Today we went over to Groton. The Nautilus is there!
First we had breakfast for lunch at the Shack in Groton.
Playing with his new stuffed animal.
Such a goofy boy on the last day he is 8
The Nautilus! It is a wonderful museum
Here is some history bit:
Construction
of NAUTILUS was made possible by the successful development of a nuclear
propulsion plant by a group of scientists and engineers at the Naval Reactors
Branch of the Atomic Energy Commission, under the leadership of Captain Hyman
G. Rickover, USN.
In July of
1951, Congress authorized construction of the world's first nuclear powered
submarine. On December 12th of that year, the Navy Department announced that
she would be the sixth ship of the fleet to bear the name NAUTILUS. Her keel
was laid by President Harry S. Truman at the Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton,
Connecticut on June 14, 1952.
After nearly
18 months of construction, NAUTILUS was launched on January 21, 1954 with First
Lady Mamie Eisenhower breaking the traditional bottle of champagne across
NAUTILUS' bow as she slid down the ways into the Thames River. Eight months
later, on September 30, 1954, NAUTILUS became the first commissioned nuclear
powered ship in the United States Navy.
On the
morning of January 17, 1955, at 11 am EST, NAUTILUS' first Commanding Officer,
Commander Eugene P. Wilkinson, ordered all lines cast off and signaled the
memorable and historic message, "Underway On Nuclear Power." Over the
next several years, NAUTILUS shattered all submerged speed and distance
records.
CDR Anderson
On July 23, 1958, NAUTILUS departed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii under top secret
orders to conduct "Operation Sunshine", the first crossing of the
North Pole by a ship. At 11:15 pm on August 3, 1958, NAUTILUS' second
Commanding Officer, Commander William R. Anderson, announced to his crew,
"For the world, our country, and the Navy - the North Pole." With 116
men aboard, NAUTILUS had accomplished the "impossible", reaching the
geographic North Pole - 90 degrees North.
In May 1959,
NAUTILUS entered Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine for her first
complete overhaul - the first of any nuclear powered ship - and the replacement
of her second fuel core. Upon completion of her overhaul in August 1960,
NAUTILUS departed for a period of refresher training, then deployed to the
Mediterranean Sea to become the first nuclear powered submarine assigned to the
U.S. Sixth Fleet.
Over the next
six years, NAUTILUS participated in several fleet exercises while steaming over
200,000 miles. In the spring of 1966, she again entered the record books when
she logged her 300,000th mile underway. During the following 12 years, NAUTILUS
was involved in a variety of developmental testing programs while continuing to
serve alongside many of the more modern nuclear powered submarines she had
preceded.
In the spring
of 1979, NAUTILUS set out from Groton, Connecticut on her final voyage. She
reached Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, California on May 26, 1979 - her
last day underway. She was decommissioned on March 3, 1980 after a career
spanning 25 years and over half a million miles steamed.
In
recognition of her pioneering role in the practical use of nuclear power,
NAUTILUS was designated a National Historic Landmark by the Secretary of the
Interior on May 20, 1982. Following an extensive historic ship conversion at
Mare Island Naval Shipyard, NAUTILUS was towed to Groton, Connecticut arriving
on July 6, 1985.
On April 11,
1986, eighty-six years to the day after the birth of the Submarine Force,
Historic Ship NAUTILUS, joined by the Submarine Force Museum, opened to the
public as the first and finest exhibit of its kind in the world, providing an
exciting, visible link between yesterday's Submarine Force and the Submarine
Force of tomorrow.
The latest technology, the invisible sub!
The walkway to the sub
Lon in front of the conning tower
More Turtle! Lon loves the Turtle
Periscope depth!
Back in command central
He has such a vivid imagination. He had a whole scenario that he was acting out. He was having a blast
Had a wonderful time!
On the way home we stopped and got Lon a snorkle and new facemask
He was having fun playing with it!!
We went out to dinner at the Dockside. Lon loves his fish!!
Tasty Freeze for dessert!
It was a good last day to be 8!!
