Almost all U.S. submarines carry state names. The christening, a naming ceremony, will take place at a Groton, Connecticut shipyard where the boat is under construction. The Colorado is scheduled to enter service in late summer 2017.
The sub is the latest of four Navy vessels to carry the state's name. The first, a three-masted steam frigate, served in the Civil War before Colorado became a state and was named after the Colorado River. 
The second ship was an armored cruiser commissioned in 1905. The submarine's immediate predecessor, a battleship, served in World War II and was in Tokyo Bay when U.S. and Japanese officials signed the treaty to end the conflict. 
A Colorado committee is raising money to add touches of Colorado to the boat -- including scenic photographs by John Fielder. The group has also hosted trips to the state for the sailors who are currently being trained to operate the ship.
Colorado Matters host Ryan Warner spoke with John Mackin, who heads the USS Colorado Commissioning Committee.
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