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Bruce Harvey-Family
to remember
Harvey, John Wesley, LCDR.
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Contact Info
Last Address Philadelphia, PA
Date of Passing Apr 10, 1963
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
Last Known Activity:
Commanding Officer of USS THRESHER (SSN-593)
Most likely cause of the sinking was a failure in either a pipe, a pipe valve, or a hull weld, causing flooding near the engine room
Other Comments:
Lieutenant Commander Harvey took command of the nuclear-powered attack submarine Thresher (SSN-593) on January 18, 1963, while she was in the shipyard for overhaul. He took his "boat" to sea for the first time for post-overhaul trials. On 10 April 1963, Lieutenant Commander John W. Harvey lost his life when Thresher accidently sank during diving tests.
Operation Sunshine (North Pole)
From Month/Year
June / 1958
To Month/Year
June / 1958
Description Operation Sunshine was a scientific expedition conducted by the U.S. Navy in the summer of 1958. A crew of just over 100 sailors piloted the USS Nautilus (SSN-571) under the North Pole. The Nautilus was chosen for the mission because its nuclear reactor allowed it to remain submerged longer than a conventional submarine. The mission was completed successfully on August 3, 1958 when the Nautilus and her crew crossed under the North Pole.
Vanguard
The Cold War acted partially as a technology race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Not only was there tension over nuclear weapons, but the two countries were entering into the space race during the late 1950s. Russia was celebrating the successful launch of their Sputnik I satellite into orbit in October 1957. Shortly after, the U.S. attempted to launch their Vanguard I satellite, which exploded before taking off.
The issue was not just that the U.S. was behind the Soviets in terms of rocket power, but it was that the American public was aware of it. There was concern that the Russians would be able to use the same rockets that propelled Sputnik, to launch nuclear missiles at the U.S.. So not only was President Eisenhower having to work with his scientists to better the Soviets' technology but he also had the responsibility of maintaining stability with the people. What Eisenhower needed was something to show America and the rest of the world that the U.S. government was ahead of the Soviets technologically. Their answer for that was to take the two areas where they were ahead of the Soviets (submarines and nuclear weapons) and combine them.
Nautilus
The Nautilus was the first nuclear submarine built by the U.S.. It was designed by Admiral Hyman G. Rickover. Rickover had the hull of the boat built at the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut while the reactor was built and tested in Idaho. What made it different from those built during WWII was that it was not designed to be a warship but rather as a symbol for peaceful nuclear energy.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
June / 1958
To Month/Year
June / 1958
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
Memories On June 9, 1958, NAUTILUS departed Seattle under TOP SECRET orders to conduct Operation SUNSHINE, the first crossing of the North Pole by a ship. NAUTILUS passed through the Aleutian Island chain and transitted the Bearing Sea. On June 17, the ship entered the shallow Chukchi Sea, but was forced to turn back to Pearl Harbor due to a combination of deep ship draft and shallow water.
she began her history-making polar transit, operation "Sunshine," as she departed the latter port 9 June. On 19 June she entered the Chukchi Sea, but was turned back by deep draft ice in those shallow waters. On 28 June she arrived at Pearl Harbor to await better ice conditions.
