For the first forty years the U.S. submarine program lacked direction and a clear mission. This changed with the advent of the fleet boat which coincided with World War II. Bigger, more powerful, and faster than most of the classes before it, the Gato class positioned the Silent Service for greatness. A Century of Silent Service examines the exploits of daring submarine captains and crews. Highlights include the remarkable accomplishments of commerce raiding, penetrating harbors, and rescuing pilots such as President George Bush (interviewed in the program). As WWII ended it appeared the submarine had found its role in the U.S. Navy. That would soon change when one diminutive man with colossal vision would advance submarines into the atomic age. Capt. Hyman Rickover proposed building a nuclear reactor--itself very new technology--into a submarine. The result would produce a vessel that could remain submerged almost indefinitely and travel underwater at record speeds. Once again, a new class of submarine would be created in time for a new war, the Cold War.