ADMINISTRATIVE MESSAGE
ROUTINE
R 072256Z APR 00 ZYB MIN PSN 512567J26
FM CNO WASHINGTON DC//N00//
TO NAVADMIN
UNCLAS //05060//
NAVADMIN 089/00
MSGID/GENADMIN/CNO N00//
SUBJ/U.S. SUBMARINE FORCE CENTENNIAL//
RMKS/1. AS WE CELEBRATE THE SUBMARINE FORCE'S 100TH BIRTHDAY, I WOULD LIKE EACH OF US TO TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT ON WHAT THE SUBMARINE FORCE HAS ACCOMPLISHED DURING THE LAST CENTURY. SOME ITEMS OF NOTE ARE USS HOLLAND (SS 1) COMMISSIONED IN 1900, THE FORCE THAT BROUGHT DEVASTATION TO THE JAPANESE NAVY IN WORLD WAR II, THE PROMINENT ROLE IN THE SUCCESSFUL AND PEACEFUL CONCLUSION OF THE COLD WAR, AND THE NEW CHALLENGES AND ROLES OF THE POST-COLD WAR ERA. OUR SUBMARINE FORCE CONTRIBUTED PROMINENTLY IN MAKING THE 20TH CENTURY AMERICA'S MARITIME CENTURY.
2. MANY OF THE NAVY'S SUCCESSES--BOTH FORWARD DEPLOYED AND AT HOME--HAVE BEEN THE DIRECT RESULT OF THE REMARKABLE SKILL AND DEDICATION OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE SUBMARINE FORCE. THAT DEDICATION WAS EVIDENT DURING WORLD WAR II WHERE A SUBMARINE FORCE OF LESS THAN 2 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL U.S. NAVAL COMBAT STRENGTH INFLICTED A STAGGERING 55 PERCENT OF JAPAN'S MARITIME LOSSES. BUT OUR VICTORY WAS NOT WITHOUT COST--A COST TALLIED IN LIVES. FIFTY-TWO SUBMARINES--NEARLY ONE IN FIVE--AND THE 3,500 MEN WHO MANNED THEM WERE LOST AND REMAIN ON ETERNAL PATROL--THE HIGHEST COMBAT CASUALTY RATE OF ANY PORTION OF AMERICA'S WORLD WAR II MILITARY.
3. AS WE CELEBRATE THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF AMERICA'S FIRST SUBMARINE, ONE THING IS CERTAIN: THE SUBMARINE FORCE'S LEGACY OF ACHIEVEMENT WILL CONTINUE TO PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN THE FUTURE SUCCESS OF THE U.S. NAVY. I AM PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS GREAT NAVY WITH YOU AND I SALUTE THE WORLD'S GREATEST SUBMARINE FORCE-- PAST AND PRESENT--FOR YOUR SERVICE AND SACRIFICE.
4. RELEASED BY ADMIRAL JAY L. JOHNSON, CNO.//
BT
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