- USS Thomas A. Edison (SSBN-610)
USS "Thomas A. Edison" (SSBN-610), an "Ethan Allen"-class ballistic-missile
submarine , was the second ship of theUnited States Navy to be named for the inventor,Thomas Edison .hip history
Her keel was laid down on
15 March 1960 by theElectric Boat Division of theGeneral Dynamics Corporation ofGroton, Connecticut . She was launched on15 June 1961 sponsored by Mrs. Madeleine Edison Sloane, and commissioned on10 March 1962 with Captain Charles M. Young commanding the Blue Crew and Captain Walter Dedrick commanding the Gold Crew.On
9 April during shakedown training off the eastern coast of theUnited States "Thomas A. Edison" collided with USS "Wadleigh" (DD-689). She loadedPolaris missile s atCharleston, South Carolina , and embarked upon her first deterrent patrol on7 November . She concluded that patrol at the base atHoly Loch ,Scotland , whence she operated for the next four years and 17 deterrent patrols. In September 1966, her official home port was changed fromNew London, Connecticut , toCharleston, South Carolina , in preparation for her first major overhaul. She ended her 17th patrol at Charleston on15 October 1966 and began her overhaul on28 October . She completed repairs on9 May 1968 ; and, after post-overhaul sea trials and shakedown, she embarked upon her 18th deterrent patrol on22 September 1968 . After a shortened 19th patrol she conducted a "Follow On Target" or "FOT" test launch of four randomly selected missiles. For this test four missiles were selected at random, and then their warheads were removed, and telemetry packages were fitted in their place. The Edison then proceeded to a location just off theCanary Islands , and fired these missiles into theCaribbean . Due to the accuracy and timeliness of this successful launch, the members of that Blue Crew were awarded a Meritorious Unit Citation. Over the next five years, she operated out of New London andRota, Spain , from which ports she conducted another 19 patrols in theMediterranean Sea .In June 1973, she was transferred to the Pacific Fleet, arriving in
San Diego, California , on11 July . After a short period of operations with Submarine Group 5, she moved toVallejo, California , on6 August to begin another overhaul, this time at theMare Island Naval Shipyard . On30 November 1974 , the fleet ballistic missile submarine completed repairs and, following shakedown in January and February 1975, she transited thePanama Canal again in March to fire test missiles nearCape Canaveral, Florida . She concluded that mission in July and retransited the Canal on8 August . "Thomas A. Edison" carried out operations along the west coast until December at which time she headed for her new home port,Guam .In 1981, in compliance with the
SALT I treaty , the missile section of "Thomas A. Edison" was decommissioned. Cement blocks were placed in the missile tubes, the missile fire control system was removed as was one of the ship's inertial navigation systems. The ship was reclassified an attack submarine and givenhull classification symbol SSN-610 on6 October 1980 and retained primarily for training, ASW exercises and other secondary duties. Decommissioned on1 December 1983 , "Thomas A. Edison" was stricken from theNaval Vessel Register on30 April 1986 . She went through the Navy's Nuclear PoweredShip and Submarine Recycling Program atBremerton, Washington , beginning on1 October 1996 and on1 December 1997 ceased to exist.References
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