The USS Bremerton submarine headed out of Naval Base
Kitsap this morning following
a weeklong visit. The crew of almost 150 made the most
of the visit to the city she’s named for, performing a park
renovation, visiting Mayor Patty Lent’s office and even inviting
some guests aboard for tours.
I was fortunate to have been one of those guests. They gave us
an incredible tour of the vessel that will stand out as a highlight
of my reporting career.
Here’s some more photos of our visit. The Bremerton will return
to Bremerton a few years from now to be decommissioned.
Lt. Joe Huck shows us a torpedo
bay.The Bremerton.Tight confines.My partner Ed Friedrich doing
an interview on the conning tower.A timeless diesel engine, part
of what makes her a “classic.”Coffee mugs, and on top of
them, Richard O’Kane’s famous cribbage board.That famous cribbage board.
Still played to this day.
The sub and its crew will be here
for at least six days, even performing a park cleanup at
“Hal’s
Corner” on Wheaton Way at Sheridan Road — fitting, since the
area houses the battery and anchor from the original
USS Bremerton, a Korean War-era cruiser.
Here’s some photos that I took of
her arrival, and some other great ones submitted by
readers.
Not something you see everyday.
I got this picture from Bachmann Park in
Manette. Patrick Kerber got this great
shot of the sub coming into Rich Passage.Lt. Cmdr. Brian Badura captured
the Bremerton as she came into view in Kingston.Pat Zahn got a picture as
Bremerton passed Manette.And finally, Kevin Chambers got
a pic while aboard the ferry to Seattle.
Bremerton will get a visit from the submarine that bears
the city’s name this week. On Wednesday, the Los
Angeles-class fast-attack submarine, currently home-ported in Pearl
Harbor, will dock at Naval Base Kitsap for a short visit.
She last visited Bremerton in May 2012, almost three years ago.
While here, the crew plans to meet with local dignitaries, host
recruits and even volunteer in a park cleanup.
Navy Submarine Group 9 Spokesman Brian Badura gives a good
description of what subs like the Bremerton do:
Fast-attack submarines like Bremerton are designed to
seek and destroy enemy submarines and surface ships, carry out
intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, support
aircraft carrier and expeditionary strike groups, and engage in
mine warfare.
The sub, which carries more than 130 sailors, is the oldest in
the U.S. fleet. It is the second vessel in Navy history to bear the
name Bremerton, and the 11th submarine of the Los Angeles
class.
The first USS
Bremerton, a Baltimore class heavy cruiser, saw action in the
Korean war.
One final factoid that probably only I will find intriguing is
that the Bremerton was commissioned on March 28, 1981 — which
happens to be the day this blogger was born.
