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Author leads rescue effort for New London naval base By MARILYN COMRIE - 08/11/2005 Norwich Bulletin
David J. Bishop said it's pure coincidence that "Naval Submarine Base New London," one of the Images of America publications from Arcadia Press, is being published just as the Pentagon has recommended closing the nation's oldest submarine base and relocating its submarines, sub school and other facilities to bases in the South. Bishop began the book in 2002, but because of family issues, he put it aside until last fall. The 128-page, 10-chapter book takes a chronological look at the base's history, from its beginnings as a Navy Yard in 1868 to today's age of nuclear-powered submarines. Bishop gave a copy of the book to Subase Coalition Chairman John Markowicz just before Markowicz was scheduled to address the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission in Boston last month, making Connecticut's argument for keeping the base open. Bishop said he watched the proceedings live on C-SPAN and saw U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons, R-2nd District, hold the book up as he made his presentation to the BRAC commission. "The Connecticut committee did a fantastic job and my feeling is it's going to be saved," Bishop said of the base. "Hopefully the BRAC commission can get a copy of the book and see the base's modernization over 137 years. You just can't recreate that someplace else and especially save money." Bishop is uniquely qualified to produce the book. He spent 26 years as a civilian employee at the base, from 1971 to 1997. During that time, he served as public affairs officer for the submarine school, wrote for the base newspaper, The Dolphin, and helped establish the Submarine Force Library and Museum, home to the first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus SSN 571. Arcadia Press originally contacted the museum curator to do the book, but he was too busy and asked Bishop if he would be interested. Bishop was given access to the thousands of photographs at the museum and at the base to use in the book. Among the most interesting photos is a group Bishop got from the base Public Works Department. They show the original farms and houses on the land before the base was built. Bishop devotes an entire chapter to those photographs. A Norwich native who now lives in Mystic, Bishop has a background in engineering design. During his years at the base, he redesigned the base seal, which he included in the book. The book also has several maps of the base through the years, showing how it expanded and when certain buildings were constructed. The chronology takes the base through World War I, when it underwent a major expansion as the silent service became an important part of the nation's defense system. During World War II, 33,000 men went through the submarine school at the base, which was gaining a reputation as the pre-eminent training facility for submariners, according to a caption in the book. There are several photos showing the escape training tower, the 100-foot-tall facility that simulated an escape from a disabled submarine. During the era of diesel-powered submarines, all submariners had to qualify in the escape tank. Bishop is happy the book has come out at a time when the submarine base is getting a lot of publicity. "This is a national asset," he said of the base. "The birth of the submarine force was in Connecticut. The first submarine was built in Connecticut. Everything started right here. You just cannot throw that away." Even if the sub base weren't front page news, Bishop believes the book has a built-in audience -- anyone who served in the silent service. "I think nearly every submariner out there had to go through the base because they had to go to sub school and there's a lot about sub school in the book," Bishop said. "I think there's a lot of nostalgia." The book, which sells for $19.99, is for sale at Borders' books in Waterford, at the Submarine Force Library and Museum and can be ordered from Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapub lish ing.com or by calling 1-888-313-2665. |
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