Fleet Ballistic Missile Programs
Launch of an early Polaris missile
Fleet Ballistic Missile Programs
Launch of an early Polaris missile
| Change-of-command ceremony, 1972: My father becomes the Commanding Officer of the Naval Plant Representative Office at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company in Sunnyvale, California. LMSC was the prime contractor for the Polaris, Poseidon, and Trident submarine launched ballistic missiles. |
| Launch of a Poseidon missile. The missile that became known as the Poseidon was originally considered to be another in the Polaris series, but political pressures on national leaders to create "new" weapon systems led to its designation as the "new" Poseidon missile. |
| My father, on the left, presents the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Navy Commendation Medal to his executive officer, CDR Richard Stratton. CDR Stratton received these decorations in recognition of his heroism and leadership during nearly seven years as a POW held by the North Vietnamese. CDR Stratton was flying an A-4 Skyhawk in 1966 when he was forced down and captured. |
My father, CAPT William B. Abbott III, in the mid-1970s.
One of the first launches of the Trident missile.
My father (seated, left) signs contract papers for the first production Trident missile.
| The glowing traces of re-entry bodies from a submarine launched ballistic missile streaking through the atmosphere and through the clouds of a test range. These unarmed re-entry bodies were carried by a missile launched thousands of miles away, but each of them would carry a nuclear warhead in a live missile. The certainty of retaliation by submarine-launched missiles that are invulnerable to a first strike was, and still is, a cornerstone of America's strategic deterrent. My father devoted the majority of his Navy career to deterring nuclear war in the best way that he thought possible. Years later, he retains his belief in the importance of a submarine-based strategic deterrent, and I share that belief. |
The Legion of Merit
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Near his retirement, my father received the Legion of Merit decoration in recognition of his last three years of service as Commanding Officer of the Naval Plant Representative Office at Lockheed Missiles and Space Company. The following is an excerpt from the accompanying citation, which was signed by the Secretary of the Navy for the President of the United States: "As a result of Captain Abbott's brilliant command ability, professional skill, and enlightened management techniques, the Navy's strategic missile systems significantly enhanced the Nation's security. By his thorough understanding of requirements for successful program management, noteworthy achievement, and inspiring devotion to duty, Captain Abbott reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service." |
Copyright 2003, Ian E. Abbott
Photo credits: US Navy, William B. Abbott III, Lockheed Missiles and Space Corporation