[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 115 (Monday, July 14, 2008)]
[House]
[Pages H6419-H6421]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CROSSING OF THE NORTH POLE BY 
                          THE USS ``NAUTILUS''

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 1067) recognizing the 50th anniversary of the 
crossing of the North Pole by the USS Nautilus (SSN 571) and its 
significance in the history of both our Nation and the world.
  The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
  The text of the resolution is as follows:

                              H. Res. 1067

       Whereas the USS Nautilus (SSN 571), built and launched at 
     Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut, on January 21, 1954, 
     was the first vessel in the world to be powered by nuclear 
     power;
       Whereas the USS Nautilus overcame extreme difficulties of 
     navigation and maneuverability while submerged under the 
     polar ice, and became the first vessel to cross the 
     geographic North Pole on August 3, 1958;
       Whereas the USS Nautilus continued on her voyage and became 
     the first vessel to successfully navigate a course across the 
     top of the world;
       Whereas the USS Nautilus, having claimed this historic 
     milestone and returned home to Naval Submarine Base New 
     London, continued to establish a series of naval records in 
     her distinguished 25-year career, including being the first 
     submarine to journey ``20,000 leagues under the sea'';
       Whereas the USS Nautilus completed these significant and 
     laudable achievements during a critical phase of the Cold 
     War, providing a source of inspiration for Americans and 
     raising the hopes of the Free World;
       Whereas the USS Nautilus was the first naval vessel in 
     peacetime to receive the Presidential Unit Citation for its 
     meritorious efforts in crossing the North Pole;
       Whereas Commander William R. Anderson of the United States 
     Navy was awarded the Legion of Merit for his role in 
     commanding the USS Nautilus during its historic voyage;
       Whereas the USS Nautilus and its contribution to world 
     history was praised by a range of American Presidents, 
     including President Harry Truman, President Dwight D. 
     Eisenhower, President Lyndon B. Johnson, President Jimmy 
     Carter, and President Bill Clinton; and
       Whereas President Eisenhower described the voyage to the 
     North Pole as a ``magnificent achievement'' from which ``the 
     entire free world would benefit'': Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes the historic significance of the journey to 
     the North Pole undertaken by the USS Nautilus;
       (2) commends the officers and crew of the USS Nautilus on 
     the 50th anniversary of their magnificent achievement;
       (3) recognizes the importance of the USS Nautilus' journey 
     to the North Pole as not only a military and scientific 
     accomplishment, but also in confirming America's longstanding 
     interest in this vital region of the world;
       (4) commends the role of the USS Nautilus and the United 
     States Submarine Force in protecting the interests of the 
     free world during the Cold War; and
       (5) supports the continuing role of the United States 
     Submarine Force in defending our Nation in the 21st century.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Connecticut (Mr. Courtney) and the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Connecticut.


                             General Leave

  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks 
on the resolution under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Connecticut?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, as the author of House Resolution 1067, I rise today in 
strong support, which honors an important anniversary not only to my 
district but to our Navy and our country.
  In June 1958, the USS Nautilus (SSN 571), the world's first nuclear-
powered submarine, departed Seattle, Oregon, as part of a top secret 
operation called Operation Sunshine. Unknown to many at the time, the 
Nautilus was embarking on a historic mission that took it on a course 
north to the arctic ice cap. At 11:15 p.m. on August 3, 1958, the boat 
became the first vessel to cross the geographic North Pole when 
Commander William Anderson, Nautilus' commanding officer, announced to 
his crew: ``For the world, our country, and the Navy--the North Pole.''
  This historic crossing of 90 North took place at a critical time in 
our Nation's history: the Cold War was heating up; the Soviet Union had 
seemingly laid claim to space with the launch of Sputnik; and many 
Americans and many around the world were looking for something to rally 
around, a sign that we were not ceding big ideas and notable 
achievements to others. Nautilus' sonar man, Al Charette, one of my 
constituents, described their journey as an effort to out-Sputnik the 
Russians and they did it.
  Few on board the Nautilus realized the scope of their achievement. 
They were simply sailors doing their job and doing it well. However, on 
reaching the North Pole, the Nautilus clearly demonstrated our undersea 
superiority and opened the region to decades of scientific research and 
exploration.
  The crossing of the North Pole was praised by numerous world leaders 
at the time, being described by President Eisenhower as a magnificent 
achievement from which the entire free world would benefit. A ticker 
tape parade was held in honor of the crew in New York City. The 
Nautilus became the first naval vessel in peacetime to receive the 
Presidential Unit Citation for its meritorious efforts in crossing the 
North Pole, and Commander William R. Anderson was awarded the Legion of 
Merit.
  In the 50 years since, the United States Navy and Coast Guard have 
repeatedly followed in the footsteps of this historic voyage. Dozens of 
U.S. submarines, in addition to specially fitted vessels and general 
aircraft of the United States Coast Guard, have journeyed to the top of 
the world in service to their country and to reinforce our Arctic 
presence. These submarines and their intrepid crews have broken through 
the surface, charted new courses, and expanded our knowledge of the 
Arctic.
  I myself have had the unique opportunity to see this work firsthand 
when I traveled aboard the USS Alexandria, a Groton-based submarine, to 
observe the 2007 Ice Exercises in the Arctic Circle. While the 
technology and capabilities of our submarines has changed in the 50 
years since the Nautilus' journey, the unmatched skill, the dedication 
and the talent of our submariners continues to allow our Nation to 
retain an important presence in this critical part of the world.
  I just want to add, Mr. Speaker, having the opportunity again to be 
onboard a submarine under the ice just reinforces to me anyway the 
incredible accomplishment of the Nautilus. At

[[Page H6420]]

the time, scientific opinion believed that it was physically impossible 
for a submarine to pass under the North Pole because of blockages by 
the ice and the shifting movements of the ice under the North Pole. 
This was a vessel which was completely and utterly alone at the time. 
If there was any accident, if there was any problem, basically they 
were completely on their own and had no means of any type of rescue or 
support.
  Built and launched at Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut, on 
January 21, 1954, the Nautilus was the first vessel in the world to be 
powered by nuclear power. After claiming their historic milestone at 90 
North and returning home to Naval Base New London, the Nautilus 
continued to establish a series of naval records in her distinguished 
25-year career, including being the first submarine to journey 20,000 
leagues under the sea.
  The history and legacy of the Nautilus is not the only meaningful 
story to my congressional district but to the entire submarine force 
and to our Nation. Today, the Nautilus proudly serves as a museum where 
visitors from around the world come to learn about both her history-
making service to our country and the role of the submarine force in 
securing our Nation. The Nautilus truly helped set the tone as the 
standard bearer for the submarine force, and achievements like the 
crossing of 90 North both proved the capabilities of our Nation at a 
critical time in our history and raised the bar for all who came after 
her.
  Too often the critical achievements of our submarine force, our 
silent service, go unnoticed. The resolution today rightfully honors 
not only the officers and crew of the Nautilus but all those who played 
a part in her success, from the highest levels of our government, to 
the countless support ships and personnel who helped her along the way, 
and finally, the talented workforce at Electric Boat who gave us the 
first and finest submarine in our history.
  I would like to enter two articles from the New London Day into the 
Record, one highlighting the opening of the new exhibit at the 
Submarine Force Museum in Groton and an editorial praising the 
achievements of the Nautilus and her crew.

                              {time}  1445

  I will also enter into the Record at a later date a list of the crew 
who journeyed to 90 North so that their names will be tied to the 
historic achievements in today's resolution.
  I want to thank the Commander of the naval submarine base in New 
London, Captain Mark Ginda, who first planted the idea for this 
resolution in my staff's mind. And in addition, since I introduced H. 
Res. 1067, my office has received nearly 50 e-mails from individuals 
all across the country who served or whose loved ones served aboard the 
Nautilus' journey to 90 North. I want to thank them for their comments 
and their strong support. In particular, I want to thank Captain 
Anderson's widow, who I met at the Farragut Square anniversary service 
for the submarine force earlier this year, who was just an incredibly 
gracious, wonderful person who has done everything that she can to make 
sure that the memory of this incredible achievement is brought forth to 
young people all across the country and is a strong supporter of our 
Navy.
  And most especially, I want to recognize the veterans of the 
Nautilus' journey to 90 North that I am privileged to represent here in 
Congress. We are all proud of them and the legacy they have established 
for our submarine force and our Nation.
  H. Res. 1067 is a much-deserved recognition of the important role the 
submarine force plays in the security of our Nation, and I urge its 
passage.

                [From the New London Day, June 30, 2008]

  50 Years Later, ``Nautilus'' Crew Still Feels It Could Repeat Polar 
                                  Feat

                          (By Jennifer Grogan)

       Groton.--Former USS Nautilus crew members say it does not 
     seem like 50 years have passed since they made their historic 
     crossing of the North Pole under the ice cap, and that if the 
     Navy would kindly give them another nuclear power plant, they 
     could man their ship and head back out to sea.
       ``When you first join the Navy and look forward to 20 years 
     and retirement, you say, `That's forever.' I put 28 in and it 
     seems like it all happened just yesterday,'' said Al 
     Charette, a sonarman on board for the North Pole trip. 
     ``Every time we have a reunion, the crew thinks we should go 
     out and get that ship underway. We're ready. We're still a 
     crew.''
       ``We remember each little feature of rigging it for dive. 
     We feel very confident we could do that again,'' said Jack 
     Kurrus, an engineman also on the trip. ``Wouldn't it be nice 
     to go to sea one more time?''
       Nautilus (SSN 571) left Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on July 23, 
     1958, under top-secret orders to conduct Operation Sunshine, 
     the first crossing of the North Pole by a ship. About 10 
     months earlier, the Soviet Union had launched the first 
     artificial satellite into space.
       ``We wanted to out-Sputnik the Russians,'' Charette said.
       The crew of 116 men reached the North Pole at 11:15 p.m. on 
     Aug. 3, 1958. They received the Presidential Unit Citation, 
     the first ever issued in peacetime.
       Charette, Kurrus and another former crew member, Joe 
     Degnan, were at the U.S. Navy Submarine Force Museum Friday 
     for the unveiling of a new exhibit that commemorates the 50th 
     anniversary of their voyage. The exhibit, which includes 
     artifacts and previously unpublished color images, runs 
     through March 2009.
       The successful 1958 trip was not the Nautilus' first 
     attempt to cross from the Pacific to the Atlantic over the 
     top of the world.
       The crew was in the Arctic a year earlier to see how the 
     submarine would operate under the ice. When the ship lost 
     power to its gyrocompasses, Cmdr. William R. Anderson gave 
     the order to turn back because there was no way to fix the 
     ship's position.
       ``We spent 72 hours trying to find our way out and that was 
     really, really scary,'' Kurrus said.
       Nautilus visited the Pacific in 1958, under the cover of 
     teaching those in the Pacific Fleet about nuclear submarines. 
     The submarine headed to the North Pole but encountered heavy 
     ice and shallow water on the way. At one point, the 320-foot 
     submarine had just a few feet of water over its sail and 
     about 20 feet below the keel.
       The crew returned to Pearl Harbor and waited a month for 
     the ice to break up and melt before making another attempt to 
     go to Portland, England, by way of the North Pole.
       Kenneth Carr, who was then a lieutenant and later retired 
     as a vice admiral, said it was ``pretty routine on board'' as 
     they neared 90 degrees North on Aug. 3, 1958.
       Carr said he asked the scientist on the trip, ``how will we 
     know we crossed the pole?'' Dr. Waldo K. Lyon pointed to a 
     machine with a green dot going around in a circle.
       ``He said the dot would stop and go in the other direction, 
     and it did,'' Carr said. ``It wasn't anything dramatic.''
       Once the Nautilus surfaced, Anderson sent a message to the 
     Navy--``Nautilus 90 North.''
       ``I'm not sure we really appreciated the depth of what had 
     just happened, and I think it was a long time before any of 
     us realized it,'' Charette said. ``All we knew was when we 
     ended up in England, everyone and their brother wanted an 
     autograph.''
       Those on board nicknamed themselves PANOPOs, an acronym 
     from the phrase from the Pacific to the Atlantic via the 
     North Pole. A ``Welcome Home PANOPOs'' banner is one of the 
     artifacts on display in the new exhibit. Sarah Martin, who 
     works at the Naval Submarine Base, was the graphic designer 
     for the exhibit.
       Several events are planned at the museum leading up to the 
     anniversary, including a book signing and lecture by Alfred 
     McLaren about the USS Queenfish on July 12 and by Don Keith 
     about the Nautilus on Aug. 2, and a ceremony on the Nautilus 
     Aug. 3.
       The Nautilus Alumni Association is planning a reunion Sept. 
     25-28 at the Groton Inn and Suites.
                                  ____


                [From the New London Day, July 9, 2008]

                         Wonder of ``Nautilus''

       Even after 50 years, the feat of the men and their boat, 
     USS Nautilus, is astounding. Crossing the North Pole under 
     the polar ice cap in a nuclear-powered submarine constituted 
     much more than the single event itself. The voyage unlocked 
     the tremendous potential of submersibles powered in a way 
     that they could travel indefinitely on a mission. And 
     imaginations soared.
       There has followed one generation after another of nuclear 
     submarines, each more capable than its predecessors, but the 
     pioneering brilliance of Nautilus remains a marker for naval 
     historians. So, too, does the relentless pursuit of 
     excellence that characterized Adm. Hyman G. Rickover's 
     direction of the Navy's nuclear power program.
       As reporter Jennifer Grogan's feature story June 30 
     revealed, the voyage also created an impenetrable bond among 
     the crew and officers of Nautilus. At the time of the trip, 
     few in civilian life quite understood the magnitude of the 
     Nautilus' accomplishment. But succeeding classes of 
     submarines have made clear the almost limitless capabilities 
     of these boats.
       The self-confidence and optimism displayed by the veterans 
     in Ms. Grogan's story is a modem expression of the morale of 
     the crew that ventured north in 1958. Those men and the 
     imagination that conceptualized their voyage are a credit to 
     the Navy's versatility and technical skills.
       That is why it is especially fitting that the Nautilus, 
     open to the public, resides here next to the Submarine Base, 
     an interesting naval laboratory for all to see. If you 
     haven't yet taken the time to pay a visit, we urge you to do 
     so.


[[Page H6421]]


  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. ROGERS of Alabama. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 1067, 
recognizing the 50th anniversary of the crossing of the North Pole by 
the USS Nautilus and its significance in the history of both our Nation 
and the world.
  I want to commend my colleague on the House Armed Services Committee, 
Representative Joe Courtney of Connecticut, for sponsoring this 
important resolution, as well as the 20 other cosponsors, including 
Representative Roscoe Bartlett, the ranking member of the Seapower and 
Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee.
  Submarines have been a central component of our Nation's naval forces 
for over a century. Congress authorized the construction of the 
Nautilus in July 1951. After merely 26 months of construction, unheard 
of by today's standards, the first nuclear-powered submarine--indeed, 
the first nuclear-powered vessel in the world--was commissioned into 
the United States Navy. Shortly thereafter, on the morning of January 
17, 1955, Nautilus' first Commanding Officer, Commander Eugene P. 
Wilkinson, ordered the boat away from the pier and signaled the 
historic message, ``Underway on Nuclear Power.'' From that day forward, 
Nautilus continued to break all submerged speed and distance records. 
This included the historic mission to the North Pole on August 3, 1958.
  In honoring the USS Nautilus, I note that now, just as 50 years ago, 
both quality and quantity matter with respect to our naval fleet. 
Although our current military conflicts have caused us to rightly focus 
on the health of our ground forces, it is again time for the Nation to 
have a strategic outlook on the future role of our naval forces. We 
should do our level best to maintain our maritime dominance and forward 
presence around the globe.
  I will conclude by noting that the USS Nautilus' journey from the 
North Pole is historically significant and a magnificent scientific and 
military achievement. I am proud that the United States Navy has set an 
international standard of excellence.
  So, Mr. Speaker, I call upon all Americans to pause and honor the 
service and sacrifice of not only those brave Americans who crossed the 
North Pole 50 years ago, but all those who have served and continue to 
serve in the defense of our Nation and its values.
  I urge my colleagues to support this most worthy resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the gentleman for his 
strong support for this measure, and just for the record indicate that 
on August 3 the Nautilus Museum will be holding a formal event to 
celebrate the 50th anniversary of this, again, incredible scientific 
and historic achievement by the U.S. Navy. Again, I just want to salute 
the efforts of all those people involved and urge passage of the 
resolution.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Courtney) that the House suspend the 
rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 1067.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. COURTNEY. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

                          ____________________