USS NAUTILUS (SSN-571) up there and get into trouble and you are going to wreck this program! when confronting Anderson about NAUTILUS

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1 Apr June 2008 Groton, CT The Ice Diaries 2315 EDT, 3 August, 1958; the world s first nuclear submarine, USS NAUTILUS (SSN571) became the world s first ship to reach the geographic North Pole. Ice Diaries: The Untold Story of the Cold War s Most Daring Mission, written by Captain William R. Anderson with Mr. Don Keith chronicles the journey of The First and Finest and her brave crew on this historic first. CAPT William R. Anderson was NAUTILUS 2nd Commanding Officer and a visionary who saw the strategic value of being able to operate submarines under the arctic ice pack. There was also the opportunity for the United States to regain the upper hand; an upper hand that had been lost, some regarded, to the Soviet Union when the Russians launched Sputnik I on October 4, 1957 thus becoming the first in space and literally shocking the US back on its heels. Now, NAUTILUS 90 North, co authored by CAPT Anderson and Clay Blair in 1959 shortly after NAUTILUS return from the North Pole tells essentially the same tale, but with much detail missing due to the classified nature of the operation at the time, the people involved both on and behind the scene, and the revolutionary new capabilities of NAUTILUS. Additionally, although some used copies are available at various on line purveyors, NAUTILUS 90 North is out of print so The Ice Diaries is a must if one wants to read today about this episode of submarine history. The Ice Diaries begins with an early history of Naval nuclear propulsion and how one visionary, Admiral H.G. Rickover, managed to convince the right people that it was feasible and put teams together, negotiated contracts and made it all happen. It is an interesting history no matter how many times one may have read it before. There are of course the obligatory Rickover vignettes including his explosion you re going to take that ship USS NAUTILUS (SSN-571) up there and get into trouble and you are going to wreck this program! when confronting Anderson about NAUTILUS first planned foray under the Arctic ice pack. CAPT Anderson was able to make a case for the mission, convince Rickover of the thoroughness of planning and in the end won him over. NAUTILUS historic crossing of the North Pole actually occurred on her third (continued on page 4)

2 The Klaxon Apr June 2008 Page 2 FPO There is much going on at the museum as the summer season fast approaches. Most of the activity at the museum this summer will focus on Historic Ship NAUTILUS and the 50 th anniversary of her history making first trip to the North Pole. The main article for this issue of The KLAXON is a review of THE ICE DIARIES, a new book by CAPT William R. Anderson & Don Keith which chronicles NAUTILUS historic voyage. The publication date for the book is 29 July, 2008 and it will be available for sale in the museum store. On June 27 we will open a new temporary exhibit: Historic Ship NAUTILUS, 50 th Anniversary Pole Transit. The exhibit will highlight several historic Submarine Force firsts in the arctic. Additionally there will be a number of activities includ- From the Desk of the President ing book signings, lectures and a formal ceremony in August marking NAUTILUS North Pole crossing. Events commemorating 50 years under the ice are described in detail in a separate article in this issue. Please try to attend as many of these events as you can. We welcome two new members to the Submarine Force Library & Museum Association Executive Board; CAPT John Porter and RMCM (SS) John Carcioppolo both joined the board in April. We appreciate their enthusiastic support of the museum and we look forward to working with them in bringing improvements to the association. The association held its 35 th annual meeting on May 9. Nearly 60 members and guests attended including a number of our Docents. Following the business meeting all members and guests present enjoyed a gala reception in the museum main exhibit hallway. Speaking of docents, we continue to seek new volunteers to serve as docents at the museum. We currently have 48 great docents on the roster and we could use 40 more to be able to achieve our goal of having at least one docent on duty whenever the museum is open. If you are interested, or know someone who is, please let us know. No previous experience is necessary. We are hoping for a busy summer season, despite the high gas prices we are all experiencing. If Memorial Day Weekend was a reliable indicator (up 20% in visitor count over 2007) we should be in for a good summer. Please join the crowd and visit, see the new exhibits, and help us celebrate 50 years under the ice. It s your museum, please come and enjoy it, tell us what you like, tell us what you don t like and help us make it the best it can be. David M. Goebel From the Desk of the Museum Director As your new Director of the Submarine Force Library and Museum, I would like to take this opportunity to briefly introduce myself. I call Austin, PA, home and graduated from Pennsylvania State University in My sea-service consists of a Division Officer tour aboard the USS TOLEDO (SSN 769) stationed out of Groton and a Department Head tour aboard the USS WYOMING (SSBN 742) stationed out of Kings Bay. I also served as a Shift Engineer at Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit in Charleston, and worked as the Strategic Targeting Officer at COMSUBPAC. Although at the helm for only 5 months, I am happy to report that we have a busy summer ahead filled with events and facility improvements. August 3 rd will mark the 50 th Anniversary for NAUTILUS traversing the north pole, to celebrate this momentous occasion, we have a Temporary Exhibit opening on June 27 th with a showing of the video Operation Sunshine accompanied with a lecture by our own CDR(ret) Al Charette. In addition to the official ceremony commemorating the anniversary on August 1 st, there will be two book lectures/signing, on July 12 th and August 2 nd. From August 1 st through August 3 rd, there will be HAM radio operators broadcasting a special program from the museum. For more information about the celebration and details check local listings and the website In the upcoming summer months, we expect to have several improvements to the facility. These include refurbishing of the front access gates and updating the closed circuit video monitoring system. Both items will greatly improve the safety and security of the site for both our staff and visiting public. I am truly excited to serve in this honored position and look forward to working with the Association and the many volunteers to improve the museum experience. LCDR Greg Caskey

3 The Klaxon Apr June 2008 Page 3 New Asociation Board Members The Submarine Force Library & Museum Association welcomes two new Executive Board Members. CAPT John Porter and RMCM(SS) John Carcioppolo joined the board at our quarterly board meeting on April 24 th. John Porter was commissioned in the United States Navy upon graduation from Stanford University. His entire naval career was spent in the Submarine Service. He commanded USS KAMEHAMEHA, USS TREPANG, and USS FRANK CABLE. His final active duty assignment was Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics (N4) on the COMSUBPAC Staff. Following retirement from the Navy, John consulted for the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board and worked for Electric Boat Corporation. At Electric Boat he served as both an Engineer and Program Manager until his retirement in John and his wife, Mary Katherine, reside in Mystic, CT. There son, Philip, lives in Baltimore, MD and their daughter, Sarah, lives in Austin, TX. John Carcioppo John Porter John Carcioppolo is originally from Lake Ronkonkoma, NY. He joined the U.S. Navy immediately following graduation from High School in September His first Submarine was USS ARCHERFISH (SSN 678) where he initially qualified in Submarines in July Other sea duty assignments included a second tour onboard USS ARCHERFISH (SSN 678), USS BILLFISH (SSN 676), and Chief of the Boat USS DALLAS (SSN 700). His Shore Duty assignments included Instructor Duty at Naval Submarine School New London CT, Enlisted Detailer for Submarine Radiomen at the Bureau of Naval Personnel in Washington DC, and as the Command Master Chief for Naval Submarine Base New London CT Since retiring from the U.S. Navy in September 1997, John Carcioppolo has been a Project Manager and Labor Analyst for Electronic Data Systems and a logistician for General Physics Worldwide. John goes by the nickname Gumba and has been a member of USSVI since 1981, and was the SUBVETS Groton Base Commander from Carcioppolo was the recipient of the USSVI National Commanders Award in 2002, the Distinguished Joe Negri Award in 2003, and was nominated for the Spirit of Bob Hope award in He has been serving as the USSVI Eastern Region Director since John lives with his wife Dee in Gales Ferry CT. Together they have 3 sons, John Jr., Joseph, and Jeremy, and two grandchildren. NAUTILUS North Pole 50 th Anniversary Exhibit As part of the museum s celebration of the USS NAUTILUS historic North Pole voyage in 1958, a new Association funded temporary exhibit will open on June 27. The museum s new exhibit traces the voyage where NAUTILUS became the first vessel to cross the Arctic via the North Pole. Highlights of the trip are revealed through images, film and artifacts. The nine panel exhibit covers not only the well known events, but also the little overlooked acts such as NAU- TILUS 1957 initial forays under the ice on the East Coast, a full year before the 1958 trips from the Pacific Coast. The exhibit panels are based upon previously unpublished color images made on NAUTILUS during the trip. The artifacts include the ship s cancellation stamp, made by Nautilus crewmembers which was then used to hand stamp a series of commemorative envelopes as the boat steamed under the Arctic ice. Showing on the newly installed LCD flat screen in the temporary exhibit gallery will be the 1950s film about Operation Sunshine, the code name for the NAUTILUS trip. As part of an introduction, guest lecturer CDR Al Charette (USN Ret), a crew member on USS NAUTILUS that made this historic voyage, will compliment this event when the museum shows the movie Operation Sunshine in the museum s main theater. Notice of Annual Meeting The 35th Annual Meeting of the Submarine Force Library and Museum was held Friday, May 9 at the Museum. Approximately 60 Association Members, Submarine Force Museum Docents and guests attended the meeting. Association officers for 2008 were elected at the meeting. They are: President, RADM David M. Goebel, USN (Ret) Vice President, CAPT Ray Woolrich, USN (Ret) Secretary, CAPT John Porter, USN (Ret) Treasurer, EMCM(SS) David Fowler, USN (Ret) Following the meeting, all enjoyed a gala reception held in the museum main hall. The reception was catered by Diamond** Catering of Mystic,CT.

4 The Klaxon Apr June 2008 Page 4 The Ice Diaries (continued from page 1) trip up into the Arctic. The first mission was an experimental expedition operating with a diesel submarine, USS TRIGGER, and was conducted in September Anderson s orders were to proceed to approximately 83 degrees North Latitude with no definition as to what approximately meant. It was Anderson s intention to proceed as far north as he could safely do and if that got him all the way to the North Pole then all the better. But, it was not to be. As expected, the magnetic compass began to swing wildly as the ship proceeded further and further north; however, they were done in by an unexpected loss of power to both gyros. Even though the gyros were restored to operation, Anderson ordered the ship turned around at about 87 degrees north, approximately 180 miles short of the North Pole. The trip back out was not without incident and NAUTILUS nearly wound up on the rocks of northern Greenland, a forty nautical mile navigational error having been introduced by the compass problems. It was following return to port from this trip that the world learned about the launch of Sputnik. The seed for the ultimate trip across the top of the world grew out of a chance meeting between CAPT Anderson and CAPT Peter Aurand, President Dwight Eisenhower s Naval Aide. Aurand pitched the idea of a submerged global circumnavigation to Anderson which would surely steal some lime light from the Russians. Anderson allowed as how the idea was certainly feasible (but thought to himself how boring ) Anderson planted the seed for a submerged Pacific to Arctic transit via the North Pole, Aurand fed it to the president and Eisenhower instantly seized upon the idea. Admiral Arleigh Burke was also an early proponent of the idea; interestingly, Rickover was not. The operation, named Operation Sunshine, was finally authorized in early June 1958 and NAUTILUS departed Puget Sound into the Pacific Ocean on Monday 9 June 1958 en route Portland England via the North Pole. Planning for the mission had been so secretly conducted and controlled that, although many in the crew suspected none outside of CAPT Anderson and a select few knew the mission for sure until Anderson made the announcement after the ship was underway. The reaction of the crew was ecstatic. They coined the acronym PANOPO for Pacific to Atlantic via the North Pole and called themselves PANOPOs. This attempt at trying to penetrate the Arctic via the shallow waters of the Bering Straits and Chukchi Sea would be unsuccessful; with seasonal ice keels extending too deep for NAUTILUS to be able to navigate through without either striking the sail on the protruding ice keels or grounding the ship on the shallow bottom. So NAU- TILUS was forced, on June Polar Track Chart 17 (which by the way was CAPT Anderson s 37 th birthday), to reverse learned of NAUTILUS accomplishment. course and abort the mission. At the time of the helo transfer, Anderson and his crew were presented with a Anderson was able to convince the powers that be that a follow on attempt short message that read To the officers later in the summer, after the ice had a and crew of NAUTILUS: Congratulations on the magnificent achievement chance to retreat, would be feasible and advisable. NAUTILUS lay over in Pearl Well Done. It was signed Dwight D. Harbor until 22 July using a carefully Eisenhower. At the press conference, crafted cover story about a southern mission to maintain the secrecy of the real Presidential Unit Citation, the first ever accolades were heaped upon the ship; a mission. in peace time, was presented to the ship; On the second attempt NAUTILUS Anderson was presented with the Legion found the ice had retreated significantly of Merit by President Eisenhower. Interestingly Admiral Rickover was not in in Bering & Chukchi Seas during the month they were at Pearl. It was still no attendance, an apparent snub. However, picnic though with significant zigging and Rickover did accompany Anderson in a zagging around treacherous ice floes to ticker tape parade shortly thereafter. finally reach the deeper water of the Arctic Ocean on August 1, Additional read. There is drama and tension The Ice Diaries is a most interesting drama was provided by a failed garbage throughout the book. Anyone who has ejector; repairs to the unit required pressurizing the compartment so that both in- in the arctic region will identify with ever sailed in a submarine, particularly ner and outer doors could be opened at CAPT William Anderson and his crew the same time to facilitate repair. of Panopos. This book should be included in the library of any student of The remainder of the transit to the North Pole was almost anticlimatic by submarine history. comparison. NAUTILUS crossed the geographic North Pole; pierced the pole was away February 27, 2007 just as the first CAPT William R. Anderson passed the term used, 2315 on 3 August, draft of The Ice Diaries was being completed. The Ice Diaries will be released CAPT Anderson prepared his famous NAUTILUS 90 NORTH message and it for sale to the public on July 29, 2008 was transmitted when the ship was able and will be available in the museum gift to surface in the Arctic Ocean on 5 August. Anderson was whisked off the ship deliver a lecture about the book at the shop. Mr. Don Keith, the co-author, will by helo transfer on August 7 to be transported to a hastily arranged press confer- 2 and will be available following the lec- Submarine Museum on Saturday August ence at the White House where the world ture to sign copies of the book.

5 The Klaxon Apr June 2008 Submarine Museum Summer Activities Page 5 Friday, June 27, 2008, 2:00 p.m. NAUTILUS NORTH POLE 50 th ANNIVERSARY: Film and Exhibit opening. The museum s new exhibit traces Operation Sunshine, the first ever ship to cross the Arctic via the North Pole. A showing of the 1950s film Operation Sunshine with guest lecturer CDR Al Charette (USN Ret), a crew member on USS NAUTILUS that made this historic voyage will compliment this event. The exhibit is based upon previously unpublished color images made on NAUTI- LUS during the trip. Exhibit opening will follow immediately after the film Saturday, July 12, 2008, Noon UNKNOWN WATERS, lecture/book signing, with author: CAPT Alfred McLaren (USN, Ret.) Relive an under ice adventure by joining the former commander of the USS QUEENFISH (SSN651), CAPT Alfred S. McLaren (USN, Ret.), as he takes you on the Arctic-Siberian Shelf Expedition of THE ICE DIARIES, lecture/book signing, with author Don Keith. CAPT William R. Anderson (USN, Ret.), worked with noted author Don Keith in this updated edition of the Anderson-Blair book NAUTILUS 90 NORTH, the original story of the epic voyage of USS NAUTILUS, the first vessel to transit the Arctic via the North Pole in This new addition relates more of the impact of the North Pole voyage against the backdrop of the Cold War. Sunday, August 3, 2008, 2:00 p.m. 50 th Anniversary of the North Pole Voyage Ceremony Commemorative Event with remarks by Congressman Joe Courtney and Rear Admiral Bruce Estes Grooms, Commander, Submarine Group II, highlighting the achievements of USS NAUTILUS and US Navy operations in Arctic waters. Museum Store On Line You can shop at the Submarine Force Library & Museum Store from the comfort of your home. Go to and click on Shop our online store. Or, you can go to and click on Museum Store. Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express cards are all accepted. Remember, profits from the store go to help support your museum. Check out the site and tell us what you think. If there are items you want but do not see there contact our store manager at museumstore@submarinemuseum.org and let her know. Klaxon Credit Newsletters and other publications are welcome to copy and reprint anything appearing in The Klaxon. When using The Klaxon material, editors are requested to include the following credit line: "From The Klaxon, Submarine Force Library and Museum Association, Groton, CT" Enclosed is my donation of $ to the SUBMARINE FORCE LIBRARY & MUSEUM ASSOCIATION, INC. for membership as follows: Annual - Individual $35.00 Annually Life-Individual $ Minimum Sustaining (Any amount over $1, annually organizations/corporations) Patch $4.00 (Available to Members Only) ~Your Donation is Tax Deductible~ 082 Name Street or P.O. Box City State Zip Mail to: Submarine Force Library & Museum Association, Inc. Box 501 Naval Submarine Base New London Groton, CT 06349

6 The Klaxon Apr June 2008 Page 6 Reunions If you have a submarine reunion coming up and would like it mentioned in The Klaxon, please send us the particulars. We will include as much information as space allows. We will only publish information on submarine reunions. USS MARIANO G. VALLEJO (SSBN- 658) July 17-19, 2008 Location: The Groton Inn 99 Gold Star Hwy Groton, CT Contact: Chris Farver cfarver@neo.rr.com Register at: 222.ssbn658.org USS NAUTILUS (SSN-571) & (SS-168) 2008 REUNION 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF 1957 & 1958 ARCTIC EXPLORATIONS September 25-28,2008 Location: Groton Motor Inn & Suites Groton, CT Contact: Joe Degnan Phone: panopo@gmail.com Website: USS DIABLO (SS-479) October 1-5, 2008 Location: Park Vista Resort Gatlinburg, TN Contact: Robert V. "Johnny" Johnson Office: Home: Fax: johnsonb@brevard.net USS WILL ROGERS (SSBN-659) October 8-12, 2008 Location: Ramada Charleston, SC Contact: Rob Fields Telephone: Website: Wanted: New Members If you received a complimentary copy of The Klaxon, why not consider becoming a member of the Association and join the growing numbers who are "Helping to Preserve Our Proud Submarine Heritage?" Use the form provided in this issue to join. The Association supports the Museum and NAUTILUS by providing funds for displays and other projects when such funding is not available from appropriated funds. Income for the Association is provided by membership dues, donations and museum store profits. Donations, which are always appreciated, are also tax-deductible. SUBMARINE FORCE LIBRARY & MUSEUM ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE BOARD RADM David M. Goebel, USN (Ret) President CAPT Raymond D. Woolrich, USN (Ret) Vice President CAPT John Porter, USN (Ret) Secretary EMC (SS) David W. Fowler, USN (Ret) Treasurer CAPT Mark S. Ginda, USN Navy Liaison RMCM (SS) John Carcioppolo, USN (Ret) CDR Frank J. Cima, USN (Ret) RADM Millard S. Firebaugh, USN (Ret) CDR David R. Hinkle, USN (Ret) CAPT Arne C. Johnson, USN (Ret) RADM John B. Padgett III USN (Ret) CDR Anthony J. Quatroche, USN (Ret) VADM Joe Williams, Jr., USN (Ret) Emeritus SUBMARINE FORCE LIBRARY & MUSEUM ASSOCIATION STAFF CAPT Michael G. Riegel, USN (Ret) Executive Director director@submarinemuseum.org Michelle Mencer Office Administrator michelle.mencer@sflma.org Claudette M. Rivard Bookkeeper claudette.rivard@sflma.org Karen Cudzilo Museum Store Manager museumstore@submarinemuseum.org Phone: Fax: Submarine Force Library and Museum Association Box 501 NAVSUBASE New London Groton, CT Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage P A I D Gales Ferry, CT Permit No. 51 Forwarding Service Requested