Albacore Memorial Garden in Portsmouth, Rockingham County, United States | Garden

Just to the right of the main entrance of the Visitor's Center of Albacore Museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire in the United States, is the Albacore Memorial Garden, an area set aside for reflection and remembrance. Within the Garden are several granite monuments commemorating submarines lost during World War II and the Cold War.
Also within the Albacore Memorial Garden is a carving of a dolphin made from black Canadian granite, the dolphin being the symbol of the submarine service. Several granite benches allow visitors to sit and contemplate the sacrifices made by those who choose to support and defend their country as a member of the Silent Service.
Dolphins, the insignia of the US Navy Submarine Service, identify the wearer as "Qualified in Submarines". Becoming "Qualified" entails undergoing a rigorous program of learning all the systems within a submarine and demonstrating a practical knowledge of these systems. The process may take up to six months for enlisted men and a year for officers.
The origin of the dolphin insignia dates back to June of 1923 when then Captain Ernest J. King, who was Commander of Submarine Division Three, suggested to the Secretary of the Navy that a distinguishing device for qualified submariners be adopted. Captain King was later named a Fleet Admiral and was the Chief of Naval Operations during WW II.
Dolphins are symbolic of a calm sea and are the traditional attendants of Poseidon, the Greek God of the Sea.
Five of the monuments in the Albacore Memorial Garden in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, commemorate the loss of a specific submarine.