Click on the pictures to enlarge!

SHAKEDOWN CRUISE

During the first few months after joining the Pacific Submarine Force, USS SARGO (SSN 583) conducted an extensive shakedown cruise covering over 19,000 miles of the Pacific Ocean. During this cruise USS SARGO made one dive that lasted 44 days, 33 of which were completely divorced from the earth’s atmosphere, at the time a record for a SKATE class submarine. USS SARGO was also the first nuclear powered ship ever to cross the equator. Ellie Goode passed along the following photos that Sanchez took during the shakedown cruise:

Courtesy Ellie Goode	Courtesy Ellie Goode
Sanchez Goode and Roy Bannach	Vernon B. "VB" Paul and Mike Lovejoy
Courtesy Ellie Goode	Courtesy Ellie Goode
Sanchez Goode (19 Jan 1959 - Just crossed the Equator)	Sanchez Goode (16 Mar 1959 - 60 days later)

Vallejo's THE NEWS CHRONICLE (April 3, 1959 edition) had pictures when the ship returned to port:

Courtesy The News Chronicle	Courtesy The News Chronicle
HM1(SS) James Tucker permits his wife to playfully tug at his 70-day growth of beard while their young daughter looks at her father with a gleeful smile. Mrs. Tucker said the beard gave her husband a rather "interesting sort of look" but she indicated that she wouldn't like the beard as a permanent fixture on her husband's face. Other wives had mixed feelings about the growths.	TM1 A. H. Schildt warmly greets his wife but folllowing the welcoming, Mrs. Schildt said she wasn't "especially appreciative" of the 70-odd day growth of beard her young husband was sporting. The couple, with their three children, like the other crew members and their wives, was happy the submarine was home after the lengthy voyage. The boat will be in port at least until July.

Courtesy Darryl Baker

The USS SARGO (SSN 583) arrives at Mare Island Naval Shipyard to commence a post-shakedown overhaul, 3 Apr 1959. [U.S. Navy Photo NY9 43844-4-59]

Following the shakedown cruise in April the USS SARGO commenced a post-shakedown overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard. While in overhaul, on July 26, 1959, the USS SARGO received notice that her homeport had been shifted from Mare Island, Vallejo, California to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Roger “Huey” Long QMSN(SS/DV)(1958 – 1960) passed along the following story: “We had been out on daily ops out of Mare Island. When we came in to tie up, the current was doing its thing. The OD was coming in a bit hot. I was on the forward capstan. I had two wraps. As I said, we were going way too fast. The order was shouted, ‘Hold all lines.’ I reared back to hold my line. The big nylon line started getting smaller and smaller, then started to smoke. I said to myself, ‘That SOB is going to break and wipe us all out.’ Then the line jumped off the capstan. I let go, but I was straddling it. It caught me in the back of the calf and I did a one and a half gainer and landed on my elbows. The OD later said he wondered where I went. Jesse Owens was on #3 I believe. His line jumped off the cleat and bruised him. I was only bruised but had to walk on crutches for a few days. Later Captain Brooks said the OD (I can’t remember his name) ‘Couldn’t land a pickup truck.”

A number of shipmates from the USS SARGO distinguished themselves during this period as described in the following article taken from the MARE ISLAND GRAPEVINE of July 17, 1959:

MEN OF SARGO PROVE THEMSELVES TOP CALIBER Submariners Climb Ladder In Rate, Rank – Mare Island’s first N-sub SARGO, although in commission only since last October, has seen 85 per cent of her crew move upward in rank and rate or receive proficiency pay. RADM W. E. Ferrall, ComSubPac, has announced that SARGO, with nine successful candidates, took top spot in the Pacific Fleet ships in recent examination for chief petty officer mates. ELEVEN enlisted men are (or will be) Ensigns, four others Warrant officers, two accepted for OCS, four will attend four-year college programs and one is slated for NROTC. Two officers became Commanders and three others Lieutenant Commanders. Two CPOs were advanced to E9, and two others to E8 and 13 were rated CPO. A number of other men also made higher rates.

Courtesy The News Chronicle	Courtesy The News Chronicle
The photo above shows those selected for Chief rates; kneeling, from left: J. D. Mustard, QM1; W. J. Shenk, EN1; A. W. Drake, ICC; A. Pampel, ET1; standing: R. F. Crowley, EN1; V. L. Ray, CS1; J. P. McGinn, Jr., EM1; D. L. Robinson, TM1; one other no longer onboard.	The photo above shows 12 prospective officers to come from USS SARGO; front row, from left: E. M. Lovejoy, ETC; F. A. Munroe, III, ETC; T. Walker, ICC; R. Richard, EMC; G. D. Cordell, SOC; L. G. Niccum, YNC. back row: A. Pampel, ET1; L. B. Moore, EN1; P. S. Thompson, EN1; S. Goode, ET1; R. Foster, EN1; V. B. Paul, ET1.

Dean Van Leeuwen FT2(SS) (1958 – 1959) shared the following sea story: “The frame next to the Wire Guided Torpedo System – as we got close to test depth, how it would wiggle and then just before test depth it would slam against the ‘computer’ case. “When we went on that long cruise, Val Ray put out those egg shells during breakfast, but the eggs were always scrambled. He could do amazing things with the meat that came in those green cans. “Crossing the equator and Ray was the Royal Baby. “Stanley Kramer [sic] group coming onboard in Hawaii, and they used the Sargo as the mockup for the movie ‘On the Beach.’ We were supposed to go to Australia, but instead headed south for the meeting with the Royal Baby. “George Hackett’s cartoon of the ‘Wardroom Chicken’ which was all breasts, and the ‘Crews Chicken’ which was all legs, wings, and necks. “I came from the USS Barracuda, sometimes we had fresh water for showers, sometimes not, but on Sargo we had all kinds of fresh water. “I remember Leroy Ingles, how he was always calm, easy going, and confident. I am sorry that he passed away before I was able to talk to him again. “How Captain Brooks wanted to be the first to go ‘under’ the North Pole. During an ASW Exercise in Hawaii he sent a message to the ASW group, ‘raise your skirts ladies we are attacking from the south.’”

SARGO LEAVES MARE ISLAND

Courtesy Darryl Baker

The USS SARGO (SSN 583) departs Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 8 Sep 1959. [U.S. Navy Photo NY9 45799-9-59]

The SARGO departed Mare Island Naval Shipyard for the final time on 8 Sep 1959, to become a member of the Pacific Fleet in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Enroute to Hawaii the SARGO made a short visit to San Diego, California, where she was used to indoctrinate other submarine force personnel in the capabilities of nuclear submarines.

ALOHA SARGO - CHANGE OF HOME PORT

The SARGO arrived in Pearl Harbor, her new home port, on 01 October 1959 and immediately began local operations and began preparations for the 1960 Winter Arctic Exploration.

U.S. Naval Submarine Base's PATROL newsletter reported on SARGO's arrival (October 13, 1959 edition):

Courtesy The CSP PATROL	Courtesy The CSP PATROL
LATEST ARRIVAL - USS SARGO (SSN-583), second atomic submarine to be home-ported at Pearl Harbor, moors to Sierra ONE upon her arrival from San Diego. In the background is USS SWORDFISH (SSN-579), her sistership. Both submarines belong to SubDiv 71, first nuclear submarine division in the Pacific Fleet. Welcome and Aloha to Pearl.	WELCOMED ARRIVAL - Father arriving meant a big day for at least three members of the Albert Schildt family, but little Michael, right foreground, wasn't impressed. He sought the sanctuary of mother Elizabeth while his sisters Brenda and Cheri gave their daddy, a SARGO crewmember, a Hawaiian welcome. The nuclear submarine arrived on October1.

SARGO ARRIVES FOR DUTY The second nuclear powered submarine to be home-ported in Hawaii, USS SARGO (ssn-583), arrived at Pearl Harbor on Thursday, October 1st. She berthed at Sierra One at Submarine Base. Commissioned just one year ago on October 1st, 1958, SARGO is the first nuclear powered submarine to be built on the West Coast, and the fifth such vessel to be accepted by the U.S. Navy. The arrival of SARGO gives Pearl Harbor the second of four atomic vessels which will soon be operating from the Pacific bastion. The first was SWORDFISH (SSN-579), which arrived here July 29th. These two will be joined by the USS SEADRAGON (SSN-584) and the USS HALIBUT (SSGN-578), a nuclear powered guided missile submarine, sometime next year. These submarines will be the forerunners of a fleet of atomic warships planned to strengthen the Pacific Fleet. SARGO made a three-week visit to Hawaii in October, last year, conducting initial training in connection with her primary function of anti-submarine warfare. She then returned to Mare Island, California, for modifications. SARGO, like her sisters SKATE, SWORDFISH and SEADRAGON, is classified an "attack" submarine and measures 267 feet in length; considerably designed as a result of experience gained with the Nautilus water cooled reactor. Prior to reporting to Pearl Harbor for duty with Submarine Division 71, the first nuclear division in the Pacific, SARGO made a short visit to San Diego, California, where she was used to indoctrinate other submarine force personnel in the capabilities of nuclear submarines. SARGO was welcomed here by Rear Admiral William E. Ferrall, Commander of the Pacific Fleet Submarine Force, and many of his top ranking staff and squadron officers. Also on hand were many dependents of SARGO crewmembers already on the Islands. The nuclear submarine was commanded by CDR Daniel P. Brooks, but was relieved by LCDR John H. Nicholson the day SARGO arrived.

CHANGE OF COMMAND

On 01 October 1959 CDR John H. Nicholson relieved CDR Daniel P. Brooks as Commanding Officer.

Courtesy John H. Nicholson

VADM John H. Nicholson

VADM Nicholson remembers the time following the change of command: “When I took command of the Sargo from Comdr. Dan Brooks, my first big job was to ready Sargo for her Arctic cruise. We had only a few months to install special equipment, test it, and train the crew for the Arctic Operations. I'd been aboard Skate with Jim Calvert on her earlier trip to the Pole and had also studied the reports of Nautilus when Bill Anderson took her to the Pole via Bering Strait, so I knew some of the problems involved. But both Nautilus and Skate had made their Arctic cruises in the summer. It was thus imperative to know if our submarines could operate effectively in the strategically useful Arctic Ocean in mid-winter. And it was also imperative to see whether Sargo could be taken to the Pole via Bering Strait under the worst ice conditions.”

U.S. Naval Submarine Base's PATROL newsletter reported on the Change of Command (October 13, 1959 edition):

Courtesy The CSP PATROL

SARGO CHANGES SKIPPERS - In ceremonies aboard, LCDR J. H. Nicholson, assumes command of USS SARGO (SSN-583) at Sierra 1, Subase, relieving CDR D. P. Brooks, who commanded her since her commissioning in October 1958. CDR Brooks reports to the USS ENTERPRISE at Newport News, Virginia for duty.

LCDR NICHOLSON ASSUMES COMMAND Lieutenant Commander John H. Nicholson, who navigated the nuclear submarine USS SKATE during her historic 2,400 mile cruise beneath the Polar Ice Cap in August, last year, assumed command of the nuclear submarine USS SARGO (SSN-583) at Sierra ONE, Subase on Thursday, October 1st. He relieved Commander Daniel P. Brooks, who commanded the vessel since her commissioning in October, 1958, and who will now report to new duty fitting out the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise at Newport News, Virginia. The change of command ceremonies took place on board the vessel and were witnessed by Rear Admiral W. E. Ferrall, Commander Submarine Force, Pacific Fleet. The SARGO reported to her new home port of Pearl Harbor the same day (Oct. 1st) as the second atomic vessel to be assigned here. LCDR Nicholson, who in August relinquished command of the Pearl Harbor based submarine USS PICKEREL, accompanied the vessel during the voyage from Mare Island and San Diego, where she familiarized other submarine force personnel in the capabilities of nuclear submarines before sailing for Pearl Harbor. LCDR Nicholson resides with his family at 24 Wylie St. in Honolulu.