[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 45 (Tuesday, April 11, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E531-E532]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          HONORING THE CENTENNIAL OF THE U.S. SUBMARINE FORCE

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. SAM GEJDENSON

                             of connecticut

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 11, 2000

  Mr. GEJDENSON. Mr. Speaker, it is with tremendous pride that I rise 
today to congratulate the U.S. Navy Submarine Force on the occasion of 
its 100th anniversary of service to America.
  We have a rich maritime heritage in southeastern Connecticut and a 
long legacy of outstanding craftsmen as well as patriots. When the Navy 
purchased the Holland from a relatively unknown shipyard on April 11, 
1900, it

[[Page E532]]

set in motion a legacy unequaled in our nation's history. Commanded by 
Lt. Harry H. Caldwell, the Holland traveled through yet uncharted 
depths, setting the standard for all who followed. For shipbuilders and 
sailors, having set the technological clock in motion, the Submarine 
Force has never looked back. The Submarine Force has met challenge 
after challenge head on--first identifying them, then dissecting them, 
and finally overcoming them.
  In April 1775, the first Minute Men confronted the British regulars 
to begin the American Revolution. One hundred and 25 years later, the 
early patriots--Washington, Adams, Hancock, Revere, and Hale--were 
joined by the likes of Nimitz, O'Kane, Dealey, Cromwell, Fluckey, and 
Gilmore. While Nathan Hale's defiant proclamation ``I only regret that 
I have but one life to lose for my country!'' was immortalized as 
unselfish patriotism, so was that of Commander Howard Gilmore, who 
commanded, ``Take her down!'' Helping to turn the tide in the Pacific, 
United States submarines sank 5\1/2\ million tons of Japanese naval and 
merchant shipping--55 percent of Japanese shipping destroyed--at a loss 
of 52 submarines and more than 3,500 valiant men. Adm. Chester A. 
Nimitz, commander of the United States Navy in the Pacific during the 
Second World War, said: ``It is to the everlasting honor and glory of 
our submarine personnel that they never failed us in our days of great 
peril.''
  During the cold war, the ``Forty-One for Freedom'' Polaris/Poseidon 
and succeeding Trident submarines ensured that our nation would never 
be the target of nuclear aggression. Daring intelligence missions 
provided a clear picture of the capabilities and the goals of the 
Soviets and other nations which threatened our national interests. As 
Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen said, ``the peaceful end to 45 
years of confrontation is the modern legacy of the Submarine Force.'' 
Following in the footsteps of the Minute Men, our modern day 
submariners are ready at a moment's call and spend every moment in 
constant vigilance.
  But even in peace time, our submariners were not free from the 
dangers of the sea. Along with the many sacrifices during wartime, 
there were other tragic losses, such as the S-4, the Thresher and 
Scorpion.
  The insignia of the Submarine Force is a submarine flanked by two 
dolphins. Dolphins or porpoises are the traditional attendants to 
Poseidon, Greek God of the Sea and patron deity of sailors. They are 
symbolic of a calm sea and are called the ``sailor's friend.'' Every 
individual who sports this insignia may truly be recognized for their 
significant contributions to a tranquil sea of peace in which they 
valiantly fought and sacrificed so much.
  Supporting the greatness of their achievements are the ships in which 
they sail. John Holland, a schoolteacher born in Ireland, designed the 
Navy's first submarine. Isaac Rice merged the Electro-Dynamic Company 
with the Holland Torpedo Boat Company in 1899, to form the Electric 
Boat Company of Groton, CT, Electric Boat has continued to be in the 
forefront of design and construction over the past century.
  During World War I and the years immediately following, Electric Boat 
built 85 submarines for the U.S. Navy. It produced another 74 
submarines during World War II. Working under the watchful eye of Adm. 
Hyman G. Rickover, who provided the major impetus behind the 
development of nuclear-powered submarines and surface ships, EB built 
the world's first nuclear-powered submarine--the U.S.S. Nautilus (SSN-
571). EB followed less than a decade later with the Navy's first fleet 
ballistic-missile submarine--the U.S.S. George Washington (SSBN-598). 
Improving on that accomplishment it designed and developed the mammoth 
560-foot Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine capable of carrying a 
total of 24 Trident missiles. The company constructed the U.S.S. 
Seawolf (SSN-21) and the U.S.S. Connecticut (SSN-22)--the two fastest, 
quietest, most heavily armed submarines in the world. Today, Electric 
Boat is designing and building the first of the New Attack Submarines, 
now known as the Virginia-class after the first ship in the line. It 
will team with Newport News Shipbuilding to produce the remainder.
  On behalf of the citizens of the Second Congressional District, our 
State of Connecticut and the Nation, I congratulate the exceptional 
performance of the Submarine Force and extend our deepest appreciation 
to our submariners and their families for a century of service to 
America.

                          ____________________