NAVY DAY LUNCHEON, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1956, COMMERCIAL CLUB REMARKS OF E. W. LITTLEFIELD, PRESIDENT OF THE SAN FRANCISCO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: We are meeting today to honor one of the most powerful arms of defense of the mightiest nation on earth... An occasion worthy of serious contemplation and respect. Civic and business groups all over the country are saluting Navy Day this week, and I am proud that San Francisco has joined, with one of the most outstanding observances of them all. Our commemoration here is more than mere dutiful recognition of an accepted institution. It is a dynamic thing, an acknowledgement to the nation and the world of our gratitude for the United States Navy... for its courageous and talented men ... for a new era of world leadership to which we are flying on wings of great planes and sailing the decks of mighty ships, undreamed of a few short years ago. For today we are witnessing a transformation of our Navy unparalleled by any branch of the armed forces in any country of the world. Where a short time ago we had only steam-powered warships and conventional bombs and guns, today we have atomic powered submarines, nuclear missiles and fantastic new capabilities far beyond the imagination of most of us in this room. Scientists of our Navy are delving into the mysteries of space ... at the forefront of research and experimentation which in the very near future will make the dream of satellites a reality. Navy Day, 1956, is more than a commendation of the past, a blessing of the present ... it is a salute to the future. It is also our occasion for expressing heartfelt appreciation to one of the great citizens of our area, today's honored speaker. I'm referring, of course, to Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who, a short time ago at the conclusion of one of the most outstanding active naval careers of our time, selected the San Francisco Bay Area for his home, and joined our community with a great abundance of civic spirit and action. We salute, also, that venerable organization which year after year carries the responsibility of Navy Day throughout the countrythe Navy League of the United States, now numbering 16,000 members, more than a tenth of whom reside in our own 12th Naval Reserve District as members of 14 separate councils. We are proud of San Francisco's own councilfourth largest in the nation450 of our civilians dedicated to the continuing welfare of the Navy. Finally, we pay tribute to the Navy as the largest employer in the State of California, a substantial contributor to the dynamic economy of San Francisco. Today in the Bay Area are a dozen naval installations representing a total investment of more than five hundred million dollars ...