by H.B. Auld, Jr.
The USS NAUTILUS (SSN 571) was launched 70 years ago today: January 21, 1954. Thus opened the beginning of the era of nuclear-powered sea vessels for the US Navy that stands today.
The NAUTILUS was launched from Groton, CT, where it was built and christened. It was commissioned the following September. During its 26-year career, it set records, made history, and sailed on sea-going missions only dreamed of before. The project to plan and build a nuclear propulsion power plant for a submarine was led by then-Captain Hyman G. Rickover, often called the “Father of the Nuclear Navy.” From then until later-Admiral Rickover retired, not a single naval officer entered the Nuclear Navy serving ashore, afloat, or in the Submarine Service without the express permission and approval of Admiral Rickover. Naval officers withstood a brutal interview process where one wrong misstep or word could eliminate them from nuclear consideration. Many young Ensigns who withstood and passed Admiral Rickover’s withering interview later went on to serve as four-star admirals themselves, some of them as the US Navy Chief of Operations.
…examples of the legendary application process….
The following stories are examples of the legendary application process to become a nuclear officer under Admiral Rickover. Real or apocryphal, they illustrate the difficulty in becoming a US Navy nuclear officer under Admiral Hyman G. Rickover:
ONE: Admiral Rickover invited a group of Ensigns to breakfast in his stateroom one morning. During breakfast, he observed one Ensign salting his eggs. He asked, “Ensign, how did you know those eggs needed salting?” “Sir,” the Ensign answered, “I assumed they needed salt; all eggs need seasoning.” “Ensign,” Admiral Rickover replied, “You are dismissed. I want no officer working for me who assumes anything.” With that, the Ensign immediately returned to the surface fleet.
TWO: Admiral Rickover, during an especially tough interview, asked an Ensign: “Son, I won’t have an officer working for me who loses his temper. I want you to make me mad. Go on, do it.” The Ensign walked over to a beautifully detailed wooden model of the USS CONSTITUTION sailing ship. He picked it up, admired it, then dashed it into hundreds of pieces on the floor at Admiral Rickover’s feet. The Admiral quietly stared daggers through the Ensign for several minutes while he pushed his own temper back down. When he knew he was composed, he quietly told the Ensign. “You passed. Now get out of my office!”
THREE: Admiral Rickover always kept a jar of hard candy on his desk. Whenever an interviewee would enter, Admiral Rickover would always genially offer the Ensign a piece of candy. Later, at the end of the interview, Admiral Rickover would again offer the same Ensign another piece of candy before his departure. It did not matter if the Ensign took a piece of candy or not. The admiral wanted to see if the Ensign would change his mind and take or refuse candy he had already taken or refused at the beginning of the interview. He wanted no Sailors in the nuclear program who would be indecisive and change their minds.
The latest nuclear-powered submarine is the Fast Attack Virginia-class submarine USS HYMAN G. RICKOVER (SSN 795), commissioned October 14, 2023.
hbauld's Weblog 
Rickover was still around when I was on nuke subs. I witnessed him firing one of our LTjgs once. We were in a drydock overhaul, reactor shut down cold iron with the reactor compartment door open. One of the overhaul requirements was to maintain a log of people entering/exiting the reactor compartment. Maintaining this log was responsibility of this LTjg. The LTjg had made several mistakes maintaining this log over the previous few weeks. It turned out Rickover personally reviewed this particular log.
One day while our CO was back in the engineering spaces, a messenger notified him there was a call for him in the wardroom. Our CO directed the messenger to have the person call back later. A few minutes later the messenger returned, telling our CO “Sir, Admiral Rickover doesn’t want to call back. He wants to talk to you now.”
Our CO moved rapidly to the wardroom and took the call. It was Rickover telling him the LTjg was relieved and terminated from the nuclear power program. Our LTjg was gone from the ship several days later.
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That sounds exactly like all of the other stories I heard about Admiral Rickover during my 22 years of US Navy active duty (08/30/1965 to 08/31/1987). Thank you for your personal remembrance of him and your comment here, Shipmate. I love this and all of the other stories about the “Father of the Nuclear Navy.” Fair Winds, Shipmate.
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