USS Bremerton Crest

USS Bremerton Monument

Preserving the Legacy of SSN-698 & CA-130
Join us in developing a monument to the submarine, cruiser, their namesake city and the shipyard that cared for them

Author: jeremydetgen

  • Karl Jensen Joins BREMERTON Monument Team

    Karl Jensen Joins BREMERTON Monument Team

    We are pleased to announce that Karl Jensen, Commander, US Navy Supply Corps (Retired), has joined the BREMERTON Monument team. Karl served as the commissioning supply officer for submarine USS BREMERTON (SSN-698), beginning his distinguished naval service in 1980. Karl’s experience and dedication bring valuable insight and historical perspective to our efforts.

    Upon completion of Officer Candidate School, Supply Corps School and the Submarine Officer Basic Course in June 1980, Karl reported to the BREMERTON SSN-698 pre-commissioning unit at Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, CT, and served onboard through 1982. Major events during Karl’s tour onboard included offload and reload of all provisions and repair parts to repair defective welds in the forward compartment of the ship, hosting Admiral Rickover for Alpha sea trials, the ship’s first deployment to the North Arabian Sea with a port visit to Perth, Western Australia, and transit to her new home port in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. BREMERTON also made its first port visit to Bremerton, Washington, and participated in San Francisco Fleet Week 1982 during Karl’s service onboard.

  • Honoring Matt Ryan: Our First Commemorative Brick for a Cruiser BREMERTON Sailor

    Honoring Matt Ryan: Our First Commemorative Brick for a Cruiser BREMERTON Sailor

    The BREMERTON Monument team presented a display at theKitsap County Veterans Day celebration in Bremerton. We received our first brick order in honor of a former Cruiser BREMERTON crewmember.

    Thomas Matthew “Matt” Ryan passed away on June 18, 2024. A retired U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander, Matt served his first year of commissioned service in USS BREMERTON (CA-130). A 1956 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Ryan served 20 years as a line officer, qualified for command of World War II-era submarines, and earned the Navy Commendation Medal during the Vietnam era. His naval career remained a defining influence throughout his life, later inspiring one of his novels, One Hell of a Shipmate. After retiring from the Navy in 1976, he built a successful career in insurance and public service, including terms as a Kitsap County Commissioner and chairman of the county Republican Party. He was a lifelong learner and community leader and is survived by his wife of 60 years, four sons, and extended family. Matt’s son, Eric, purchased a brick in honor of his father.