It seemed like a long shot, naming a submarine after North Dakota.

First, well, the ocean is about 1,200 miles away.

Second, it'd been 85 years since a ship was last named for the landlocked state.

And third, the idea had little response over the last 23 years, when South Central District Judge - and retired captain from the Navy Reserves - Bob Wefald embarked on the effort.

"All Ican tell you is that I'm thrilled,"Wefald said.

"I'll tell you, it's been like pulling teeth,"he added.

The nuclear submarine will be commissioned in 2013 and is under construction in Newport News, Va.

Wefald began tinkering with the notion of naming another ship after the state - the first having been sold for scrap in 1931 - when he joined the Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce's Military and Veterans Affairs Task Force in 1985. The group stopped meeting in about 2000, but was revitalized in 2006.

But every year since then, Wefald has sent at least one letter out to the congressional delegation, asking them to help with the effort.

And this year, the idea was brought to the forefront.

The chamber, governor's office and the state's congressional delegation quickly joined in on the action; together, they formed a 14-person steering committee headed by former Secretary of State Warren Christopher.

It was a grassroots effort, says everyone involved.

Children from all over the state colored and turned in more than 1,000 pictures of a submarine, and more than 500 letters were given to the Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter.

"Those colored pictures from school children all over North Dakota, as well as the letters, really made our efforts stand out,"said Gov. John Hoeven.

Moving forward, the USSNorth Dakota delegation will help organize events for the christening of the ship, as well as build a relationship with the Navy and the sub's crew, said Kelvin Hullet, president of the chamber.

"We're looking to be able to take people out to the port when (the crew is) coming in and going out. We're looking to be able to bring some of the ship's crew to the state."

And maybe a penpal program with sixth-graders, he added.

"It is a tremendous honor for the state,"Hullet said. "North Dakota has a strong tradition of supporting the military."

(Reach reporter Crystal R. Reid at 250-8261 or at crystal.reid@;bismarcktribune.com.)