give back to our community by supporting the continued development of The National Cold War Center.”
Mary Gay Shipley, chair of The National Cold War Center Board of Directors, thanked the companies for their investment in the future of the center – and Mississippi County.
“We appreciate the incredible generosity of companies that already play a crucial role in our local community and its economy. We are especially glad that these industrial leaders recognize the economic impact The National Cold War Center will have in Mississippi County,” said Shipley. “We appreciate these great local partners for investing in Mississippi County and preserving crucial history by supporting The National Cold War Center.”
The National Cold War Center is located on the campus of the former Blytheville Air Force Base (originally known as the Blytheville Army Airfield), which opened in 1942 as a training facility for World War II pilots. In 1958, the base was converted to a Strategic Air Command alert mission and remained a key U.S. military command for three decades – through events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the signing of the treaties that officially ended the Cold War in the early 1990s.
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