Commissioning of USS Los Angeles (SSN-688)
Crewman FN C. N. Wells, USN, is congratulated by Supervisor Kenneth Hahn and Mayor Tom Bradley following the Commissioning Ceremonies.
The Commissioning Ceremony signifies the acceptance for service and entry of a ship into the active fleet of the United States Navy. At the moment of breaking the commissioning pennant, LOS ANGELES (SSN-688) became, as any proud ship of the line, USS LOS ANGELES (SSN-688).
The Commissioning Ceremony is a custom deep in tradition in the U.S. Navy since its earliest beginnings, for it marks the formal inception of a man-of-war into the Navy. It is the final and perhaps most significant event of the triad that brings a ship to life; from its keel laying, christening, and sea trials, to its commissioning; carring the ship from an idea to a reality.
The commissioning pennant has for centuries been the symbol of the man-of-war. Today, as the distinctive mark of a ship in commission, it is flown, except when displaced by the personal flag of an admiral or commodore embarked aboard the ship.
The origin of the commissioning pennant, like many of out traditions, can be traced to the British Navy. When the Dutch Admiral Van Tromp defeated the English Fleet in 1692, he cruised with a broom at his masthead to signify that he had swept his enemies from the sea. When fortune was reversed the following year, the British admiral hoisted a long streamer from his masthead to represent the lash of a whip, thus indicating that he had whipped his adversary off the water.
The modern commissioning ceremony is devoid of the ancient pagan rituals which were instituted to ward off evil spirits and seafaring denizens. We, as a professional Navy, have outgrown these primitive superstitions.
As technology increased the number of guns and other equipment topside, the length of the pennant was shortened. For many years, the pennant had thirteen stars, symbolic of the thirteen original colonies. In 1933, the seven star pennant became the standard. It continues to fly as the proud symbol of a ship serving in the cause of freedom.
When USS LOS ANGELES was commissioned, Navy officials, dignitaries and guests witnessed the breaking of her commissioning pennant, thereby witnessing the ship come to life. At that moment she became the responsibility of her Captain and Crew. From that day forward she assumed a unique personality and became infused with the will, spirit and the dedication of those who have served in her. USS LOS ANGELES also acquired a special international distinction; wherever she sails she projects the character of her nation and her namesake city and state in providing for its security and well-being.
In the early periods of our Navy's history no exact procedure for commissioning was prescribed. Thus, a ship's date of commissioning was recorded as any number of days: when the colors were first raised, when the officers and crew reported on board, when the first log entry was made, or when the ship first put out to sea. Throughout the years, however, one visable and significant manifestation of the commissioned ship has remained constant: active ships of the United States Navy, from the days of the handsome frigates under sail to the era of nuclear power, have proudly worn a commissioning pennant and the "Stars and Stripes."
Comming Soon
Commissioning of
USS LOS ANGELES (SSN-688)
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USS Los Angeles (SSN-688)
Ancestry of USS Los Angeles (SSN-688)
