USS Stonewall Jackson (SSBN-634)

USS "Stonewall Jackson" (SSBN-634), a "Lafayette"-class ballistic missile submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for General Thomas J. Jackson, CSA, though the earlier two were known simply as "Stonewall".

The contract to build her was awarded to Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, Calif. on 21 July 1961 and her keel was laid down on 4 July 1962. She was launched on 30 November 1963 sponsored by Miss Julia Christian McAfee, and commissioned on 26 August 1964, with Commander John H. Nicholson in command of the Blue Crew and Commander Richard A. Frost in command of the Gold Crew.

"Stonewall Jackson" got underway from Vallejo on 3 September for her shakedown cruise to Cape Kennedy, Florida. The Blue Crew completed training with a successful missile firing on 2 December and was relieved by the Gold Crew. Following the Gold Crew's successful missile launch on 16 December, "Stonewall Jackson" returned to the Pacific Ocean to complete shakedown operations. The fleet ballistic missile submarine (FBM) entered post-shakedown availability on 13 February 1965, then made final preparations at Bangor, Washington, for overseas movement. In April, she began her first strategic deterrent patrol.

In June 1965, the Gold Crew relieved the Blue Crew at Apra Harbor, Guam, and for the next five years the submarine conducted deterrent patrols from that port. In the spring of 1970, "Stonewall Jackson" was reassigned to the Atlantic Fleet. On 23 April, she got underway from Pearl Harbor to conduct a special operation, before continuing on to the Panama Canal.She transited the canal on 7 May and changed operational control from Submarine Flotilla 5 (SubFlot 5) to SubFlot 6, officially joining the Atlantic Fleet. Eight days later, she put into New London, Connecticut.

She spent the second half of May in upkeep at New London; then headed south on 1 June. The submarine stopped at the United States Naval Academy from 7 June to 10 June for midshipman indoctrination tours, then put to sea for special operations. "Stonewall Jackson" entered Charleston, South Carolina, to off-load missiles during the first week in July; then shaped a course for New London, arriving on the 10th. On 15 July she entered the shipyard of the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics at Groton, Connecticut, for conversion to the Poseidon C-3 missile system. The installation of the new missile system was completed by 29 October 1971 when the Blue Crew began preparations to put to sea. Between October 1971 and March 1972, both Blue and Gold Crews conducted their shakedown cruises off the southeastern coast of the United States. She returned to Groton on 4 March and, on 8 March, commenced post-shakedown availability at the General Dynamics shipyard.

On 7 April, she got underway for Charleston for a missile load-out in preparation for her first post-conversion and first Atlantic deterrent cruise.

"Stonewall Jackson" was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 9 February 1995. Ex-"Stonewall Jackson" entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in Bremerton, Washington, and on 13 October 1995 ceased to exist.

See also

See USS "Stonewall" for other ships named for General Jackson.

References

Based on data from the Naval Vessel Register