You don’t expect to see a nuclear submarine parked in someone’s driveway when you’re cruising through Murray—but that’s exactly what’ll stop you in your tracks on a quiet residential street just off 5600 South.

There it was: a striking mock-up of a nuclear submarine, painted black and proudly displaying the name “USS Utah,” perched atop a parade float trailer. And beside it, beaming under the summer sun, stood Lee Drake—the man who brought this unlikely sight to life.

At 94, Drake has proven that if the mountains won’t go to the ocean, sometimes the ocean comes to the mountains—or at least to his driveway.

A Submariner for Life

Born in West Jordan and a Murray resident for decades, Drake enlisted in the Navy during the Korean War. In 1951, he qualified as a submariner on the USS Perch—earning the treasured “dolphins” insignia that marks him forever part of the Navy’s silent service. He went on to serve on the USS Kennebec as an Engineman 3rd Class, but it was life under the waves that stayed in his heart.

After the war, Drake came home to raise four kids with his wife Janet. He built a life here, but never let go of the bonds of brotherhood forged deep below the ocean’s surface.

Building a Tribute

Years later, he joined the USS Harder Base—Utah’s chapter of the U.S. Submarine Veterans— named after the heroic WWII sub lost with all 79 hands. He helped lead annual memorials at Camp Williams, ringing a bell once for each submariner “on eternal patrol.”

Still, he felt Utah needed a living tribute that people could see, touch—and question.

So, out came the saws and paintbrushes. In his own driveway, Drake and his veteran buddies built a stunning parade float: a replica of a Virginia class submarine mounted on a trailer, complete with hatches, periscope, and markings for the new USS Utah—the nuclear attack sub now under construction.

“When kids see it, they ask questions,” Drake said with a grin. “They learn there’s a piece of the Navy that lives on in Utah.”

This summer, that piece of the Navy comes to life like never before.

Sailors on Board

When Drake’s submarine float rolled through the Murray Fun Days Parade and the Days of ’47 Parade this past July, it wasn’t just veterans riding up top—it carried active-duty sailors from the future USS Utah (SSN801 – yes, Utah’s first area code).

These young crew members, currently training in Groton, Connecticut, will join Drake to represent Utah’s long-awaited return to the submarine fleet. It’s a rare sight: future submariners connecting with the communities whose name they carry on their hull.

Drake’s float appeared only at these two parades—right here in Murray and downtown Salt Lake City. He hopes it sparks pride in everyone who lines the streets, from the kids waving flags to the grandparents who remember Utah’s last battleship lost at Pearl Harbor.

A Dream Surfacing

For Drake, this is more than a summer project—it’s the culmination of a dream. After decades without a namesake sub, the Navy’s newest Virginia-class submarine, the USS Utah, will be christened this October. Drake, who once stood watch in cramped diesel boats, will travel east as an honorary member of the USS Utah Christening Committee.

He won’t make a speech—that’s not his way. But when the bottle breaks across the bow and the sleek nuclear boat slides into the Atlantic, Drake says he’ll be thinking about all the Utah sailors who wore dolphins before him—and all the young men and women who will wear them after.

“It’s come full circle,” he said, resting his hand on the side of his trailer float. “A kid from Utah serving on a sub, and now Utah has one of her own again. And she’ll be ready to protect our country long after I’m gone.”

To learn more about the USS Harder Base or how you can support the USS Utah Commissioning Committee, visit USSVI.org or uss-utah.org.

The USS Utah will be christened in October. (Shaun Delliskave/City Journals)