The official fund raising campaign has begun for the money needed to begin construction of the USS Bremerton CA-130/SSN-698 Monument set to be constructed in Bremerton, Washington.
With the shipyard notified for the requested components of the hull of the U.S. Navy’s longest serving nuclear fast attack submarine, the race is on to raise funds for the eventual monument construction.
The funding campaign involves approaching a wide variety of supporters from organizations, businesses, and corporations both local and nationwide.
An individualized option is possible through the dedication of an array of bricks that will be beautifully integrated into the monument grounds. This is especially desirable for alumni and friends of the USS Bremerton, SSN-698 or CA-130, to take part in the dedication by purchasing individual 8×4 or 8×8 inch bricks.
Each brick’s engraving can be customized per your request with one of a variety of navy symbols to complement your engraved name and message.
This is a great way to bring recognition of your Bremerton service, the service of your family member, or to memorialize departed shipmates.
Some fun ideas for alumni to honor their service would be to dedicate bricks to your division, department, a specific WestPac, favorite ports of call, your favorite watering hole, or a noteworthy disclosable event. How about a favorite quote or saying on the boat at the time you were onboard?*
Keep the memories alive with a dedication that will remain an integral part of a lasting monument in the namesake city of Bremerton.
*Please note, submissions may be subject to review before approval.
Click on the image/link below to go straight to the order site for details:
Just this last week, 698 veterans Rich Crombie and I were privately invited to get an inside look at the progress on the Bremerton Monument Project (The “Project”).
The meeting was hosted by 698 commanding officers. Alan Beam together with the Chairman Jerry Logan and Navy League President Tom Zwolfer provided us the update.
REALITY
The discussion involved the extensive work they have accomplished including difficulties and surprises they have navigated. Importantly, they shared the good news about their achievements collaborating with Bremerton’s Mayor Greg Wheeler and former Mayor Patty Lent, along with essential problem solving with the City’s Public Works and Legal Departments. They addressed many fundamental issues, that only detailed, aggressive, and time consuming efforts could achieve.
No longer wishful thinking or mere imagination, the Project has reached the critical threshold in terms of being able to move forward to completion. There are mainly two major factors to be addressed and those will be highlighted later in this article.
One of the many points we discussed was the former location that was considered back in 2021 that was along the waterfront at Evergreen Park. The former design concept seemed attractive with the image of the sail positioned as though Bremerton was homeward bound in the Port Washington Narrows.
It turns out there are several reasons why that location had to be abandoned, not the least of which was the limited construction area and the discovery it was a capped environmental cleanup site that had previously been contaminated with fuel, creating a risk that could derail the Project with delays of unknown length.
In a long time Navy city like Bremerton, one may consider that finding an area that already hasn’t been occupied by a navy monument could be quite a task. Moreover, finding one that would garner support from the City and State, and be in a high traffic area along a major thoroughfare, and near the main entrance to the shipyard would be a coup.
This is the absolutely amazing location that was worked out by the Navy League and the Bremerton supporters.
This could be one of the most seen submarine monuments in a the city of monuments.
They were able to secure about an acre of land that will be reserved as a Bremerton city park space, in fact the memorial park will be called Bremerton Monument at Navy League Park, a place that when after the construction is completed the City of Bremerton has agreed to that they will be responsible to maintain.
This arrangement and the provision of real estate to be secured for a public monument park represents the long time synergy held between the Bremerton community, the Navy and the Bremertons (SSN-698 and CA-130).
Bird’s eye view of Bremerton Monument Location (near red flag) – source google maps
DESIGN
The board has engaged with celebrated local architect David Fergus, formerly of Rice, Fergus, Miller Architecture,who has developed a preliminary design that highlights both Bremerton, the submarine, and Bremerton, the cruiser. The majority of the components will be from the submarine, namely the sail, upper and lower rudder, stern planes, anchor, and fixed cleats.
Able to meet city ordinances and have the ability to be maintained by the City’s public works, the design is still subject to detailed development, but the initial design incorporates beautifully flowing walkways to capture the essence of ocean waters flowing, artistic color divided patterns, information and historical interest panels, a large landscaped park area with designated parking, not to mention the several components of the submarine that will adorn the monument grounds with the big Badfish sail as the focal piece.
Preliminary Design of Bremerton Monument by Architect David Fergus source: Bremerton Monument Brief – Bremerton Navy League
OBJECTIVES
The official requests for the various components of the Bremerton have been made and, in response, the shipyard reports that they are scheduling the final cut up process to begin near the end of the year. With the way things have gone over the last many years with submarines in the shipyard pipeline, we need to take a deep breath, sit back, and relax. This leaves us with the one critical area we can all take part in to make this Project a reality.
FUNDING TARGET: $1,000,000 (1M)
The focus is now on securing funding the 1 million ready to go by the time construction begins. These costs are what you would imagine for a non-profit leading the way: transportation (albeit a short distance) the materials and the cost of qualified professional contractors and craftsman to drive the Project to completion.
With funding in place and once the Bremerton components are available, the project can be done within a few month period with the necessary contractors at the ready,
Any and all contributions are welcomed! $20,000 has been contributed to date.
Plans are being made to encourage donations from the public as well as other payment options and plans.
DONATION INSTRUCTIONS
Currently, donations designated for the Bremerton Monument at Navy League Park can be made by check to the Bremerton Navy League. Make notation on your check that it is for the Monument. Send your donations to:
Bremerton Monument
c/o Bremerton Navy League
PO Box 5719,
Bremerton, WA 98312
Check your company for matching donations!
LOOKING FORWARD
For many years now the focus of the alumni, at large, has been on the Bremerton’s retirement from her long service as a first-flight Los Angeles Class nuclear fast attack submarine. A well loved submarine many have called home away from home, have endured months at a time at sea, and have served years of sea time in pursuit of the nation’s defense interest. Many generations of submarine officers and men have battled with her against all odds in the shipyards from Commissioning to Decommissioning, and have become part of her storied history.
Adding to the Project Board: Rich Crombie and I have teamed up together before to help organize three alumni reunions, in 2016, 2018 and 2021. Rich has extensive experience in public speaking, working with the public and marketing, and Ihave kept tabs on the pulse of many of the Bremerton’s alumni and efforts to SaveThe698. We gladly accepted the invitation to join the Project’s board and to dedicate ourselves to help in the team effort to bring the Monument to completion.
There are various on-line events planned for the future that will allow the 698 Alumni and the public to hear directly from the board regarding the progress on the Project. I will post instructions and information as they become available.
While the trail that leads to the end of one life draws to a close, now we have an opportunity to begin anew in this effort to create life that surrounds the formation of the Bremerton Monument. This is an important juncture to transition from an ending of the boat’s life of service at sea, to a new course and a new life of prominence in her namesake city, a lasting rallying point for all of us who served as a Bremerton sailor and who support the cause to SaveThe698.
You can help make this happen.
Featured Image: The new shining star of the US Navy’s submarine fleet, USS Bremerton arriving in Bremerton, Washington, Fall 1982. Image courtesy of Donald Jones, Plankowner, USS Bremerton.
On May 1, the president of the Bremerton-Olympic Peninsula Council of the Navy League Tom Zwolfer and Bremerton Mayor Greg Wheeler jointly signed a letter to the Navy, making a preliminary request that the Navy retain the components of the Los Angeles- class submarine, including its sail, sail planes, anchor, rudders and stern planes, to create a monument. Jerry Logan, retired Navy Captain, the 10th Commanding Officer of USS Bremerton and chairman of The USS Bremerton Sail Memorial Committee, said the group’s request to use some of those pieces of history as a monument will now move to the next step.
“Once we get our design finalized, we will submit the official request to the Navy for those components that we have in mind here,” Logan said.
Preliminary design of the USS Bremerton monument shows that the monument will showcase the sail and the sail plane of the USS Bremerton submarine and the anchors of the submarine and the USS Bremerton (CA-130). Provided By Jerry Logan.
Preliminary design of the monument has been completed. The Bremerton City Council reviewed and discussed the project on Wednesday, where Logan, Zwolfer, and Alan Beam of the Navy League — all former commanding officers of the USS Bremerton — presented an update of the project.
With Mayor Wheeler’s suggestion, the Navy League is now proposing to build the monument at a triangular plot of grassy area at First Street and Callow Avenue, near the Naval Base Kitsap’s Charleston gate, tentatively to be named “Navy League Park.”
The approximately 42,000 square feet of land is now the Washington State Department of Transportation’s right of way. WSDOT is in the process of transferring the property to the city at no cost, Wheeler said.
“We do not foresee that (cost of any money),” Wheeler said. “If for some remote reason there was a cost, we work through that.”
Originally, WSDOT purchased the property for the Bremerton gateway improvement project, Wheeler said, an effort from 1998 to 2008 to improve access to the city from the south.
The proximity to the Charleston Gate would make the monument an entry point into Bremerton that demonstrates the relationship between the city, its people and the military history, Wheeler said, and give residents and visitors “an idea of the importance of the military presence in our history.” He highlighted the design in which the crisscrossing grey sidewalks could be a symbol of such connection.
Logan shared similar thoughts.
“I think of it personally as not just a military monument, but hopefully a bigger bond to the city and the relationship with the Navy, and the role Bremerton, Washington plays in the country,” Logan said. “We want to try to capture not just about two Navy ships. We think it’s about the city of Bremerton, certainly, and everything the city has done to create a good relationship with the Navy.”
According to the preliminary design, the USS Bremerton monument will showcase the sail of the submarine as well as the anchors of the submarine and the USS Bremerton cruiser (CA-130). The anchor of the cruiser is now placed at Hal’s Corner, between Warren Avenue and Sheridan Road. The cruiser was commissioned in 1945, struck from the Navy list on 1973, and sold for scrap on 1974, according to the Naval Vessel Register.
The USS Bremerton (CA-130) was captured at Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, California, on 21 November 1951. The ship was recommissioned for Korean War Service on Nov.23 after having been in reserve since April 1948. Official U.S. navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives. Provided By The Navy
“We picture the two anchors sort of create the entrance to the monument area,” Logan said.
Benches will be placed at the part to allow people to walk on and stay at the monument, Logan said.
Commissioned in 1981, the USS Bremerton submarine served the country for 37 years before it was inactivated in 2018 and decommissioned in 2021 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, according to Naval Vessel Register. The ship is currently in Bremerton, hasn’t been recycled, and it’s unknown when the Navy will cut it up and make the components available, Logan said. The Navy League hasn’t heard back from the Naval Sea Systems Command regarding the request.
If the plan continues, the USS Bremerton sail would be the fourth submarine sail placed in Kitsap County. The others are the sail of USS Parche, laid outside the Puget Sound Navy Museum in downtown Bremerton, the sail of the USS Woodrow Wilson, at Deterrent Park on Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, and the sail of the USS Sturgeon, at the Naval Undersea Museum at Keyport.
The Navy League is fundraising for the monument project and plan to raise approximately $1 million, Logan said. A retired doctor and big supporter of the USS Bremerton, the late Byron Faber, had donated $20,000 to the Navy League as part of his bequest, which stated a desire to use the funding to create a monument for the ship.
Depending on the Navy’s timeline to recycle the submarine and the Navy League’s fundraising progress, construction would likely begin in a two-year timeframe, Logan said.
***
About the writer:
Peiyu Lin covers the military and South Kitsap for the Kitsap Sun. Lin joined the Sun in 2021 after she graduated from the University of Arizona and received her Master’s degree in Journalism at UA. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Arabic Language and Culture at National Chengchi University in Taipei. Originally from Taiwan, Lin is a Mandarin speaker and has experience reporting bilingually in the U.S., Taiwan and Jordan.
Captain Alan R. Beam, Bremerton’s CO #3, provided the following update:
“We have received word from Puget Sound Naval Shipyard that they may start final cutup operations somewhere around Christmas. We are requesting the sail, stern planes, rudders and anchor. We are working with Mayor Wheeler to identify the best location and are scheduling a meeting with the City Council to get their support for location. We can announce the location at the successful completion of this meeting.”
This is welcome news for supporters of the USS Bremerton (SSN-698) who have been following the activities related to the longest serving nuclear fast attack submarine in the United States Navy. Not only does it give many of the Badfish’s supporters something objective to focus on, but also helps in process of closure for all who have loyal affections for the boat, the vessel we called our home away from home while venturing to distant places and mastering submerged trails across the ocean.
Captain Beam further explains that a USS Bremerton Sail Committee was formed in order to begin the process of fund raising. The board includes long time Navy League supporters and 698 CO’s: Chairman Jerry Logan (CO#10 2002-2005), Navy League President Tom Zwolfer (CO #11 2005-2008) and Alan Beam (CO #3 1985-1988), former Mayor Patty Lent, and the Architect Jerry Fergus.
The initial goal set for fund raising is one million dollars. While a Bremerton monument in the city of Bremerton enjoys the obvious benefit of local home town and shipyard support and the shortest transport distances, which can save untold tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars, projects like a sail monument can reach into the 2 to 4 million range based on the reported budgets of other U.S. Navy submarine monuments around the country. Much will depend on the overall design of a monument and the procurement of the real estate necessary but this is the beginning of another journey, another mission.
The Bremerton’s alumni roster is one of the largest ever due to the life span of the boat, estimates are there are about 1500 to 1600 sailors who have served on SSN-698. While alumni provided tax-deductible contributions are always welcome, it is more than simply money. The ideal campaign should make it easy for you to invite many others to contribute, regardless of their prior affiliation with the boat. This way, anyone, but especially you who have a personal connection, can support the mission as long as you are willing to take some simple steps. In other words, a million dollars divided more ways make each part more manageable. A few honorary awards and opportunities for recognition should be part of the package. What do you think? We’d like to hear your ideas to build and attract interest.
Not meaning to jump to conclusions but the future completion of the USS Bremerton Monument will be a focal point for another reunion, bringing the sailors, the boat (at least part of it), and the spirit that binds both together back together once again.
Penciled in for “around Christmas”, when many military personnel around the world and under the oceans are deep in gratitude for the mercy, the grace and the providence of God, and for the deliverance through many trials, the Navy shipyard at Puget Sound will be preparing to do their part in securing vital sections of the Bremerton for the future.
I was inspired by a recent Facebook post by shipmate Nate Neely who thought a meme stating “Join the U.S. Navy and work with yesterday’s technology, tomorrow!” was entertaining. As a result, I thought of an appropriate application to the USS Bremerton when I served on her from 1983-1986.
A decal from the Badfish’s Decommissioning banquet, designed by shipmate and sonarman Rich Crombie
LOS ANGELES CLASS FAST ATTACKS – AN/BQQ-5 EQUIPPED
The AN/BQQ-5 was an advanced technology sonar suite, a digitally processed system built, primarily by IBM, that incorporated many of the sensors and analog components made by Raytheon, Hughes and other manufacturers.
The IBM based Q-5 sonar system received raw data from multiple hydrophone arrays similarly to its predecessor, the AN/BQS-13, whose game changing upgrade was the transducer filled spherical array housed in the bow dome. The Q-5 took advantage of digital processing to provide several modes of operations, outputting to three identical operator stations for both multimode capability as well as redundancy. This gave the Q-5 the ability to integrate former stand alone pieces of sonar classification equipment used on early submarine classes. Along with enhanced digital audio and analog audio options, the Q-5 offered a variety of CRT based display options.
“AN/UYK-7 Computer”Control Display Units (CDCs) in a LAB environment (source: americanhistory.si.edu)
I heard back in the day, in its original proposed designs the Q-5 was not equipped with headset audio. To that Pollyannish limitation, any fleet sonarman would say, “You must be out of your mind.”
The Q-5 did have the trademark waterfall displays, which under the dark blue “mood” lights of a quiet sonar shack (back when 688s had real sonar shacks) were the most distinctive attraction for visitors to sonar who needed a nature break from the rigid environment of piping, valves, electrical conduits, green paint, commonly found in the rest of the boat.
A Q-5 waterfall display similar to the ones in 1983-1986, sometimes, if you were lucky, you could come into sonar and listen and “see” the whales nearby (source: pbs.org) Imagine six of these big screens in a darkened room with blue lights and 5 or 6 sonarmen.
THE UYK-7 – Origins stemming from 1957
At the heart of the Q-5 sonar was the systems mainframe computer, the “brains” of the system. Originally designed to virtually flawless operation with the IBM 360, the Navy opted to substitute the IBM mainframe with a stalwart computer whose design origins can be traced back late 1957 (ethw.org). The substitute computer was called the AN/UYK-7, which began winning government contracts late in 1967 (ethw.org).
Aboard 698, the UYK-7, affectionately known among sonarmen as the “JUNK-7”, also gracing our makeshift lyrics to Olivia-Newton John’s hit “Let’s get Physical” with “Let’s get Digital (Listen to my UYK talk).”
Olivia says, “Let’s Get Physical” (source: yourworkoutbook.com) No, we say, “Let’s get Digital”
The UYK-7 was built by Sperry-Univac and was controlled by a manual interface that is commonly mounted detached from the mainframe. Conducting diagnostics on the computer required extensive training in machine language to run maintenance and to operate. A good human memory was critical in doing any operations quickly with the system underway since without it, no Q-5 sonar signals are being processed and that presents a hazardous condition, especially in a tactical situation. The UYK-7 came with small quick reference handbooks that were often useless under stress.
The main frame itself contained a CPU unit, an IO Controller and two types of memory in huge Army/Navy bomb proof spec units. Memory could be either a magnetic core non-volatile read only that would survive without power and a DDM (double density “film”) volatile memory that was the working area for processing the 360 degree data coming in from the spherical, hull and towed array sensors.
One thing was for sure, it looked like a computer that could feasibly take a liberal beating and keep on ticking.
A two bay model of the AN/UYK-7 main frame computers made by Sperry-Univac. A legacy of mil-spec related development from the late 1950s. (source: collection.arck-project.org) The BREMERTON’s original sonar system used only one.
By 1983, there were several revisions of the IBM system, there was even a “Q-6” used on the Ohio Class missile submarines that had all the bells and whistles a sonar needed when your main task is meant to be a far away from anything as possible, which is not the case with a fast attack. There were already major revisions to the Q-5 by the time I reported to Bremerton: the Q-5A and Q-5B and the Q-5C, all of which used multiple UYK-7’s to provide advanced processing capabilities, but the USS Bremerton SSN-698, from its beginnings and beyond 1986 was blessed with not 2… not 3… not 4 but an awe-inspiring ONE UYK-7.
Q-5 FY-79 The Cadillac of Q-5 Sonar Systems
The USS Bremerton, the fastest nuclear fast attack submarine in the U.S. Navy was equipped with the oldest seagoing Q-5 afloat.
I’ve had a discussion with Jeff Marcey, the other Advanced Q-5 tech who served from 1982-1986, and we disagree which serial number the 698’s Q-5 had. He thinks it was A-1, I think it was A-3, possibly A-4. What we both agree on is the Bremerton’s Q-5 sonar system was original equipment on the USS Los Angeles – SSN 688 and on the LA, it ran so terribly, it was ripped out and revamped at IBM, in time for installation on Bremerton.
There are some thoughts about where A-1 and A-2 were. A-1 could have been a prototypes in IBM Manassas, Virginia, and A-2 a trainer at Fleet ASW Training Center in San Diego. But I would have to dig around to confirm. That’s why I tend to remember 698 having A-3, as it was stamped on the IBM ID plate on the Sonar Supervisor Console in sonar.
If you think being the oldest sonar system in the fleet was bad, think again. Called the AN/BQQ-5 FY-79, It didn’t garner a letter designation, but it was the purest form of the original design and unhindered by the revisions that caused certain un-reliabilities. Thanks to the sonar division and a command who understood the value of submarine sonar, the Bremerton had the one of the best operating Q-5s in our squadron. We called it “The Cadillac of Q-5s” being the oldest cat in the neighborhood.
698 was a fast boat, the fastest in 688 history, and she had her sensor technology pushed to the limit. Uncle SAM got his money’s worth.
Vintage Decal available free with a SASE (click image to link)
In a large team of talented and skilled sonarmen, I do not hesitate to give Jeff Marcey credit for his focused, skilled work, and technical leadership on the Q-5, a credit to his father who made the pre-Navy Jeff try to fix any broken machine or appliance they could find. Jeff was one of the savviest sonar technicians ever to don a pair of dolphins, who sacrificed a lot of qualification time to help ready the Q-5 for the performance she ultimately was capable of. With an attrition rate of 50% in his Advanced Q-5 Sonar Maintenance Training Course pipeline it was like the BUDS of sonar training, but he survived the very high standards the Navy had for the first “209” Maintenance Courses. Nevertheless, it took a lot of team work to straighten the Bremerton’s Q-5 out, and it does take a good team of sonarmen to maintain a big system, to operate it properly, to treat it right, and to keep it functioning well.
SPACE TECHS
A fast attack is equipped with several sonar systems aside from the Q-5. Most of these systems fell under the care of the “Space Techs”. These sonar technicians learned their skills in the Navy’s Space Maintenance program where they became experts in these accessory equipments. Most of these systems were carryovers from the 637 Class and were updated versions of analog-component based systems with solid state upgrades. It was said that, by and large, the Space Maintenance techs were better electricians due to the nature of their equipment.
COLD WAR MISSION & AWARDS
Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) was the name of the silent game and the Bremerton was destined to grab her share of the quiet glory. Successful U.S. Navy submarine operations helped bring an end to the “first” Cold War.
Between 1983 through 1986, with the FY-79, Bremerton was awarded two Navy Unit Citations, Two Battle “E”s, Three Sea Service awards, and the Expeditions Award. This does not include her exploits coming from Groton to Pearl and other operations between 1981 through 1982 which I cannot personally attest to. I’ll let the Bremerton plankowners, under the command of CAPT. Thomas H. Anderson, tackle that one.
698 SKIPPERS: CAPT TOM ANDERSON, CAPT DOUG WRIGHT, CAPT ALAN BEAM
During my service time, Bremerton had the honor of serving under two Commanding Officers, CAPT Douglas S. Wright and CAPT Alan R. Beam, whose sub-driving styles matched our operations very well. Sonar also served with two fine and cosmically different sonar chiefs, Ric May and Master Chief Bill Brehler. In less than a 3 year ride, the officers and crew had the privilege of being involved in a wide spectrum of ASW related operations in which the Q-5 FY-79 sonar system proved to be extremely capable from end to end.
So Nate, yes, we’ll take on all comers with yesterday’s technology tomorrow.
Feature image source: “AN/UYK-7 Computer” is from ithistory.org
