She's Gone! The Disappearance of USS Silversides

Dockside at the USS Silversides Submarine Museum

In my novel Descending From Duty, historic fleet submarine USS Silversides is taken from her museum berth in the Muskegon Channel by mercenaries for a nefarious reason. Ever since the submarine first arrived in Muskegon in 1987, the image of this historical vessel missing from her honored showplace has been realized only in my book.  Now, in a quixotic intersection of real-life fact and elements of my fiction, USS Silversides is truly gone. Whisked away by a pair of tugboats (exactly as depicted in my story) for a secret mission across Lake Michigan.

Well, not so secret actually.  She headed across the lake to Sturgin Bay for much-needed refurbishment, after which, she will return in October to Muskegon and be placed in dry dock. This will protect Silversides from the harsh environment of the Muskegon Channel and allow her to be on display for decades to come.

The USS Silversides Submarine Museum is still open, however, and has plenty of engaging exhibits and events to make a visit worthwhile even when the main attraction is temporarily absent. 

So, if you have read Descending From Duty and want to see what the dock would have looked like after Robert Bowman and Owen Keyes absconded with the submarine, head over to Muskegon and check out the museum.  If you haven’t read it, what are you waiting for?

Truth may not be stranger than fiction in this case, but it sure looks similar.

USS Silversides as she was since 1987.