Judd Gregg: “Today I wish to honor the brave Americans who served on the USS Thresher. The nuclear submarine USS Thresher, named…”

“Today I wish to honor the brave Americans who served on the USS Thresher. The nuclear submarine USS Thresher, named after a shark, was built with extreme pride by yankee craftsmen working at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, NH. After operations in the Atlantic and Caribbean, she returned to the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard for overhaul, and then on April 10, 1963 she went back to sea for post-overhaul trials. Sadly, during those deep-diving trials, the Thresher was lost off the coast of New England, along with all 96 sailors, 16 officers, and 17 civilians on board, falling more than 8,000 feet below the sea. The sailors, officers and civilians aboard the USS Thresher made the ultimate sacrifice in support of our Nation. They are remembered daily throughout New Hampshire, and Maine, and certainly within the U.S. Navy. This measure we introduced recognizes the courage and bravery these men demonstrated in risking their lives in the development of the United States Navy's submarine program, a program which has proven invaluable to the American military. The tragedy of the USS Thresher demonstrates the inherent danger of submarine service.”