Inflatable submarine marks USS Wisconsin Day on Milwaukee lakefront

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- A 50-foot inflatable submarine replica appeared on Milwaukee's lakefront Thursday, Aug. 27 as part of a ceremony marking USS Wisconsin Day at the War Memorial Beer Garden.

The replica represents the future USS Wisconsin (SSBN 827), the second submarine in the Navy's new Columbia-class fleet of ballistic missile submarines. The vessel is being built in Connecticut, with parts sourced from about 9,000 companies across the country, including more than 300 in Wisconsin, according to the USS Wisconsin SSBN 827 Association.

The day included a color guard from the Navy Junior ROTC and a proclamation from the governor's office.

Wisconsin's naval heritage includes more than 65 Navy ships named for the state, its communities and its people. During World War II, Manitowoc Shipbuilding Company built 28 submarines for the Navy.

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