The nuclear submarine USS Scorpion sank May 22, 1968 on more than 10,000 feet of water about 400 miles southwest of the Azores. There were 99 men aboard the ship. Besides the nuclear reactor there were nuclear weapons aboard. Deep ocean radiological monitoring operations have been conducted periodically at the site and no evidence has been found of a release of radioactivity.

The Scorpion was last seen on May 17, 1968 when it arrived at the naval base at Rota, Spain to transfer two sailors ashore who had orders for emergency leave. Earlier in the day, the Scorpion received a top secret message to change course and head for the Canary Islands where a mysterious collection of Soviet ships had been spotted. One of these ships was a Soviet attack submarine. After dropping off her 2 sailors at Rota, the Scorpion headed out on her last mission.

While numerous theories have been presented as to the reason for the loss of the submarine, the US Navy still lists the cause as a equipment malfunction. An inspection of the ship showed that the hull could have been damaged by a torpedo. This damage could have been caused by a Soviet torpedo or one of the Scorpion's own torpedoes While the Scorpion thought it was operating in secret, the Russians knew its every move and its mission. The Soviets had been able to crack the ultra secret Navy codes. An American spy, John Walker, had provided the Soviets the ability to crack the codes.

The truth may never be known as to the cause of the sinking of the Scorpion, but the fact remains that it sunk and took with it 99 men. These sailors were casualties of the Cold War and deserve our recognition as such.

The Bismarck was a 41,673 ton battleship built in Hamburg, Germany. She was commissioned in August 1940 and spent the remainder of that year running trials and continuing her outfitting. The first months of 1941 were spent in sea trials in the Baltic Sea. She left the Baltic on May 19, 1941 enroute to the Atlantic. During her Atlantic cruise she was joined by the cruiser Prinz Eugen. On the morning of May 24, 1941 she encountered the British battle cruiser HMS Hood and battleship Prince of Wales. In the ensuing battle the Hood was sunk and the Prince of Wales seriously damaged. The Bismarck was also damaged and had to make for France for repairs.

Enroute to France the Bismarck was attacked by carrier planes and surface ships. She received a hit to her rudder and lost effective steerage. On the morning of May 27, 1941 British battleships and heavy cruisers intercepted the crippled ship and pounded her with shells and torpedoes. After less than two hours the Bismarck was reduced to a wreck, capsized and sank. Only 110 men from her complement of 2,300 crew members survived.

1 1960 US U2 Spy plane shot down over Russia

2 1945 German forces in Italy surrender

5 1961 1st American, Alan Shepard, launched into space

6 1942 General Jonathan Wainwright surrenders Correigidor

7 1942 Battle of the Coral Sea begins

8 1945 VE Day

9 1916 Mexican-American War begins

10 1775 Fort Ticonderoga captured by Americans

12 1975 SS Mayaquez seized by Cambodia

13 1943 German forces in Africa surrender

15 1975 Rescue mission for crew of Mayaquez conducted

19 1890 Ho Chi Minh born

23 1944 Allied forces break the line at Cassino, Italy

26 1907 John Wayne born

31 1433 Joan of Arc burned at the stake