NAVY-1920-Logo_pos_alpha_20180521-NEW

Photo Memories

The following photographs have been donated by Officers, Crew and people interested in maintaining the memory of the USS Holland AS-32

Interior pictures of the ship are rare as the Navy frowned on pictures taken inside a nuclear ballistic missile tender which also had a hold for storing missiles. These pictures are the first intensive look inside the ship and were forwarded to the USS Holland Association for their records. This is the Navigation Bridge with Captain’s chair in back left corner

AS-32, USS Holland, launched 19 January 1963. Submarine tender designed to service the Fleet Ballistic Missile and Fast Attack submarines while in their theater of operation. The Holland would spend her life in Rota, Spain; Holy Loch, Scotland; Charleston, South Carolina and Apra Harbor, Guam. With the advent of the Trident missile she was no longer needed to service subs near their patrol stations and so she was decommissioned 30 September, 1996.

Suisun Bay Fleet Reserve Center

Benicia, California

The pictures below were submitted by Michael McDermott. Michael has been kind enough to take and share with us more than 200 pictures of Holland – both outside and more importantly – inside – as pictures inside the ship aren’t very common. As fast as MARAD has been sending ships to the scrap yards lately – this was an opportunity that might not come along again – and we’re very grateful to Michael for his efforts on behalf of sailors he has never met – nor is he likely too – just a very generous gift from one sailor to many more! Thanks Michael – we salute you!

More Images of the USS Holland
Stored in Row K at the MARAD Reserve Fleet. She is second from the right
Holland
AS-32_002
Row_L
Exterior_005
Exterior_006
Exterior_003
Exterior_001
Exterior_004
Exterior_002
Bridge_001
Foredeck_01
Ext_Starboard_01
Ext_Starboard_02
Ext_Starboard_03
Bridge_002
Top_deck_radar
Signal_flags
Foredeck_02
Stern_440V_01
Holland_086
Holland_085
Nav_bridge_01
Bridge_003
Bridge_004
Helm
Click to Enlarge

USS Holland (AS-32)

She was a key contributor along with Irish, British and other naval ships in the rescue of racing yachts caught in severe storm during the 1979 Fastnet Race.

A worse-than-expected storm on the third day of the race wreaked havoc on over 303 yachts that started the biennial race, resulting in 19 fatalities (15 yachtsmen and four spectators). Emergency services, naval forces, and civilian vessels from around the west side of the English Channel were summoned to aid what became the largest ever rescue operation in peace-time. This involved some 4,000 people, including the entire Irish Naval Service’s fleet, lifeboats, commercial boats, and helicopters.

1440px-Fastnet_Race_1979 (1)
Memorial to those who died in the 1979 Fastnet Race, Lissarnona, Cape Clear Island, Cork, Ireland

Our reunions are quality time

We are currently looking for photos from any of the reunions below.

Click here to email us any images
2004 Corpus Christi, TX 2005 Charleston, S.C 2006 Ft.Mitchell, KY
2007 San Antonio, TX 2008 Caribbean Cruise 2009 Concord, CA
2010 Jacksonville, FL 2011 Branson, MO 2012 Seattle, WA.
2013 Holy Loch,Scotland 2014 Virginia Beach,VA 2015 St. Louis, MO
2016 Laughlin, NV 2017 Harrisburg, PA 2018 Knoxville, TN
2019 San Diego, CA 2020 CANCELED 2022 PENDING

Copyright © 2020 USS Holland AS-32

Scroll to Top
Scroll to Top

USS Holland AS-32

Welcome Aboard

The Holland has seen many of ports in her time of service. At reunions shipmates remember the good times and try to forget some of the bad times that we all had at one point in our Holland life. Even though we all come from different time era’s there is one common bond that unite us together and that is the ship its self. The making of news friends is very exciting for me and I’m sure for everyone else. I always tell shipmates that I make contact with from time to time that we are a Family, it does not matter if your “Young or Old”, and from the different time era’s. We all have but the memory of the ship engraved in our hearts and our mind forever. Until the Lord calls us home or we have become senile. Again this website is dedicated to You. If you are a former Holland crew member please sign our guest book/ Deck log. From time to time we sent out e-mail to all about important issues, news, reunions. Also It is used as a message board for those who are searching for those old long but not forgotten shipmate’s.
As soon as you fill out the Deck log , We will respond back to you with an e-mail asking for some other information that is not asked on the Deck log.(mailing address, etc) So we ask that you kindly return it fill out. It is of importance to us all. Thank you for coming aboard and we hope you will enjoy your Tour on the website. Fair Horizons Ahead !
Smooth Sailing & Fair Winds

Third Launch

The third Holland was launched by Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, Mississippi, 19 January 1963; sponsored by Mrs. John C. Stenuis, wife of U.S. Senator from the State of Mississippi; delivered to the Charleston Naval Shipyard, Charleston, South Carolina; and commissioned 7 September 1963, Captain Charles W. Styer, Jr., in command. Holland departed Charleston on 14 October for shakedown training at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, returning to Charleston on 19 November. She commenced post-shakedown availability on 25 November. While Holland was neither a submersible nor a combatant ship, she was a vital link in support of United States’s first line of deterrance —the Navy’s Polaris Weapons System. She was capable of making any submarine repair other than major overhaul, including servicing and maintaining the nuclear power plants of Polaris-firing submarines. The opening of 1964 found Holland at Charleston, South Carolina, making preparations for deployment to the Polaris replenishment anchorage at Rota, Spain. She arrived Rota 1 April and relieved Proteus (AS-19) as the FBM submarine tender shortly thereafter. Holland continued her vital service to the Polaris submarines until relieved 4 November 1966. Holland arrived Charleston 22 November. There she tended submarines of the Atlantic Fleet into 1967. The Holland was decommissioned on April 13, 1996, in Apra Harbor, Guam, a few years after the Cold War officially ended. There was a State side decommissioning ceremony in Bremerton, WA on 30 September 1996. During her thirty-three years of active duty, the USS Holland AS-32 serviced Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarines (SSBN) and Fast Attack Submarine (SSN) in both Atlantic and Pacific and ended her career as the only US navy Tender, submarine or surface, in WestPac (Western Pacific). She is currently laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet at Suisun bay, Benicia, California waiting for final disposition .