Richard Hamly, CAPT, USN (ret)

Dick Hamly was born in Orlando, Florida, on January 4, 1943 to Charles Dana Hamly and Evelyn (Cates) Hamly. He grew up in Coconut Grove, Florida, just south of Miami where he attended Coral Gables High School. During summers he worked in boat yards splicing wires, doing rigging work, and refinishing. His father, a boatswains mate, taught him the skills. He applied for, and was accepted, as a NROTC scholarship candidate.

Dick attended Tulane University in New Orleans and graduated in 1965 with a BS in physics. He was commissioned Ensign on June 9, 1965. That same month, he married Marilyn Idyll of Coral Gables and reported to Submarine School in Groton, CT. He completed this training in Class #131 in December 1965. He then attended Nuclear Power School at Mare Island, CA from January to July 1966. Prototype training followed at the AIW reactor facility in Idaho from July to December of 1966.

He was promoted to LTJG in December 1966 and reported aboard the USS JOHN C. CALHOUN (SSBN 630). For the next three and a half years, Dick rotated through many of the ship’s divisions and departments and was qualifed in submarines in April 1969. Captain Jewell awarded the dolphins and later that year, Dick was promoted to LT.

Detaching from the JCC in 1970, he reported to USS DRUM (SSN 677) undergoing new construction at Mare Island. The CALHOUN just happened to be undergoing overhaul in that very shipyard at that time. He was the first officer to report to DRUM and was fortunate enough to rider her down the ways. Dick served as the Main Propulsion Assistant (MPA) for the first year. In June 1971, he received orders to USS NEREUS (AS 17) in San Diego as Assistant Repair Officer and Assistant to the Commanding Officer on nuclear matters, as NEREUS was undergoing inactivation. This inactivation involved a very difficult decontamination of her nuclear discharge holding tanks. Dick then became Executive Officer of NEREUS during the ocean tow back to Mare Island for decommissioning.

From October 1971 to May 1973, Dick was assigned to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard as Ship Superintendent for several submarine overhauls and aas Senior Ship Superintendent for the new construction and testing of YFN-1238, floating nuclear decontamination facility. In April 1972, while at the Shipyard, he changed his designator from Line Officer to Engineering Duty Officer (EDO).

In May 1973, he was sent to graduate school at MIT. In August 1974, he was promoted to LCDR. Dick graduated in 1976 with a MS in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering and also earned a post-masters degree in Naval Architecture.

In July 1976, Dick reported to Naval Reactors Representative Office (NRRO) in Groton, CT where he served as Technical Assistant to the Naval Reactors Representative for the Groton area. The NRRO was the US Navy regulatory oversight arm of Admiral Rickover’s organization in Washington and was roughly equivalent to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for private industry reactors. While working at NRRO, Dick oversaw the overhaul of USS SKIPJACK and USS DANIEL WEBSTER. He also was involved in the new construction efforts of USS OMAHA. He also conducted oversight of reactor start-ups on USS NAUTILUS and the NR-1 at the Submarine Base in Groton. As part of this assignment, Dick was required to write a personal letter to Admiral Rickover every week as a status report.

March 1978 brought a transfer to Mare Island Naval Shipyard as Refueling Ship Superintendent for the last refueling overhaul of USS SEAWOLF (SSN 575). He was later assigned as Senior Ship Superintendent for the overhaul of USS SNOOK (SSN 592). After the SNOOK overhaul, he managed the Waterfront Engineering Support Group, Code 243, at Mare Island.

In May 1981, Dick was assigned to Naval Sea Systems Command to the program office for design and procurement of 688 class submarines, where he was assigned as Deputy Director for SSN 688 class design. In this assignment, he worked with private shipyards to resolve design issues. He was also involved in the design of the Improved Performance Machinery Plant (IPMP) ships and the Vertical Launch Tomahawk (VLS) back fit design effort. In 1983, he was transferred within NAVSEA to the office responsible for shock design where he served as Techinical Director of the 1983 shock test series off San Clemente Island, CA. During this testing, he was promoted to CDR. In 1984, Dick was assigned to the newly formed SEAWOLF (SSN 21) Program Office where he assisted with feasibility studies leading to the SEAWOLF design effort.

In Septemeber 1985, he was transferred to the Pentagon as Assistant to the CNO for Submarines, OP – 02, where he acted as Technical Representative for 688 design.

In September 1988, Dick was transferred back to NAVSEA where he managed design and development of the SEAWOLF propulsion turbines and reduction gears. During this tour, he was married to Gloria Page, as he and Marilyn had divorced in 1986. He then managed the design, development, and construction of the prototype SEAWOLF propulsor. In January 1991, he was promoted to Captain. In 1992 he was involved in NAVSEA office responsible for Ship’s Signature Codes, an area involved in stealth for naval ship design. He worked as Deputy Director there until his retirement in 1995.

After retirement, Dick went to work for Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), University of Washington, as a Senior Engineer. Dick worked at David Taylor Model Basin where he assisted in the development of special hull treatment for the VIRGINIA class submarines. In 2000, he was hired by Northrup Grumman Marine Systems in Sunnyvale, CA, as a Washington DC Representative for Propulsion Development. In this capacity, he worked on early phase of the DD 21 electric drive Integrated Power System design. In 2003, he left the DD 21 effort to assist in the development, testing, and production of the underwater launchers to enable the launch of Tomahawk cruise missiles from Trident submarines.

Dick is a member of the National Rifle Association, Brotherhood of St. Andrew, Sons of the American Revolution, Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, and the American Society of Naval Engineers.

Dick has a son living in Virginia. He also has a daughter, son – in – law, four grandchildren living in the Netherlands.