Municipal League Meets Navy League

Eight years ago, the Navy League’s New Mexico Council initiated a statewide grassroots initiative to convince the Secretary of the Navy to name the next Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS NEW MEXICO.

The Council enlisted the support of mayors and city managers from New Mexico’s 100 cities, towns and villages. They wrote letters to the Secretary in support on the name. After five years of writing letters, gathering signatures on petitions, passing joint memorials in the state legislature and sending joint congressional letters, the good news came. The Honorable Gordon England selected NEW MEXICO as the name of the sixth VA-class submarine. In December 2004, he traveled to Albuquerque to announce his decision.

NEW MEXICO, still under construction, is scheduled to be commissioned in the latter half of 2009. Meanwhile, the New Mexico Council, through its USS New Mexico Commissioning Committee, continues to support the crew, hosting visits to the state and educating them about the many cultures and attributes of the Land of Enchantment. The Navy League is still promoting our namesake submarine to the citizens of New Mexico and is preparing for Christening and Commissioning ceremonies.

The Council had an exhibit booth at the 51 st annual New Mexico Municipal League conference in Clovis, NM in mid-August 2008. This 3-day conference was attended by 700 municipal officials – mayors, city managers, councilmen, public works directors, police chiefs, fire chiefs, city attorneys and city clerks. It was the perfect venue to thank New Mexico municipalities for their support and to raise awareness of this very special honor that has been bestowed upon the state. This is just one of many ways that the Council is educating New Mexicans about its namesake submarine and the important work of the Navy League. City and state government officials stopped by the Navy League booth and learned about the progress of construction and the promotional work that the Council’s Commissioning Committee had accomplished.

It was great exposure for USS NEW MEXICO, the Navy League and our Submarine Force. Antonio Apodaca, Mayor of Tucumcari, was thrilled to see copies of his letter on display. Members of the Carrizozo town council reread their letter dated April 2004. Tom Ortega, Mayor of Milan, asked for some photos. Aztec Mayor Sally Burbridge was delighted to learn that NEW MEXICO’s Junior Sailor of the Year hailed from her city.

This is the spirit that Secretary England saw in the many municipal letters that landed on his desk back in 2004. It is the sustained commitment and excitement that he knew would be there long after his decision. And four years later, it is the Navy League that is using this awesome submarine to inform New Mexicans about the vital role our Navy plays in preserving our freedom and protecting our nation.

USS NEW MEXICO Commissioning Committee Chairman Dick Brown
mans the New Mexico Council exhibit at the NM Municipal League Conference.
Photo by Emily Gonzales.