USS DRUM AT MARE ISLAND

Congress has authorized the Mare Island Historic Park Foundation and the City of Vallejo to return USS DRUM, (SSN 677) to MARE ISLAND where she will become a museum at the Shipyard where she was built. DRUM witt be the only Cold War front line Sturgeon Class Nuclear Submarine to be placed on public display.

(Editor’s Note: Preparations are underway to place NARWHAL on exhibit in Newport, Kentucky as part of the National Submarine Science Discovery Center. NARWHAL was not a Sturgeon class, but was a one-of-a-kind prototype for a natural circulation reactor. See THE SUBMARINE REVIEW of January 2004, page 92).

Now it is critical that we all invest in the process required by the Navy before USS DRUM can make the journey from the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton, Washington.

Much work has been done to prepare for the coming of DRUM to the place where she was built in 1970. DRUM was the last of 513 ships to be built at the yard founded by David Glasgow Farragut in 1854. The Foundation has in place long-term agreements to use berthing space at the Mare Island waterfront. Plans include final placement in the Historic Drydock No. I, opened in 1891 after 17 years of construction.

USS DRUM will be the centerpiece of the National Historic Landmark established in 1975 to honor Mare Island’s illustrious history in the service of our country. Mare Island will celebrate it’s I 50th birthday in September 2004.

The investment in the DRUM project will bring many thousands of tourists to restore the economy lost when the Shipyard closed in 1996. A highly experienced consulting firm, Economic Research Associates, has confirmed these projections in a report about the DRUM display project.

DRUM will join the Historic Landmark properties managed by the Foundation. These include the 190 l St. Peter’s Chapel with it’s 29 Tiffany Stained Glass windows, the Shipyard Commander’s Mansion , the 1855, 50,000 sq. ft. Artifacts Museum, and the huge Mare Island collection.

There is only limited time to raise the needed funds. We must not miss out on the opportunity to save DRUM from the cutting torch. This historic submarine represents a very important era in our Country’s history. The display will honor the submariners of the cold war, and the Shipyard employees who toiled to make her. Your generous donation or multiyear pledge will assure the success of the long efforts of all the donors and volunteers.

The address is:
Mare Island Historic Park Foundation
328 Seawind Drive
Vallejo, California 94590