AUGUSTA, Maine — The ballistic missile submarine, the USS Maine, usually prowls the Pacific ocean, her nuclear missiles a massive deterrent to any country looking to harm the United States.
But the USS Maine has only made a single visit to the state she is named for — in 1995 when she was commissioned in Kittery.
The sub and her two crews call Bangor Base, Washington home.
This week, however, the commanding officer, chief of the boat, and three other USS Maine crew members have traded coasts and are visiting Maine to learn more about the state and the legacy that the submarine carries.
On Tuesday, the crew visited the Blaine House and the State House in Augusta, where they met Gov. Mills and saw a prized piece of the submarine’s legacy: part of the ornate silver service given to the USS Maine battleship by the state after that ill-fated ship first took to the sea.
The silver, with elaborate pine cones and needles decorating it, was on board the battleship when it exploded and sank in Havana Harbor, Cuba in February of 1898. The tragedy killed more than 200 U.S. sailors and propelled the U.S. into the Spanish-American War.
That history is part of the legacy of a Navy ship named for the state of Maine, and the submarine crew members said they were glad to be able to learn more about it — including the fact that the silver from the battleship was eventually salvaged and given to the state.
“I thought that was amazing, [and] I didn’t know we had recovered anything from the [USS] Maine,” Lt. Erin Chandler said, who serves on the submarine and said she enjoys learning about the history.
Chief of the Boat Logan Helwig, who is the top-ranking enlisted sailor on board the USS Maine, said the history also means a lot to him.
“A ship that everyone has heard the name [of], a lot of legacy there … to be part of that and carry that legacy is a great honor," Helwig said. "[I’m] very privileged to be here.”
Beneath a framed photo of the wreckage of the USS Maine battleship is the Blaine House guest book. Each of the sailors paused, looked at the photo, and signed their name.
The sailors had the chance to meet and talk briefly with Gov. Mills and toured the State House, seeing portraits of military leaders, like Joshua Chamberlain, and learning about how the state’s legislature does its work.
Commander Darren Gerhardt praised the crew of the submarine.
“[The USS] Maine is an excellent ship, both crews are phenomenal, we work well together, morale is the best I’ve seen of any crew I’ve been on,” Gerhardt said.
Gerhardt also said the visit is a reminder for all of them of the importance of their mission for Americans, like those in Maine. He said the events in the world in recent months show that the mission of the USS Maine is vital.
“For a long time at the end of the Cold War, there were a lot of questions of why do we still operate deterrent nuclear submarine[s]?" Gerhardt said. "And I think that importance has come slamming home this year.”
The war in Ukraine, as well as the other uncertainties in the world, Gerhardt said, point to the need for deterrents like the USS Maine.
“The weight of our mission is bearing on us, not any change in how we do business or the stress of what we do, but the daily importance of what we’re doing," Gerhardt added.
The crew enjoyed a lobster bake Tuesday afternoon and will visit other Maine locations, including the Maine Maritime Museum and Bath Iron Works later in the week.