Image of a Badfish Mk48 doing its duty may possibly be subject to copyright
SAVE THE 698
Join the Movement. Are you passionate about preserving the USS Bremerton in any way shape or form? Do you wish to be involved before, during and after her decommissioning in whatever works are needed to establish the memory of 698 for the benefit of the public and of naval history? You are invited to a new closed group forum on Facebook “SaveThe698” to be involved in public discussion related to Saving 698. You can see the group site by clicking HERE.
Aloha from USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park – soon to be the Pacific Fleet Submarine Museum!
Construction on site is wrapping up and we are transitioning to exhibit installation. Pacific Studio, our exhibit installer arrived on island. They are very well organized and have hit the ground running. Their first container has been delivered and we expect five additional containers over the next two weeks. Four to five additional containers will follow. Pacific Studio plans to complete the exhibit installation prior to Christmas. The museum’s audio-visual (A-V) systems will be installed between Thanksgiving and Christmas. The A-V system will be tested and content will be loaded in early January 2021. We are on track for a soft opening of our museum in mid to late January and a grand reopening in February – March. As soon as we can set a date with confidence, we will do so and will let you know.
I have attached some pictures of the current work in progress.
Thank you very much for your interest and support of our renovation.
Sincerely,
Chuck Merkel
Captain, U.S. Navy (Retired)
Executive Director, Pacific Fleet Submarine Memorial Association
DELIVERY OF FIRST CONTAINER
CONTAINERS ON LANAI
CONTAINER OFFLOAD
EMPTY CONTAINER
TOOLS
TYPICAL PACKAGING
OUTDOOR SIGN STANDS
OUTDOOR PLAY AREA
INTERPRETIVE SIGN STANDS
OUTDOOR PLAY AREA
COLD WAR GALLERY
698 LOOKING FORWARD
USS Bremerton, the most senior not yet de-commissioned submarine in the United States Navy, is currently at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard preparing for her date with destiny. Decom ceremony and reunion in Bremerton are tentatively scheduled for Spring of 2021, that puts BadFish on course for a 40 year run.
Cheers – from RMCS(SS) Don Jones, Plankowner, SSN698
SAVE THE 698
Join the Movement. Are you passionate about preserving the USS Bremerton in any way shape or form? Do you wish to be involved before, during and after her decommissioning in whatever works are needed to establish the memory of 698 for the benefit of the public and of naval history? You are invited to a new closed group forum on Facebook “SaveThe698” to be involved in public discussion related to Saving 698. You can see the group site by clicking HERE.
USS Bremerton ends her active service with her final destination being Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in April 2018.
2018 Reunion Poster Artist: Richard Crombie
698 LOOKING FORWARD
USS Bremerton, the most senior not yet de-commissioned submarine in the United States Navy, is currently at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard preparing for her date with destiny. Decom ceremony and reunion in Bremerton are tentatively scheduled for Spring of 2021, that puts BadFish on course for a 40 year run.
Cheers – from RMCS(SS) Don Jones, Plankowner, SSN698
SAVE THE 698
Join the Movement. Are you passionate about preserving the USS Bremerton in any way shape or form? Do you wish to be involved before, during and after her decommissioning in whatever works are needed to establish the memory of 698 for the benefit of the public and of naval history? You are invited to a new closed group forum on Facebook “SaveThe698” to be involved in public discussion related to Saving 698. You can see the group site by clicking HERE.
By popular request, a republication of an article (with some revisions) and links to a story written by a submarine officer who started his seagoing career aboard the USS Bremerton.
I discovered this superb piece of writing by Ron LaSalvia, Captain, U.S. Navy (ret), former Commanding Officer of the USS Montpelier (SSN 765), where he served from 1999 through 2001. His article is titled, “Taking Command: The Crew Is Only as Good as the Captain” in which he describes the major challenges he faced when becoming a CO.
Some of the greatest stories in literature are about captains of warships. It is through the struggles and successes of these revered individuals that we get a sense of all the intimate challenges of preparing a ship for the lethal necessities of war. The heroes are often leaders who earn the respect of their crews in the process of forging them into a vital fighting force.
The responsibility of becoming a commander of a U.S. Navy submarine is a privilege few officers achieve. The rigorous process takes at least 20 years of service. Of the individuals who are awarded a command, some embody exceptional vision, skills, and character that are transformational and as a result their crews and ships become cut above the competition in the unforgiving realm of undersea warfare and survival.
Los Angeles 688i Class Fast Attack submarine (Image source: Google)
Ron LaSalvia, served onboard USS Bremerton (SSN 698) from 1982-1985 where he began learning the ropes of being a submarine officer.
Click on the link below or photo of the young Ensign LaSalvia to go to Captain LaSalvia’s article.
Mr. Ron LaSalvia aboard the USS Bremerton SSN 698 during an expeditionary patrol in the Western Pacific in 1983(photo by Challen Yee).
“Master-One, bearing… mark, angle on the bow…” (image source google).
698 LOOKING FORWARD
USS Bremerton, the most senior not yet de-commissioned submarine in the United States Navy, is currently at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard preparing for her date with destiny. Decom ceremony and reunion in Bremerton are tentatively scheduled for Spring of 2021, that puts BadFish on course for a 40 year run.
Cheers – from RMCS(SS) Don Jones, Plankowner, SSN698
SAVE THE 698
Join the Movement. Are you passionate about preserving the USS Bremerton in any way shape or form? Do you wish to be involved before, during and after her decommissioning in whatever works are needed to establish the memory of 698 for the benefit of the public and of naval history? You are invited to a new closed group forum on Facebook “SaveThe698” to be involved in public discussion related to Saving 698. You can see the group site by clicking HERE.