Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

ENGINEERING COLLOQUIUM

Monday, Feburary 9, 2004 / 3:30 PM, Building 3 Auditorium

Paul Rice

"The US Navy's First Submarine"

ABSTRACT -- After reading about the epic battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac off Hampton Roads, John Philip Holland reasoned that the days of the wooden warship would soon end and with it, Ireland's hope of standing up to the British Navy. Taking the concept of the Monitor to the extreme, he wondered if a ship could be built that would go completely under water. So began, Holland's 38-year quest, which ended with the commissioning of the USS Holland - the first submarine in the US Navy.

SPEAKER -- Paul Rice is currently serving on active duty in the United States Navy and is stationed at Navy Submarine Torpedo Facility Yorktown Virginia. A twenty-year veteran he has served on four Fast Attack Submarines (USS Finback SSN 670, USS Silversides SSN 670, USS Sunfish SSN 649, and USS Narwhal SSN 671) and one Aircraft Carrier (USS George Washington CVN 73). He has made numerous deployments include surfacing at the North Pole and circumnavigating the American continent on the USS Silversides and has participated in Operations Just Cause, Uphold Democracy, Sharp Guard and Noble Eagle.

In 2000 Petty Officer Rice was approached with the idea of creating John Holland in the Chautauqua format for public affairs celebrating the centennial of the United States Submarine force. He has since made presentations to area schools, museums, veterans groups and civic organizations. Petty Officer Rice has received accommodations from Submarine Veterans of WWII and United States Submarine Veterans Incorporated for his efforts in preserving the history of the submarine force.

FT1 Rice has earned the Submarine Warfare insignia and has been awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with two gold stars, the Good conduct Medal with four bronze stars, Expeditionary Medal, and Expert Rifleman Medal. He is also authorized to wear the Navy Unit Commendation, Meritorious Unit Commendation, Battle Efficiency (x3), Joint Forces Expeditionary, NATO Expeditionary, Sea Service with bronze star and Arctic Sea Service.

He is married to the former Ellen Scheidegger and has four stepchildren and one grandchild.