By: Carl P. Farina
Saturday, April 11, is the 126th anniversary of submarines in the service of the United States Navy. The USS Holland (SS-1) was the first submarine in the U.S. Navy, commissioned on April 11, 1900, for a cost of $150,000 (approximately 4 million dollars in today’s money). Submarines have been a continuous vital component of the U.S. Navy since that day.
The creed of the United States Submarine Veteran’s organization is: To perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives in the pursuit of their duties while serving their country. That their dedication, deeds, and supreme sacrifice be a constant source of motivation toward greater accomplishments. Pledge loyalty and patriotism to the United States Government. It is with this thought in mind that we proudly invite everyone to visit us at the Alabama Veterans Museum in Athens on Saturday, April 11, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m.
The SubVets from the Redstone Base, United States Submarine Veterans Inc. (USSVI), in Huntsville, AL, will be presenting a special exhibit of personal items and artifacts along with displays on very noteworthy and historical submarines. There will be SubVets on hand to share their accounts (sea stories), explain the operations of the submarines, and share what life is like underwater for extended periods of time.
The stories of the submarines USS Thresher (SSN-593) USS Scorpion (SSN-589) and USS Herring (SS-233) will be the centerpiece of this exhibit. USS Thresher was lost during sea trials on April 10, 1963, 220 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, with 117 sailors and 12 shipyard workers and subcontractors aboard. USS Scorpion (SSN-589) was lost on May 22, 1968, 400 miles off the Azores as it was returning from a Mediterranean deployment with 99 sailors aboard. USS Herring (SS-233) was lost in WWII on June 1, 1944, during her eighth war patrol near Matsuwa Island in the Kuriles with 83 men aboard. USS Herring was designated by the USSVI as Alabama’s lost boat state assignment. A memorial to USS Herring (SS-233) resides at the USS Alabama (BB-60) museum in Mobile, AL.
Today, all submarines in the U.S. Navy are nuclear powered and come in three versions. The Fast Attack, or SSN; the Ballistic Missile, or SSBN – such as USS Alabama (SSBN-731); and the Cruise Missile, or SSGN.
As it has always been, U.S. Navy submarines are crewed solely by volunteers from within the Navy. Because of the stressful environment aboard submarines, personnel are accepted only after rigorous testing and observation. After approximately one year of intense study, the sailors earn their dolphins or “fish” (gold for officers, silver for enlisted personnel) the proud badge that symbolizes to the world: “Qualified in Submarines.”
By: Carl P. Farina, Redstone Base USSVI
