The official Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) command history entry for April 28, 1965 is yet only one sentence long and reads as follows:
“USS Skate arrived for nuclear overhaul job, the first such overhaul in the shipyard.”
Also, an original news release copy we hold from Commander Submarine Forces Atlantic dated the prior day, goes into a bit more detail for stating such facts as this is the first nuclear ship to undergo overhaul here and notes that three years of shipyard training went into preparing for this. “During the present yard period Skate will undergo innumerable alterations and modifications designed to increase safety and reliability. In addition, she will have her nuclear power plant refueled.”
Local Norfolk Ledger Dispatch newsprint stories of this same week focused upon how preparations at the shipyard had made acquisitions of special tools and facilities along with special training for some 2,000 employees. A banner headline stated, “Yard’s 1st A-Overhaul To Make Sub Quieter.”
On page 1 of the May 7, 1965 Service To The Fleet newspaper, there is a large block of text as an open letter to the workforce of Norfolk Naval Shipyard from Lt. Cdr. Edward A. Burkhalter Jr., Commanding Officer of USS Skate (SSN 578), that is titled “A Challenge.” Following along, he expresses pleasure that NNSY is launching a Zero Defects Program concurrently with its first nuclear-powered ship overhaul. Also, he speaks of more pride in craftsmanship and how it can affect favorably on overhaul cost and certainly will increase our confidence in NNSY work. He also quotes Secretary McNamara, “Let’s set our sights on the goal of each one of us doing our job, each job right the first time.” In conclusion, the Commanding Officer stresses that Skate’s overhaul must be a joint shipyard and ship effort. The unique work package took place at our Dry Dock 3.
Within an original 1965 ship’s program that we hold at the NNSY archives, many of USS Skate’s records are discussed. The first is that the ship on its shakedown cruise, departing New London, Connecticut on February 24, 1958, surfaced in Portland, England eight days and 11 hours later, setting a new west-east submarine record. On her return trip, she made a similar trip back east between two different ports in only seven days and five hours, totally submerged each way.
Skate also is noted for several exploits in Arctic waters such as on August 11, 1958, she became the second ship to cross under the North Pole then later surfaced about forty miles from the Pole. Skate returned to the Pole two subsequent occasions, first in 1959 and again in 1962.
And for every story there deserves to be a tie into a “mission complete” statement and USS Skate is no different. NNSY delivered this vessel back to the fleet on September 18, 1967, marking the conclusion of our first atomic overhaul.
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