Solomon Atkinson, an Alaska Native, was one of the first 60 Navy SEALs in 1963. Now a new Navy ship will be named after him.

A plankholder of the Navy SEAL teams, and one of the service’s most decorated Alaska Native sailors, will be remembered as the namesake of a new Navy ship.

The USNS Solomon Atkinson is scheduled to launch in 2025 as the service’s 12th Navajo-class Towing, Salvage, and Rescue ship, a series of tender boats that officials have named after notable Native American sailors.

Solomon Atkinson died in 2019 in his hometown of Metlakatla, Alaska. His casket told the tale of his life. The side was covered in a mural of Native Alaskan art, depicting animals and symbols of the fishing village of Metlakatla, in the state’s southeastern arm. Like many Tsimshian people in Metlakatla, Atkinson had been raised on commercial fishing and hunting.

On the lid, between two crosses, was the engraved trident of the Navy SEALs, in whose history Atkinson looms large.

Solomon Atkinson’s casket in 2019, commemorating both his Tsimshian heritage as an Alaska Native and his 22-year career as a Navy SEAL and plankholder for SEAL Team 1. (Laddie Shaw/courtesy photo).

After qualifying for UDT duty, Atkinson became a “plankholder” at SEAL Team 1 as one of the first 60 sailors officially assigned as SEALs in 1962. Atkinson quickly became one of the elite unit’s earliest leaders, helping develop SEAL teams from their humble beginnings as little more than beach scouts into the feared commando teams of Vietnam.

As a SEAL, Atkinson deployed to Korea and served three combat tours in Vietnam. There he was awarded a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, and a Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V.”

He also spent time as a feared SEAL instructor for new recruits, earning the nickname “the Mean Machine”.

He had to set aside the harsh techniques known to SEAL recruits for another training assignment. As the space race heated up, Atkinson worked with astronauts in specially constructed pools that simulated working in weightless environments. The astronauts he trained included Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, and Jim Lovell at the Underwater Swimmers School in Key West, Florida.

This article was written by a writer at, “Task & Purpose” – Matt White