How I met Rickover
by David Barth
September 9, 1998
I was a member of the Blue Crew of the U.S.S. Lafayette, SSB(N) 616, the world's eleventh Polaris missile boat, and the first of a Class. The Blue Crew sailed the
boat for most of the sea trials, and we were told that Admiral Rickover would be riding on one particular trip. Our captain was Commander Hannifin, later to become
an Admiral. (Hannifin was a particularly charismatic officer.)
At the time, I was an E3. It was quiet in the Nav Center one evening while I was cleaning contacts on computer boards in the Burroughs computer, used for tracking
celestial objects, when I sensed someone watching over my shoulder. I turned to see a short man with a white shock of hair, wearing a gray business suit. I
recognized him immediately from photographs, the venerable Admiral Rickover, father of the Nuclear Navy.
I was too surprised to say anything, so, strictly speaking, I really didn't meet him, but it was a one-on-one encounter. I quickly turned back to my work, and when I
peeked over my shoulder a bit later, he had quietly gone. I never saw him again. The reason I recognized Rickover so easily is that our ships library had a book
about his life, and I had read it.