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In early August 1958, Mr. and Mrs. R. B. Patterson, of Bourbonnais, received a telegram from Commander William Anderson, captain of the USS Nautilus, the Navy’s first nuclear-powered submarine. The telegram informed the Pattersons that their son, Gary Lee, was a member of the Nautilus crew when it made an historic voyage under the North Pole.
Later in the month, the couple received a long letter from Gary Lee, detailing his experiences during the epic journey. The 21-year-old sailor, who held the rank of electronics technician Second Class, was a reactor operator in the vessel’s Reactor Control Division.
In the letter to his parents, Gary Lee Patterson wrote, “The data recorded here … should impress what life is like aboard a submarine, especially on this particular submarine, and principally on this particular trip. Including some of the problems and conditions we naturally expect and those we don’t expect, some of our operating experiences, and how I live and see life on a nuclear submarine.”
A major difference between the Nautilus and the fleet’s traditional diesel-electric submarines was the ability of the nuclear-powered vessel to remain submerged for very long periods of time. For underwater operation, the traditional subs were equipped with large batteries that had to be recharged by their diesel engines while running on the ocean surface. While the nuclear-powered sub could stay submerged for months, the underwater time for diesel-electric vessels was typically a day or two.
As a reactor operator, Gary Lee Patterson monitored the functioning of the Nautilus’ atomic power plant, which generated electricity to operate the ship’s engines. He was a member of the crew in August 1957, when the Nautilus made its first attempt to operate beneath the permanent ice pack at the top of the world. Unfavorable ice conditions, however, forced the vessel to turn back after traveling submerged for more than 1,300 miles.
Nautilus’ second attempt got under way from Seattle, Wash., in the early morning hours of June 9, 1958. “The entire crew had been expectant of a trip north to again go under the ice pack,” Patterson wrote. “When we reached the middle of Puget Sound, we began finding things out. The order was given to paint over our identifying numbers ‘571’ on the sail and bow. This sort of thing is done only during a war patrol or if a submarine is going where it doesn’t want to be identified if caught on the surface.
“We were all assembled below decks discussing the latest development, when the captain, Cmdr. William R. Anderson, told us what we had been hoping to hear. We were to proceed northwest to the Aleutian Island chain, through the Bering Straits, and go under the ice pack. This time to cross over the North Pole and surface on the other side. … It was pretty much a ‘hush-hush’ deal and had been planned as far back as January of this year.”
Patterson’s June 12 entry notes, “We are getting close to the Aleutians now. We have been steaming along at full speed since leaving Seattle and Nautilus is performing beautifully as she always does. … We have been completely submerged all the way.”
Four days later, on June 16, he wrote, “We are … approaching the Arctic basin. We have made a short surface run to ease navigation through ice floes.” He observed, on the following day, “We finally ran into ice that appeared impenetrable from the surface, so we dove under. … At approximately 11:30 p.m., we were in 27 fathoms of water, making 8 knots when we encountered an unusually large thickness of ice … the graph recorders indicated some 80 feet of ice overhead. … It was estimated that the ice cleared the sail [the sub’s conning tower] by 6 or 8 feet.”
The Nautilus’ captain, Comdr. Anderson, announced to the crew, “It has been my decision to turn around and try again when conditions are more favorable.” Patterson wrote, “I have never felt so let down in all my life,” but noted, “We believed in his decision and knew it was wise.”
After turning back south, the Nautilus was ordered to Pearl Harbor, the Navy’s major base in Hawaii, where it would spend four to eight weeks waiting for suitable conditions in the Arctic Sea. While the visit to Hawaii was welcomed by the ship’s crew, wrote Patterson, “going to Pearl created a problem. All of our operations the past two weeks were top secret and were to remain as such until the mission was accomplished. … We had to lock up all charts, books, graphs and logs pertaining to the trip before entering Pearl.
“The quartermasters made up a phony course from Seattle to Panama and we were to tell everyone that during our long endurance run to Panama, we were called and told to report to Pearl Harbor. Our [supposed] purpose there was to indoctrinate Pacific Fleet personnel in Nuclear Submarine Warfare and defense.”
After three weeks in Hawaii, the Nautilus once again headed for the open sea. “We were under way at 2000 [8 p.m.] to complete some unfinished business,” read Patterson’s entry for July 22. “The naval and civilian personnel swallowed our story hook, line and sinker. We were a bunch of liars, but it had to be that way. They are all under the impression that we are headed back to New London [Connecticut] via the Panama Canal.”
Cruising northward at 20 knots, the Nautilus reached the Aleutian Islands in four days, entering the Bering Sea on July 26. Three days later, Patterson wrote, “Our position is now approximately the same as the farthest point reached in June. We haven’t found any ice yet. According to our latest ice report, the pack has receded far to the north and our chances are good that we will hit deep water before running into any ice.”
At 8 a.m. on July 30, Patterson reported, “We encountered scattered chunks of ice….The main body of ice is still far ahead, exactly how far we don’t know. … It is estimated that we will spend approximately 5 days under the pack before reaching the other side.”
On Aug. 1, the Nautilus submerged and changed course “to due north, 000, and are heading up 155 W. Longitude. We call it Route 155 and will follow it all the way across to the other side. … Nothing but solid ice overhead with scattered polynyas (holes). The thickest … recorded to date is in the vicinity of 100 feet with an overall average of 10 to 12 feet in thickness …. The crew is in very high spirits knowing for sure now that we will make it.”
Patterson’s entry for 7:15 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 3, 1958, read, “We just crossed under the geographical North Pole at 600 feet and at flank speed. I have the watch in [the] maneuvering room now and am the Reactor Operator at the power panel. This will give me something extra to remember.”
In the early morning hours of Aug. 5, the Nautilus emerged from beneath the ice pack. “At 0544 (5:44 a.m.), we were under a very large open body of water and came to all stop. … A quick look through the [peri]scope indicated no ice and we surfaced in the Atlantic Ocean. … We immediately radioed CNO [the Chief of Naval Operations] our position and ‘Mission Accomplished.’”
“This ends a voyage that I will never forget,” wrote Gary Lee Patterson in the closing paragraph of his letter. “I have a love for this ship and the plant that propels it that cannot be surpassed by anyone on board. … Here’s to the best ship that ever went to sea!”
Under a New York dateline on Aug. 25, United Press International reported, “The submarine Nautilus came home to a hero‘s welcome today.” The submarine “sailed with its crew in triumphant procession through steady rain into a harbor festooned with spouting fireboats, whistling ferries, and helicopters.”
The Kankakee Daily Journal reported on the New York event with the headline, “Hero’s Welcome for Bourbonnais Youth.” The story noted, “Gary Lee Patterson of Bourbonnais, crewman aboard the USS Nautilus, was met in New York by his parents and his fiancée [Miss Betty Spaulding, of Bradley] when the famous atomic submarine docked at Brooklyn Navy Yard.”
Little is known about Gary Lee Patterson’s later life, but he apparently pursued a career in the U.S. Navy. Patterson died at age 64 on May 18, 2001, and is buried in Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery at San Diego, Calif. Carved on his tombstone are the letters ETCS(SS) and the words “U.S. NAVY.” The ETCS (SS) notation translates to his military rank, “Senior Chief Petty Officer, Electronics Technician, Submarine Service.” (Senior Chief Petty Officer is the second highest rank attainable by an enlisted member of the U.S. Navy.)
https://daily-journal.com/news/klasey-a-north-pole-letter/article_69910920-c921-11ef-91a2-8b225ecef31a.html