The Keel Laying Ceremony for COLORADO (SSN 788) was held on Saturday March 7 at General Dynamics Electric Boat Quonset facility in North Kingston, RI. It was a great event! A number of speakers paid tribute to the hard work and dedication of the shipbuilders of Electric Boat and Newport News as well as the officers and crew of COLORADO. The ship’s sponsor Annie Mabus was introduced by her father, Ray Mabus Secretary of the Navy. She gave a heartfelt speech expressing her gratitude and appreciation for the honor and her happiness at being part of the Navy family. There were a number of attendees from Colorado. Secretary of State Wayne Williams was the official representative from the state and presented a state flag to the Commanding Officer, CDR Ken Franklin.

Also in attendance from Colorado were former State Senator Bernie Herpin and former State Representative Spence Swalm, co-sponsors of the USS Colorado License Plate Bill, Jared and Jonathan Veteto, owners of Cogitic, a submarine parts manufacturer in Colorado Springs and sponsors of the Ship’s Crest Design Contest, Committee member Dana Plewka of the Denver Post and Committee Chair JJ Mackin.

We will post pictures as we receive them from Electric Boat.The New London Day posted several pictures of the ceremony as well as an article about the event. Navy.mil has posted a picture and Electric Boat has an online video of the ceremony.

Pictures of the program for the Keel Laying are below.

 Click here to see more pictures from the Keel Laying Ceremony

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On Saturday February 7^th, Committee Chair JJ Mackin spoke to the local chapter of the Naval Sea Cadets about USS Colorado (SSN 788) at the Naval Reserve Center at Buckley AFB. The formal name of the Reserve Center is Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC). The center houses a display about USS Colorado (BB 45) which saw service in World War II. There are several display cases containing items and information about the ship. Here are some pictures.

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On January 30^th Colorado held the annual Military Appreciation Day at the State Capitol. After speeches by the Governor and Adjutant General, a Joint Assembly of the state legislature paid honor to veterans and active duty military. USS Colorado Committee had a display table at the event. Committee members JJ Mackin and Dan Puleio passed our brochures about the boat and fielded questions from interested attendees.[Not a valid template]

The President of General Dynamics Electric Boat has scheduled the Keel Laying ceremony for COLORADO (SSN 788) for March 7^th at their Quonset Point Facility in North Kingston, R. I. The ship’s sponsor Annie Mabus will lay the keel. The Keel Laying Ceremony symbolizes the point where the ship begins the transition from concept to reality. In the ceremony pieces of steel are ceremonially welded together and authenticated with the initials of the sponsor.

It has recently been brought to our attention that some Junior Division entries have been returned by the Post Office as an “unknown address”. While we are investigating this with the Post Office, I suspect It is due to addressing this to the Design Contest instead of the Committee. Therefore any Junior Division entries should be mailed to:

USS Colorado (SSN 788) Committee
P. O. Box 630463
Littleton, CO 80163-0463