Admiral Rickover's Praise 

by Toby L. Currier

As a non-qual assigned to USS PHOENIX (SSN702) in either 1980 or 1981, I was selected to participate in sea trials aboard USS DALLAS (SSN700) . This was her second set of trials, having failed radiography the first time around. All of the big wigs and many Johnny Lunchpail members of Electric Boat were onboard and feeling quite good about themselves when DALLAS was finally over its final hurdle and pronounced ready to join the fleet.

They were all gathered in crew's mess as Admiral Rickover came on the 1MC and began what I came to learn was one of his more flattering speeches pertaining to the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics. He launched into an overview and history of the nuclear navy (of which, of course, he was the father) as well as relating to his captive audience that he was a student of the ancient Phoenicians and their early shipbuilding.

The shipyard personnel were, at this point , looking around at each other and giving each other non-verbal attaboys for being mentioned in the same sentence as Father Rickover's vaunted Phoenicians . Their smugness was short-lived as the little genius without the collar devices concluded his speech thusly:

"Though I am eternally grateful to the men and women of Electric Boat for delivering the USS DALLAS to the fleet, I have every confidence that the ancient Phoenicians could have delivered her sooner."

Published February 2006