On March 17, 1959, the U.S.S. Skate, a nuclear submarine, broke through the dense ice of the North Pole. Moments later, a group of submariners stepped from the vessel, one of them carrying an urn containing human ashes. They bowed their heads in the howling wind as their commander recited a prayer:
“On this day we pay humble tribute to one of the great men of our century. His indomitable will, his adventurous spirit, his simplicity, and his courage have all set high marks for those of us who follow him. He spent his life in the noblest of callings, the attempt to broaden the horizons of the minds of men.” The urn was opened, the ashes sprinkled into the air, and “the rifles cracked three times in a last salute.”
