Chris Sununu: “this legislation pays tribute to the 129 officers, sailors, and civilians who lost their lives aboard the USS Thresher…”

“this legislation pays tribute to the 129 officers, sailors, and civilians who lost their lives aboard the USS Thresher 40 years ago next week. The loss of these brave individuals was a tragedy for the U.S. submarine service, for the Navy, and the Nation. Yet out of this tragedy, the Navy was able to learn important lessons about submarine safety and acted to correct design and construction concerns that existed on other subs, and prevent engineering and design flaws on future submarines. These measures have served to benefit our Navy ever since. Built at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard and commissioned in August of 1961, the USS Thresher was the lead ship in a new class of nuclear-powered attack submarines. In the fall of 1961 and throughout 1962, the Thresher was put through its paces along the eastern seaboard to test its new technological and weapons advancements. Once these tests were completed, the Thresher returned to New England for an overhaul where she remained until the spring of 1963. On April 9, 1963, the Thresher departed the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard to conduct deep sea diving exercises some 200 miles off the coast of New England. In the morning hours of April 10, 1963, after reaching her assigned depth, the USS Thresher, signaled her companion surface ship, the USS Skylark, that it was experiencing difficulties.”