Groton ― Retired Navy Capt. William A. Gaines, a sonar operator when the USS Nautilus made its 1958 trip to the geographic North Pole, said every crew member on board the nuclear-powered submarine contributed to the success of the historic crossing.

When the USS Nautilus (SSN-571) surfaced in the Atlantic Ocean following a 96-hour journey under the pole, he said, “as always the sun was shining on Nautilus,” and the famous message of “Nautilus 90 North” was transmitted.

“Today we celebrate that significant accomplishment that occurred 65 years ago,” Gaines said. “It was an American accomplishment, a U.S. Navy accomplishment, a submarine force accomplishment and a special accomplishment carried out by 116 very special men and those at home that supported them.”

About 150 people gathered Friday afternoon at Nautilus Pier to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Nautilus’ North Pole transit on Aug. 3, 1958 and the completion of “Operation Sunshine,” the first submerged transit under the North Pole.

Five of the “PANOPO” crew members ― Pacific to Atlantic via the North Pole ― were applauded at the ceremony held alongside the Nautilus: Engineman Second Class Bruce F. Aquizap; Electrician’s Mate First Class Joseph E. Degnan; Gaines, Commissaryman Third Class Roger A. Hall; and Electrician’s Mate Second Class James A. Morley. Families of crew members also attended to represent their loved ones.

The names of all 116 crew members were read aloud during the ceremony, and bells were tolled for crew members who had died.

Gaines said the Nautilus had its first under ice adventure in 1957 from the Atlantic side. Nautilus came within 180 miles of the North Pole before the operation ended but it demonstrated the nuclear submarine’s capability.

Degnan said that the Nautilus made two attempts in 1958 to the North Pole from the Pacific, but the first attempt failed, as the Nautilus couldn’t get through under the ice.

Gaines said Nautilus was directed to Hawaii so that additional surveys could be made of the ice cover.

Aquizap said that when the Nautilus turned back after it couldn’t get under the ice, many crew members felt angry. But when the captain suggested a layover in Hawaii, crew members were happy that they might have another chance. The mood changed from then on.

“I think that myself I stiffened up a little bit and said this is real: we’re going to do this, and we’ve got to be ready for it,” he said.

In July 1958, Gaines said “Nautilus slipped quietly out of Pearl Harbor and turned north for the second attempt to go under the North Pole.”

Hall recalled a celebratory atmosphere on board the Nautilus when the crew realized it had succeeded at its mission.

“We were all happy about it,” he said.

They had special food, Santa Claus showed up, and they enjoyed a big cake that the night baker made for a special occasion of arriving at the North Pole.

During the ceremony, Pat Anderson, the widow of Commander William R. Anderson who served as commanding officer of USS Nautilus, read aloud her husband’s handwritten notes from when he accepted an award in 1960.

He said the voyage was made possible by nuclear power and modern electronics, and it succeeded because of the teamwork and loyalty of the men aboard.

“It is significant I believe that these men knew that this voyage was dedicated to peace and freedom. It is significant because in the knowledge, they achieved a higher order of purpose and dedication,” Commander Anderson wrote.

Brian Charette, whose father Alfred Charette was a sonar operating chief on the Nautilus, recalled his father’s words: “From steward to skipper, no man was above another. Each had everyone’s back, and they knew that everyone had theirs.”

‘Uncharted waters’

Lt. Cmdr. Bryan Chapman, the director of the Submarine Force Museum and Officer in Charge of the Historic Ship Nautilus, said Friday the crew members “changed the world forever on August 3, 1958 and today we proudly accept our charge to remember and preserve their bold and courageous legend for generations to come.”

Lonnie Barham, president of the Nautilus Alumni Association, remarked that the crew members of the historic voyage left their homes and families and traveled through dangerous, uncharted waters not knowing what they might find or if they would return.

“They knew the risk, but in the spirit of every American pioneer before them, they went anyway ― and they succeeded ” he added. “They succeeded because they were and will always be submariners, the best men and now women that our country has to offer.”

Capt. Todd Moore, chief of staff of the Undersea Warfighting Development Center, and former commanding officer of the Naval Submarine Base, said 1958 saw the Nautilus exemplify the Navy’s tradition of scientific advancement, exploration and forward presence.

Moore said the crew of Nautilus, along with engineers, had to solve numerous problems while transiting the uncharted waters, including managing the enclosed atmosphere of a submarine, navigating near a point on the globe where the definition of longitude becomes meaningless, preventing shipboard systems from freezing, and living without communications.

“The ingenuity of the scientists and determination of sailors to overcome these problems had not only allowed Nautilus to complete her mission but gave the submarine force the defining edge in the cold war and beyond,” he said.

The Nautilus Alumni Association gave the crew members and family representatives a replica of the Presidential Unit Citation that President Dwight D. Eisenhower had awarded the crew after their voyage.

A proclamation from Gov. Ned Lamont and words from U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, and U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., were read aloud.

State Sen. Heather Somers, R-Groton, presented a citation from the General Assembly, and City of Groton Mayor Keith Hedrick and Town of Groton Mayor Juan Melendez, Jr. offered proclamations.

k.drelich@theday.com