Museum

USS Bowfin's Story Lives On ...

The USS Bowfin Past and Present

USS Bowfin is fortunate that she did not end up as scrap metal or as target practice for another military ship. BOWFIN is one of only fifteen U.S. WWII submarines that survived this dreaded fate. Today, USS Bowfin Submarine Museum & Park, home to the historic USS Bowfin, is a reality because of the hard work and dedication of individuals from both the military and the civilian communities. Her story and the story of the U.S. Submarine Force, past and present, lives on ...

In early 1972, World War II submariner and Pearl Harbor survivor ADM Bernard A. "Chick" Clarey (CINCPACFLT) and RADM Paul L. Lacy (COMSUBPAC) approached the Secretary of the Navy about acquiring BOWFIN as a memorial to the U.S. Submarine Force at Pearl Harbor.

With the assistance of Hawaii Senator Daniel Inouye, the acquisition was secured. She was then towed to Pearl Harbor's Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility.
In 1978, a non-profit organization, the Pacific Fleet Submarine Memorial Association (PFSMA), was formed and chartered. On 3 August 1979, they formally acquired BOWFIN from the U.S. Navy. This acquisition was made possible through an act of Congress passed on 10 August 1956. This act authorized the Secretary of the Navy to transfer by gift or otherwise, on terms prescribed to him, any obsolete vessel of the Navy to any U.S. non-profit organization who would promise to restore and preserve the vessel at no cost to the U.S. government and its taxpayers. There were also other conditions that had be observed in accordance with receiving BOWFIN. One condition mandated that no part of the submarine may be activated for the purpose of nav igation or movement of the submarine under her own power. Another condition stipulated that BOWFIN must be maintained in a manner that would not be a discredit to the U.S. Navy or to the proud heritage of the submarine.

Later that month, the submarine was towed to Pier 39, near downtown Honolulu, where a group of volunteers from the civilian and military community alike, eagerly assisted in cleaning and restoring BOWFIN after years of neglect. The Dillingham Corporation did much of the preliminary restoration work as many Navy League members worked hard to secure the necessary funds to support the project. Meanwhile, PFSMA continued to search for a suitable permanent mooring site.
In December 1980, BOWFIN was moved to her present day location at Pearl Harbor, next to the Arizona Memorial Visitor Center -- a fitting location for the submarine that had been launched a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor and nicknamed "The Pearl Harbor Avenger." BOWFIN became the centerpiece of the new "Bowfin Park." On 1 April 1981, BOWFIN officially began her new career as a "museum ship," and welcomed her first visitors on board. By 1985, over one million visitors had walked on her decks, learning about what life was like for the submariners of WWII. In 1986, BOWFIN was named a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior.

bowfin model image In 1987, BOWFIN was dry-docked in preparation for her role in the ABC Circle Films miniseries, "War and Remembrance." She would portray three different submarines in the miniseries.

BOWFIN has also appeared in numerous televison productions for PBS, the History Channel, and the National Grographic Channel, as well as at least three episodes of the ABC series Lost. She was dry-docked again in 2004 with major hull work, and returned to her current mooring.

Go to Bowfin's War Patrols

Secrets of the Sub

Hawaii Themed Submarines

USS Kamehameha (SSBN-642) was launched on 16 January 1965 and commissioned on 10 December 1965. This submarine holds the name for King Kamehameha the Great. It is fitting that one of our submarines bear the name of this striking figure in Hawaiian history. His people were intrepid seafarers and knowledge of stars, winds and currents still arouse wonder and admiration. For much of USS Kamehameha's service, she was based in Rota, Spain conducting deterrence patrols during the Cold War. Commissioning gifts to the submarine are on display at the museum.

USS Honolulu

USS Honolulu (SSN-718), a Los Angeles-class submarine, was the third ship of the United States to be named for Honolulu, Hawaii. She was launched on 24 September 1983 and commissioned on 6 July 1985. Honolulu’s patrols are commemorated by ten surfboards signed by the crews aboard her at the time. One of the four surfboards held at Bowfin Park is on display in the museum.

USS Hawaii

The USS Hawaii (SSN 776) is the first commissioned vessel of its name. Launched June 17, 2006 and Commissioned May 5, 2007 she is fortunate to be homeported in her namesake state. The submarine was named to recognize the tremendous support the Navy has enjoyed from the people and state of Hawaii, and in honor of the rich heritage of submarines in the Pacific.

Hawaii is the third of the Virginia Class submarines. The Virginia-class of attack submarines surpasses the performance of any current projected threat submarine, ensuring U.S. undersea dominance well into the next century.

Bowfin Museum collections include models of all three submarines.