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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

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.

Madam Speaker, unfortunately Monday night, July 14, 2008, I was unable to cast my votes on H. Res. 1067, H. Res. 1080, and H. Con. Res. 297, and wish the record to reflect my intentions had I been able to vote.

Had I been present for rollcall No. 486 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 1067, Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the crossing of the North Pole by the USS Nautilus, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Roll Call No. 487 on suspending the rules and passing H. Res. 1080, Honoring the extraordinary service and exceptional sacrifice of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), known as the Screaming Eagles, I would have voted ``aye.''

Had I been present for Roll Call No. No. 488 on suspending the rules and passing H. Con. Res. 297, Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the integration of the United States Armed Forces, I would have voted ``aye.''

Madam Speaker, due to a travel complication beyond my control, I regretfully was unable to vote on three items of legislation before the House on July 14, 2008. My flight from San Diego, California was cancelled. I did not arrive to Washington, DC, until past the legislative hour.

I would have voted ``yea'' on each of the three bills before the House Monday. They are as follows:

(1) 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.

(2) H. Res. 1080--Honoring the extraordinary service and exceptional sacrifice of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), known as the Screaming Eagles.

(3) H. Con. Res. 297--Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the integration of the United States Armed Forces.

Madam Speaker, yesterday I was unavailable to vote and missed the votes on:

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 (Rep. Courtney--Armed Services).

H. Res. 1080--Honoring the extraordinary service and exceptional sacrifice of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), known as the Screaming Eagles (Rep. Whitfield--Armed Services).

H. Con. Res. 297--Recognizing the 60th anniversary of the integration of the United States Armed Forces. (Rep. Rogers (AL)--Armed Services).

Although each of those bills passed by an overwhelming margin, I respectfully request the opportunity to record my position. Had I been present I would have voted ``yea''' on rollcalls 486, 487, and 488.