[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 135 (Friday, December 8, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2197]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO ``USS HYMAN G. RICKOVER'' SSN 709

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                            HON. GENE TAYLOR

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, December 8, 2006

  Mr. TAYLOR of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 
contributions of the crews, past and present, of the Submarine USS 
Hyman G. Rickover (SSN 709). On the 14th of December, this vessel will 
be inactivated, and its name struck from the rolls of U.S. warships. 
The contribution of this vessel to the defense of this Nation has been 
second to none, yet somewhat unheralded. From the Cold War through the 
current War on Terrorism, she and her crew have stood the watch. The 
Rickover served as a testament to the standards of excellence inspired 
by her namesake, the late Admiral Rickover. The father of the nuclear 
Navy, Admiral Rickover instilled a culture of technical excellence and 
individual responsibility in the Navy Nuclear Propulsion Program that 
continues to this day.
  I would also like to commend the sponsor of this ship--Mrs. Eleonore 
Rickover, for her years of faithful support to the crew. She struck a 
chord at the ship's christening, when she said, ``In the name of the 
United States, I christen thee Hyman G. Rickover. May God bless her and 
all who sail in her, and may God bless their families and loved ones, 
for they also serve who only stand and wait.'' Mrs. Rickover lived up 
to those words in the years since that day with generous and heartfelt 
support of the sailors and families of Rickover. Going far beyond an 
occasional appearance, she embraced the ship and her crew--interested, 
involved and caring. Her service was a fitting testament to the legacy 
of pride and service left by her husband, ADM Rickover, to the Naval 
nuclear power program, and the entire U.S. Navy.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in commemorating this 
exceptional Naval warship; her crew and their families; their sponsor, 
Mrs. Eleonore Rickover, and the man who brought our Navy nuclear 
propulsion, Admiral Hyman G. Rickover.

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