Pictured above: The lead boat of the Virginia class, USS Virginia (SSN-774). Image courtesy of Wikipedia.
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Richard Fife of the USS Idaho Commissioning Committee will discuss the new fast attack nuclear submarine, USS Idaho, currently under construction and scheduled for commissioning in 2023. The USS Idaho (SSN-799), a Virginia-class submarine, will be the fifth U.S. Navy vessel named for the state of Idaho.
The last time a ship was commissioned as USS Idaho was in 1919. The USS Idaho BB42 was a battleship that saw service in World War II and had a central role in the Battle of Iwo Jima. Fife will share the history of these ships named for our state, as well as Idaho’s rich Naval history that spans from Camp Farragut in Northern Idaho to Naval Reactors Facility at the Idaho National Lab.
This program will air on the Library’s Livestream page and will be archived for later on-demand viewing.
Richard Fife is a graduate of Wood River High School and the University of Idaho. He was commissioned through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) as an Ensign of the U.S. Navy. He entered submarine duty as a Strategic Warfare Systems Community officer and served on three ballistic missile submarines and one diesel-electric submarine. Following twenty years of service, he retired as a Lieutenant Commander on July 1, 1993. He lives in Olympia, Washington.
