YOU ARE THERE . . . December 11, 1998
The Commissioning of the USS Connecticut (SSN-22)
Ahoy Shipmates !
Thought I’d post the activity of my day today at the Commissioning of the USS Connecticut (SSN-22).
The day actually started some weeks ago when the skipper of this here CyberSub (CAUSS’s own Don Merrigan) sent me a email asking if I’d be interested in attending the commissioning ceremony if he could obtain invitations (yeah..sure, that’s like asking a six year old if he wants to meet Santa Clause), duh.
Well I got a call from John Donaldson Wednesday evening saying he was in N/L (staying at the base BOQ which is now a Susse Chalet @ 79 bucks a night unless it’s filled, then you get to stay at the real BOQ for 8 bucks) and that Don had given him my phone number and wanted to know if I was still interested and could I attend. Because Don could not attend he had a “extra” invitation and wanted to know if I could use it . Sure could, sure did. Took a future Sub sailor of America with me, my Grand-daughter, Samantha (Sam) age 12 (more on women on boats later).
My daughter dropped Sam off at our house at 08:15 this morning and after stopping at the local ATM (goo-gaa’s of Submarine Commissioning don’t come cheap) then a stop at America’s kid dinner (McDonalds) we were on the road heading south/east toward the SubBase. John and I had pre-arranged to meet at the Nautilus parking lot (as he wasn’t sure if I could drive onto the base without a sticker) to pick up the invitations at 11:00.
Our drive down went smooth so we arrived at 10:00 and Sam and I started our day early by touring Nautilus Park, the Nautilus Submarine Museum and the 571. We actually stopped during all of this to meet John in the parking lot (which he was there precisely at 11:00) briefly meet to receive the invitations and get back to our 571 tour (John was “working” as publicity for ComSubLant and had to meet the media boy’s and girl’s, load em on a Navy bus and bring them to the boat so they could set up their gear).
The Commissioning ceremony was slated to start at 13:00. So about 12:45 Sam and me completed our touring at the Nautilus and started walking onto the base and toward pier 17 where the Connecticut was tied. It’s a “good” walk even on a great day, but today even though the Sun was high, the temp was about 42 F, and the wind was “stiff”...about a steady 15 with some burst up to 25-30 mph...that made it really cold.
Sam was snuggled in long underwear, jeans, boots, and about four layers of top clothing including a light ski jacket, gloves and ski hat (thank God..because as the day wore on it got colder) and Gramp (that’s me for all you NQP’s into the grand-kid realm) had wore his woollies (thanks to his wife Carol going out and buying em on Thursday evening) heavy Irish knit fisherman’s cable sweater and leather coat. Even with all this clothing we were still “chilled” by the time we got to pier 17. However on our walk we got snapshots of the navy tugs, the USS Boston, USS Augusta, the deep submersible NR-1, and a “unknown” boat that was in dry dock (got a good shot of her screw, as the cover was ripped from wind).
At pier 17 we were warmly greeted by a host of sailors, given a remembrance commissioning book and escorted to our seat by a line Officer. We actually were given a choice of sitting aft of the sail or just forward of the sail. We chose to sit aft as I thought it would be better viewing of the ships company and the dignitary’s and the Coast Guard Academy Band.
However when we got there (and we had front seats) I put my kid head on and realized that it would be much more exciting for Sam if we sat forward of the sail. At this location she could still see the crew man the boat, the flags being struck, and ,the bell being struck; but more importantly she would get a birds eye view of the mast cycling at the time the commissioning pennant is struck. Besides, the fog horn would be blowing in her ear and the cannon noise would be closer and it would be the “best” overall site for a kid. So, we moved.
The move was “smart”. We had a seat front row center not quite under the canopy so we received some warm Sun when it wasn’t under cloud cover. We also got to see all the people that came in after we arrived as they had to walk right by us. Needless to say Sam got to see a lot of Navy gold!
The dignitaries were innumerable, missing only the V.P. or the P. Attending were: the Governor of Connecticut, John G. Rowland, his wife, the First lady of Connecticut and the Sponsor of the USS Connecticut, Patricia L. Rowland and the principal speaker The Honorable Joseph I. Lieberman, United States Senator Connecticut. Shipmates, Joe has been a supporter of our Submarine Navy from right out of the gate.
He is a down to earth, foot in the mud type of guy that is a dinosaur in today’s politics’ (Joe is a true “Statesman”), that cross’s party lines to do “the right thing”. Earlier on I mentioned that “women on boats” would come later. In Joe’s commissioning remarks he made mention that “in the near future, women will be on Submarines”. Don’t know when...but my Sam’s eye’s lit at this remark. Good on Ya, Joe!
The Commissioning Officer was Vice-Admiral Edmund P. Giambastiani, Jr., also in attendance was; Commander Submarine Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet and Commander Submarines Allied Command Atlantic, John H. Dalton, Former Secretary of the Navy (this guy was and is a real “pusher” toward beefing up the Sub-Force), Admiral “Skip” Bowman (“Reactors”), Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion. Also other Admirals of Submarine groups, etc., etc., but of course and known to you all the “true dignitaries” the “crew” of the Connecticut.
The fanfare was as expected “over-whelming”! The sound of the horn the beat of the drum, the striking of the Pennant, the playing of our National Anthem, our Navy Anthem, the sweet and somber sound of our Navy Hymn, the cannon fire, the ringing of the ships bell (the bell incidentally is the one from the last USS Connecticut that sailed with Teddy Roo’s Great White Fleet), the striking of the flags, the crew running on board the ship, my Grand-Daughter at my side, “GOD, thank you for the wind, for I can blame it for the tear in my eye”.
It was a Grand and Glorious, NAVY day, Shipmates!
As we left the pier we stopped at the tent that was selling goo-gaa’s and I picked up a hat and commissioning coin for Sam and a hat and a cup for myself. There was a crowd in the tent and Sam was covered in people ( even though she’s 12, she’s just a little bit of a tike ) as I gathered the goo-gaa’s and put Sam in tow she said: “Gramp, I had some real important guy standing right next to me all in Gold”. I said: “Really, point him out”.
Wouldn’t ya know....Sam pointed to a Navy “CHIEF”! I smiled and said: “Sam, you probably will never come to realize, just how important that guy really is!” Can you believe it!
With that we got on the highway and Sam was “hungry” and Gramp needed some soup (translation Beer). So we stopped at Greek Restaurant in Gales Ferry called “Spiro’s”. It was like walking into a Submarine Museum. Every single square inch of wall space was taken up with over forty years of pictures of Subs, Skippers, Sailors etc., so we ate, and took in more Navy sights...it seemed like the day would never end!
However, it did. Sam’s home. I’m home, and I hope my sharing of my grand Navy day was not boring.
Regards,
Dick Dent,
Ex-TM-3 (SS)