A Shipyard Tragedy Almost Fifty Years Ago

Navy officials continue to investigate the massive fire at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

The blaze caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to the USS Miami nuclear submarine, which had come to Portsmouth for an overhaul.

For longtime Seacoast residents, the accident brings to mind the tragedy of the USS Thresher, a nuclear sub based in Portsmouth. Nearly a half century ago, the Thresher sank several hundred miles off the East Coast; all of its 129 crew members died.

D. Allan Kerr is writing a series of articles about the USS Thresher for Seacoast Online. He tells All Things Considered host Brady Carlson about the sub and an effort to build a USS Thresher memorial in Kittery, Maine.