 | | | Presidential Cruise
27 May 1977 The President of the United States, James Earl Carter, returned to sea aboard the USS LOS ANGELES on May 27, 1977. His mission was to conduct a firsthand inspection of the
"capabilities and limitation of our nations strategic force". His mentor, the father of the modern nuclear Navy, Admiral Hyman G. Rickover and his wife, First Lady Rosalynn Carter, joined Carter, a former submariner. The Carters climbed the ladder to the sail; ate with the officers and crew; toured the ship; and the First Lady even took the helm under the watchful eye of her husband and the admiral. The nine-hour cruise in the Atlantic Ocean off the
coast of Florida was the first time a chief executive of the United States cruised submerged in a nuclear powered submarine. |
| | | | Click on the small photo to see a larger version. |
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| President Jimmy Carter proudly displays his flag prior to its being flown from the USS LOS ANGELES, SSN-688. NARA - Jimmy Carter Presidential Library, Carter Collection. |
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LCDR LaBrecque, President Carter, and Admiral Rickover observe the diving officer and helmsmen in action. |
| | President Carter, Mrs. Carter, Admiral Rickover join the crew of the USS LOS ANGELES (SSN-688) in the control room. |
| | President
and Mrs. Carter visit the torpedo room. TM-1 (SS) Kennedy is seen in the background. |
| | President James Earl Carter, a former submariner, visited the boat on May 27, 1977. In his letter to the crew, he called the USS Los Angeles
".... the finest ship in the world." |
| | President Carter observes LCDR Christensen and LT L. N. Church manuever the ship homeward. |
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| | | | Sea Stories:
These types of cruises were never fun and games for the crew. They worked long hard hours to prepare the ship for the arrival of the Carter's and Admiral Rickover. The crew, subjected to inspections, interviews, and investigations, were scrutinized to an amazing degree. Several members of the crew did not participate in the historic cruise having failed to pass a special inspection (Fat Five
). Others were removed from the crew, caught up in a pre-Carter drug investigation (Dirty Thirty). For more information on this interesting time, read the Sea Stories Forum on LA-ex: Shoot The Breeze. |
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