The Nautilus Alumni Association is planning a reunion Sept. 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. Sarah Martin, who works at the Naval Submarine Base, was the graphic designer for the exhibit. A “Welcome Home PANOPOs” banner is one of the artifacts on display in the new exhibit. Those on board nicknamed themselves PANOPOs, an acronym from the phrase from the Pacific to the Atlantic via the North Pole. “All we knew was when we ended up in England, everyone and their brother wanted an autograph.” “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. Once the Nautilus surfaced, Anderson sent a message to the Navy: “Nautilus 90 North.” “He said the dot would stop and go in the other direction, and it did,” Carr said. “We spent 72 hours trying to find our way out and that was really, really scary,” Kurrus said. Anderson gave the order to turn back because there was no way to fix the ship’s position. When the ship lost power to its gyrocompasses, Cmdr. The crew was in the Arctic a year earlier to see how the submarine would operate under the ice. 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 The exhibit, which includes artifacts and previously unpublished color images, runs through March 2009. Navy Submarine Force Museum Friday for the unveiling of a new exhibit that commemorates the 50th anniversary of their voyage. They received the Presidential Unit Citation, the first ever issued in peacetime.Ĭharette, Kurrus and another former crew member, Joe Degnan, were at the U.S. The crew of 116 men reached the North Pole at 11:15 p.m. “We wanted to out-Sputnik the Russians,” Charette said. About 10 months earlier, the Soviet Union had launched the first artificial satellite into space. 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. “Wouldn’t it be nice to go to sea one more time?” We feel very confident we could do that again,” said Jack Kurrus, an engineman also on the trip. Overall, I thought it was worthwhile.“We remember each little feature of rigging it for dive. I didn't feel claustrophobic, but it may not be for everyone. This voice guide can be set to 4 different languages and changes when you enter another chamber of the submarine (sleeping quarters, torpedo room, etc.). There is an audible guide using a hand held receiver. The submarine is a self paced walking tour. There are volunteers (some veterans) in different areas of the museum to answer any questions you may have. It only took 2 hours to go through the entire museum, but you can go at your own pace and take longer if you like. My two year old liked looking through the periscopes. Cockfield January 1970 June 1972 CDR Alex Anckonie, III June 1972 Dec. They do ask for a donation and that you exit through the gift shop, but for the admission price I thought it was tastefully done. Griggs April 1967 January 1970 CDR David W. There were no crowds and no wait to get onto the submarine. We visited the Nautilis museum and the nuclear submarine on a rainy Saturday afternoon in June, 2006. There is some great history available here and you can’t beat the price. Navy torpedoes, a large model of a GATO class submarine, working periscopes that you can look through, deck guns, survival gear and much more. Some the cool exhibits include a Polaris missile, A collection of U.S. There are some exhibits outside but the day we were there it was uncomfortably hot, so we skimmed that part quickly. Did I mention it is FREE?Ī person with a strong interest in submarine warfare could probably spend 3-4 hours in the museum but most folks will probably be looking at a 1 – 2-hour visit. You do not need to be an expert in naval operations or submarine warfare to enjoy this museum. The museum extensively covers the history of submarines and submarine warfare. Even with the absence of that submarine – the museum is still worth visiting. I have toured the Nautilus in the past and wanted to repeat that experience. The Nautilus has been removed for renovation and is scheduled to return in the fall of 2022. Unfortunately, the USS Nautilus is not currently located at the museum.
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