KITTERY, Maine - The Navy said farewell Friday to the USS Miami, the nuclear-powered submarine whose service was cut short when a shipyard employee trying to get out of work set it on fire, causing $700 million in damage.
The deactivation ceremony at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard marked the beginning of an inglorious end: Next year, the submarine will be towed to the West Coast to be cut up for scrap metal.
Rear Adm. Ken Perry, commander of the submarine Group Two in Groton, Conn., where the sub was based, acknowledged the disappointment about its premature retirement but told the crowd they were there to celebrate Miami and its crew members.
Seeking an excuse to leave work early, Casey James Fury set fire to a box of rags on a bunk in May 2012, and the blaze quickly spread throughout the forward compartments. Fury pleaded guilty and is serving a 17-year sentence in federal prison.
Front Section, Pages 3 on 03/29/2014