Highlights of Dennis’ period of command were a visit to Annapolis and a six month deployment which included the protection of international shipping off the west coast of Africa.
Franklin H McKelvey - lost serving on subs in World War II
From Aug. 30 to Sept. 5, 2006. USS Annapolis visited its namesake city where it hosted tours of midshipmen, faculty and staff of the Naval Academy. “We actually came to Annapolis for two reasons,” said Annapolis Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Dennis J. McKelvey, “One being to visit the city we were named for and the other to give midshipmen exposure. We wanted them to see what life is like in the submarine community and encourage them to join the sub force after graduation.” Four Annapolis officers, including Dennis, were Naval Academy graduates.
On February 28, 2008 USS Annapolis returned to Naval Submarine Base New London after a regularly scheduled six-month deployment. On July 31, 2008, in a change of command ceremony at the Submarine Force Library and Museum in Groton, Cmdr. Dennis McKelvey turned over command to Cmdr. Mike Brunner. During Dennis’s term as commanding officer, Annapolis completed a modernisation period, and supported multiple fleet training and tactical developmental exercises, including two sets of submarine command course operations.
Under Dennis, Annapolis also completed a deployment to the European Command area of responsibility in support of African Partnership Station - an international effort to enhance regional and maritime safety and security in Western and Central Africa. During deployment she visited Rota, Spain; Toulon and Brest, France; Praia, Cape Verde; and Ghana. The Cape Verde visit marked the first visit to Africa outside the Mediterranean by a U.S. submarine.
"We were very excited to be the first U.S. sub to visit that region," said Cmdr. Dennis McKelvey, commanding officer of Annapolis. "The reaction from our hosts clearly showed how this is yet another example of the international community collaborating in creative ways to achieve common goals such as improved maritime safety and security."
"Annapolis did operations where their main batteries weren't MK-48 ADCAP torpedoes but their communication skills," said the guest speaker at the handover ceremony. Capt. Ken Perry, Executive Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations said, "In doing so, they greatly demonstrated our Navy's greatest core capability – our forward presence." With stealth, persistence, agility and firepower, fast-attack submarines like Annapolis are multi-mission capable – able to deploy and support special forces operations, disrupt and destroy an adversary's military and economic operations at sea, provide early strike from close proximity and ensure undersea superiority.
Prior to turning over command Dennis thanked the crew for their hard work and spoke of his greatest memories of command.
"The best thing about a commanding officer tour isn't the boat or the glory and power of command," he said. "It was the crew and the things that we did together. Those are the memories that I'll be taking from this boat and will be telling my grandchildren."
Dennis's next assignment was as the chief of staff and director of Submarine Developmental Squadron 12.
A native of Elizabeth, N.J., Brunner he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. His previous assignments include executive officer of USS Los Angeles (SSN 688) and Tomahawk Strike and Submarine Operations Officer on the staff of the John F. Kennedy Carrier Strike Group.
Nearly 60 U.S. submarines have been lost at sea, including 52 in World War II alone. Amongst those lost serving submarines are:
Franklin Hotchkiss McKelvey
d January 12, 1944. LTJG USS GRAYBACK (SS-208) Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet - 80 Men Lost. Posthumously awarded the Navy Unit Commendation
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