WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Tammy Baldwin and Ron Johnson are teaming up to show a little Wisconsin pride and honor the state's historical connection with the United States Navy.
The pair introduced a Senate Resolution expressing the sense of Congress that the Secretary of the Navy should name one of the next available Virginia (SSN-774) class submarines the “U.S.S. Wisconsin.”
“Our shipbuilding industry and its skilled workers have helped sustain America’s security for generations, boasting a successful history of building ships for our nation’s defense,” said Senator Baldwin in a press release. “A new U.S. Navy submarine bearing the Wisconsin name will honor both our proud shipbuilding tradition and the men and women of our state who have worked hard to support this new class of ships.”
“From the two dozen submarines built in Wisconsin during World War II to the thousands of Wisconsinites actively serving, naming a new Virginia-class submarine after our state would be a fitting tribute to Wisconsin’s proud and deep naval history,” said Senator Johnson in the release.
The state's naval connection runs deep. In the 1940’s, the city of Manitowoc produced 28 diesel-powered submarines, including 25 which were deployed during WWII. Most recently, workers in Marinette have completed 10 Littoral Combat Ships for the U.S. Navy, with another six ships under construction, and the Marinette shipyard was recently awarded the contract for the Navy’s new frigate program. This legacy of shipbuilding in Wisconsin is a testament to the strong ties between the state and the U.S. Navy.
The last Navy vessel to bear the name the U.S.S. Wisconsin (BB 64) served in every major U.S. conflict after it was launched in 1944 until it was decommissioned in 1991. Since then, no U.S. Naval vessel has carried the Wisconsin name.
