Oct 2019 STTF

SERVICE TO THE FLEET Norfolk Naval Shipyard October 2019 We Are America's Shipyard

SHIPYARD SPOTLIGHT Code 960 Safety Advocate James Curling Aims to Ensure No One Gets Hurt Today

NNSY Observes Patriots Day in Honor of the Fallen BY KRISTI BRITT • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST | PHOTOS BY SHELBY WEST • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER

Eighteen years ago on Sept. 11, 2001, the American nation was rocked to the core from a terrorist attack.

American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 were hijacked by terrorists and crashed into the Twin Towers at the World Trade center in New York City. American Airlines Flight 77, also hijacked by terrorists, crashed into the Pentagon. United Airlines Flight 93 was also taken over by terrorists; however, the patriots onboard engaged and brought the plane down in Shanksville, Pa. before it could reach its destination. These attacks took the lives of 2,996 people and injured 6,000 others, becoming the single deadliest terrorist attack in human history.

During the panic of the attacks, our nation responded with armed forces, law enforcement, and emergency response personnel launching to where they were needed. Many lost their lives and many others lost family members or friends. Yet they continued to serve our nation and to protect the American people. Their sacrifice on this day and each day that they serve is a testament to the nation. Eighteen years later, on what we now call Patriots Day, Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) employees came together for an observance ceremony hosted by the Chief Petty Officer Selects to honor those lost and celebrate our nation as it continues to persevere after the tragedy.

“We’re here to not only remember the fallen but also to celebrate our resolve, promote our national pride, and to thank those military, law enforcement, intelligence and homeland security for their vital and continuous contributions to our nation,” said NNSY Commander Capt. Kai Torkelson. “Just as the generations before us forever remembered the day of the attack on Pearl Harbor, or the day of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, there’s no event in our lives that has had as much searing impact on our national consciousness as that of Sept. 11, 2001. That was a day that forever changed our nation – and in many ways, our Navy and our shipyard. Eighteen years later, I’m very proud to say that our nation, our Navy, and our

shipyard passed the test with flying colors of red, white, and blue. We sang our national anthem with renewed fervor; we planted our flag with great pride; and as a shipyard we proudly and urgently sent ships out fit to fight, helping to bring justice to those who committed the atrocious acts against our nation as well as those who harbored them.”

Capt. Torkelson continued to share about NNSY’s response to the call to action, not only for Sept. 11 but for any event for which NNSY was called to serve.

“The attack of USS Cole the year before 9/11 revealed both the dangers of terror in the 21st century as well as our shipyard’s vital role in combating it. Following the attack on USS Cole in Yemen in 2000, NNSY sent 22 of our employees to recover fallen sailors and provide relief to the crippled ship,” said Torkelson. “Our volunteers performed work onboard despite triple-digit heat, frequent power outages, and performing repairs while treading water. Those are the kind of proud patriots we have historically had at NNSY.”

“In the days following 9/11, NNSY directly supported the war on terrorism, with many of the ships we completed availabilities for being deployed immediately to the Middle East and Persian Gulf. The Navy sending USS George Washington (CVN 73) to help ensure security in New York City in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 is also particularly noteworthy – it’s because of our shipyard’s efforts performing its six-month planned incremental availability earlier that same year that George Washington was materially ready and was off the city’s coast a mere day after the attacks,” he said.

He concluded, “Our shipyarders who have served our Navy and nation so well in the past two decades have exemplified what we all know in our hearts. Our service to our nation is a high calling, requiring each of us to make sacrifices to support our uniformed men and women who go into harm’s way. We must deliver readiness today to ensure our safety and prosperity tomorrow.”

THE MEN OF USS THRESHER HONORED AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY

STORY AND PHOTO BY JOHN FINEFIELD • NNSY SUBSAFE PROGRAM DIRECTOR

In April of 1963, the USS Thresher (SSN 593) was lost with all hands while conducting sea trials following a maintenance availability. The loss of Thresher was a watershed moment in the history of the United States Navy Submarine Force. The submarine safety (SUBSAFE) program was developed as a result, to ensure that the lives lost on USS Thresher were not given in vain. People just like you and I failed the men of Thresher.

Through the dedicated efforts of the USS Thresher Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Foundation, a USS Thresher Commemorative Monument was erected on the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. As the inscription reads, this monument is “in honor of the 129 men lost aboard USS Thresher (SSN-593) and their SUBSAFE legacy.” The USS Thresher Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Foundation is a non-profit non-governmental organization created to realize the mission of the USS Thresher Arlington National Cemetery Memorial Project. The project supporters included Thresher family and former crew; active duty, retired and veteran US Navy Submarine Force Officers; chiefs and enlisted personnel; Naval Submarine League members; U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command staff and employees; current and former corporate leaders and their employees from companies who work on U.S. Navy submarine technology and systems, new construction and overhaul; U.S. Senators and U.S. Representatives. The monument is along the well-traveled John F. Kennedy Drive between the cemetery visitor’s center and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. An estimated 1.5 million people a year will pass this memorial during their visit to Arlington National Cemetery.

On Sept. 26, I, along with Robert Fogel, represented Norfolk Naval Shipyard at the dedication ceremony. Leaders from across the NAVSEA SUBSAFE corporate enterprise attended the ceremony including

public shipyards, SUPSHIPs, contractors, fleet representatives, NAVSEA employees and private shipbuilders. The monument stands as a sobering reminder that the men of USS Thresher are deserving of the honor of burial at Arlington along with the hundreds of thousands of other men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country.

The dedication ceremony was held in the historic Arlington National Amphitheater near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. At least 1,000 people attended the ceremony, including family members, descendants and friends of the men of Thresher. Remarks were delivered by Kevin Galeaz, President of the ANC Memorial Foundation; Tom Wiley, brother of LTJG John J. Wiley, Thresher crewmember; Admiral John Richardson USN (Retired) and U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen from New Hampshire. The dedication ceremony was led by Rear Admiral J. Clarke Orzalli (Retired).

All delivered eloquent remarks, but I would like to share with all of you the personal story of Tom Wiley. Wiley reminded us there are 129 stories of families who lost fathers, brothers, sons and husbands on Thresher, men who were the absolute best in their field, operating the most advanced submarine in the world. He said every family has their story of how they found out about the tragedy and he went on to share his. He reminded us there were no cell phones, Facebook, or 24 hour news networks in 1963. Wiley was in college and a football player, and for Christmas 1962, he had received a transistor radio from his parents and had taken it with him back to college. About two months later it stopped working, and nothing he tried fixed it, so it just sat on the shelf in his dorm room, unused. On Apr. 10, 1963, he came into his room to find his roommate listening to the radio. Wiley asked his roommate how he fixed it and he replied he hadn’t, but had just decided to turn it on and it worked. They sat in their room talking, tossing

a football back and forth, and moments later, the news of Thresher came across the radio. He jumped up and went down to the TV lounge and saw the news reports about the tragedy that would claim his brother’s life. Upon returning to his room, he noticed the radio was off, and he asked his roommate if he had turned it off. The roommate said no, that as soon as Tom left the room, it had just cut off. The radio never worked again.

After the ceremony there was a procession and a wreath laying at the monument. Four wreaths were placed: a red wreath to honor the families, a white wreath to honor those who have and are serving in the submarine force, and a tri-colored wreath to honor the men of Thresher. The fourth, a yellow wreath, was placed by Vice Admiral Tom Moore to honor us - the men and women who work every day in the SUBSAFE program. It represents our promise to those family members that no one will have to face the tragic impacts of the loss of another submarine on our watch. It was a humbling experience to attend the dedication at Arlington National Cemetery, and to meet and talk to so many family members about their loved ones, their story and their lives. They all thanked you for what you do and expressed how deeply appreciative they are that we are honoring their sacrifice every day in the SUBSAFE program. Make no mistake: the United States Navy submarine safety program is the premier safety program in the world. It is our job and responsibility to ensure that never changes. I was not born when Thresher was lost, yet today I am responsible for the work that every NNSY SUBSAFE worker performs every day and that responsibility extends to the families whose lives were forever changed in April 1963. We are continuing to onboard and train personnel at a rate that is unprecedented in recent history. We must make and take time to talk, train and teach every employee why we do what we do. Lest we forget.

SHIPYARD

SHIPYARD SPOTLIGHT: JAMES CURLING

STORY BY HANNAH BONDOC • PUBLIC AFFAIRS SPECIALIST

PHOTOS BY SHELBY WEST • NNSY PHOTOGRAPHER