MOUNT PLEASANT-While the Cold War Submarine Memorial at Patriot's Point will serve as a static display of naval history for generations to come, Friday's official dedication was marked by plenty of living history.

Among the dignitaries was Retired Admiral James B. Osborn, who led the historic voyage of the first ballistic missile submarine patrol when he and his crew sailed out of Charleston on the submarine George Washington on Nov. 5, 1960.

Besides Osborn, the VIPs of the afternoon were the men who served on those submarines during the 40 years of the Cold War.

Dozens of submariners from the Charleston area and those who served on the submarine Lewis & Clark, whose sail was used in the memorial, attended Friday's chilly ceremony and shared stories when it was done.

The dedication of Patriot's Point's newest feature came after five trying years of fund-raising, planning and actual construction of the monument by The Cold War Submarine Memorial Foundation.

"It's been a long time coming," said retired Vice Admiral Albert Baciocco Jr., foundation chairman. "Once or twice in the last five years, I didn't know if we were going to see this day."

The final cost of the memorial, Baciocco said later, came in at about $1.2 million, which included the donation of in-kind services. "People in Charleston were very generous."

Many of the submariners interviewed after the ceremony said they are proud of the monument and were glad it was on the banks of Charleston Harbor.

Rep. Henry Brown, R-S.C., said "there is no more appropriate place than Patriot's Point" for the memorial.

Brown, Baciocco and others trumpeted the role Charleston played in the submarine program, which they said was a cornerstone of the United States' eventual triumph over the Soviet Union and the spread of communism during the Cold War.

Brown said the submarines, which carried about half of the country's nuclear warheads, were "armed for Armageddon" but charged with the responsibility of preventing Armageddon.

Brown and Admiral Frank "Skip" Bowman left 8 inches of snow in Washington, D.C., Friday morning to attend. Both were featured speakers.

Bowman, whose 36-year career has been in nuclear and ballistic missile submarines, drew comparisons between the U.S. efforts to win the Cold War and its current effort to win the war on terrorism, specifically that the country had learn a new way to fight those wars. In both, submarines have played a valuable role.

A theme of Bowman's talk was the Charleston area's role as home of the submarine, as well as submariners, both past, present and future.

"This place is home to so many submariners," said Bowman, who then joked, "so many decide to retire here, sitting under a palmetto tree, drinking a mint julep, and dreaming of a hole-in-one."

As for future submariners, Bowman said he was glad the federal government moved the submarine schools from Florida to Charleston. He called the area "submarine country" and made a point to recognize the veterans.

Keith Schnebel, a Summerville resident and vice commander of the Charleston Base of the United States Submarine Veterans, said the 150-member group raised about $1,200 for the memorial and that the group plans to lead tours of the memorial.

"It means a lot to us ... This is a first of its kind," said Schnebel.

After the ceremony, about 30 veterans who served on the Lewis & Clark poised for what is a rare photo for most submariners - standing on terra firma with their old sub's sail in the background.

Some came from as far away as Virginia and Florida to attend the ceremony that became, for some, an unexpected reunion.

Pat Davis of Hanahan and Ron Litzenberger of Goose Creek ran into crew members Robert Stringfellow of Yulee, Fla., and Roy Downs of Raleigh, N.C. The Lowcountry men hadn't seen their pals since the end of their tours in the late 1970s.

They described serving on the subs and being based in Charleston "as great" and that they felt assured that their young families were well taken care of when they were on patrols.

"When people found out you were serving on a submarine," said Stringfellow, "they would roll out the red carpet."