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USS Stonewall Jackson (SSBN 634)

USS STONEWALL JACKSON was the 17^th LAFAYETTE - class nuclear powered fleet ballistic missile submarine. Decommissioned and stricken from the Navy list on February 9, 1995, the STONEWALL JACKSON subsequently entered the Navy’s Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Bremerton, Washington. Recycling was finished on October 13, 1995.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS STONEWALL JACKSON. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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About the Ship's Name:

Thomas Jonathan Jackson, born at Clarksburg, Va., (now in W. Va.) in 1824, was orphaned at an early age; but, through sheer determination, he acquired a basic education and won an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. He graduated in 1846 and acquitted himself so well during the Mexican War that he was breveted to the rank of major within 18 months. He resigned from the Army in 1852 and became professor of artillery tactics and natural philosophy (physics) at Virginia Military Institute.

At the beginning of the Civil War, Jackson was appointed colonel of Virginia troops and placed in command at Harper's Ferry. He was promoted to brigadier general on 17 June 1861 and quickly brought his command to peak efficiency. At the First Battle of Manassas, as a Federal assault shattered itself against his troops, he became "Stonewall" Jackson when Brigadier General Bernard E. Bee exhorted his own troops to reform by shouting, "There stands Jackson like a stone wall. Rally behind the Virginians!"

On 7 October, Stonewall Jackson was promoted to major general and assumed command in the Shenandoah Valley. Using lightning attacks coupled with strategic retreats, he conducted the masterful Valley Campaign which resulted in resounding Southern victories at Kernstown, Front Royal, and Winchester. He then withdrew south to check Fremont's forces at Cross Keys and Shield's troops at Port Republic. At this point, General Robert E. Lee (q.v.), who had recently succeeded to command of the army standing before Richmond, summoned him to join in the Seven Days Campaign. The Seven Days Campaign ended with the Battle of Malvern Hill on 1 July. McClellan's army withdrew from the Peninsula soon thereafter and Lee's army concentrated on Pope's forces.

After two months of inconclusive skirmishes and maneuvers, Jackson opened a new campaign in late August, when he led his "foot cavalry" on the most famous of all its "rides" and destroyed the Union base at Manassas Junction. During the ensuring Battle of Second Manassas, Jackson was instrumental in overwhelming Pope's army and led the resulting advance into Maryland. He took Harper's Ferry on 15 September and distinguished himself at the Battle of Antietam Creek two days later.

After its withdrawal from Maryland, the Army of Northern Virginia was reorganized into two corps with newly promoted Lieutenant General Jackson in command of the 2nd. His able leadership, based upon ability and strict discipline, was demonstrated again at Fredericksburg, where the Army of Northern Virginia scored another resounding victory in December 1862, this time over General Ambrose Burnside.

Jackson fought his last battle at Chancellorsville, Va., in early May 1863. He succeeded in surprising the rear of General Hooker's army at sunset on 2 May following his last "ride" with his "foot cavalry." Returning from the scene of battle that evening, his staff was mistaken for a Union scouting party in the growing darkness and was fired upon by Confederate pickets. Jackson was severely wounded. Weak from the wound, he contracted pneumonia and died eight days later. Jackson's death, a severe loss to the Confederate Army, deprived it of one of America's greatest soldiers.

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USS STONEWALL JACKSON History:

USS STONEWALL JACKSON was one of the JAMES MADISON-class "41-for-Freedom" fleet ballistic missile submarines that formed the backbone of the United States' undersea nuclear deterrent through the heart of the Cold War. Ordered on July 21, 1961, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California, she was designed from the outset to carry sixteen Polaris A-3 submarine-launched ballistic missiles and four 21-inch torpedo tubes, with twin crews and an S5W nuclear reactor plant to sustain long, covert patrols.

Her keel was laid down on July 4, 1962, fittingly on Independence Day, and she was launched on November 30, 1963, sponsored by Julia Christian McAfee, a great-granddaughter of General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. Commissioned on August 26, 1964, she entered service with Commander John H. Nicholson leading the Blue Crew and Commander Richard A. Frost leading the Gold Crew, each with a complement of just over 140 officers and enlisted personnel.

Shortly after commissioning, USS STONEWALL JACKSON left the builder's yard at Vallejo on September 3, 1964, and proceeded down the Pacific coast, through the Panama approaches, and on to Cape Kennedy, Florida, for her shakedown period and missile system trials. There, she joined the carefully choreographed Demonstration and Shakedown Operations that validated each new ballistic-missile submarine before it entered the deterrent patrol cycle. On December 2, 1964, the Blue Crew conducted a successful Polaris A-3 test launch from the boat off Cape Kennedy, marking her first live missile firing and confirming the integration of ship, fire-control system and missile. On December 16, 1964, the Gold Crew followed with its own successful firing, ensuring that both crews were fully certified on the weapons system.

After these launches and associated training, STONEWALL JACKSON returned to the Pacific to complete shakedown operations, exercising propulsion, navigation and submerged operations in preparation for sustained patrols. Following shakedown, the submarine entered a post-shakedown availability on February 13, 1965, at Mare Island, where shipyard teams corrected deficiencies discovered during trials and finalized her configuration. When that work was completed, she shifted north to Bangor, Washington, which was emerging as a key support site for Pacific Polaris operations, to load out missiles and complete final preparations for deployment. In April 1965, she began her first strategic deterrent patrol, entering the routine that would define much of her life: Blue and Gold crews alternating on board, the submarine spending long periods at sea in designated patrol areas while missile batteries remained on constant alert.

By June 1965, USS STONEWALL JACKSON was established at Apra Harbor, Guam, where the Gold Crew relieved the Blue Crew alongside, and the boat joined the Pacific Polaris squadron operating from that forward base. For the next five years, she conducted regular strategic deterrent patrols from Guam, supported by submarine tenders and local repair facilities. These patrols, carried out in Pacific patrol areas under U.S. Pacific Fleet control, provided a survivable second-strike capability during a period marked by the Vietnam War, Chinese nuclear tests, and evolving Soviet missile and submarine programs. The continuous rotation of Blue and Gold crews allowed the ship to spend the majority of her time on station, while the off-crew trained and refitted for the next cycle.

The tempo of Pacific Polaris operations is illustrated by an event on April 5, 1969, when USS STONEWALL JACKSON returned to Apra Harbor after a patrol that was recorded as the 100th Polaris patrol completed in the Pacific theater. This milestone reflected not only her own contribution but also the cumulative effort of the entire Pacific fleet ballistic-missile submarine force in maintaining a continuous, hidden deterrent presence through the late 1960s. Throughout this period, she remained one of the key Pacific "41-for-Freedom" boats, repeatedly departing Apra for extended submerged patrols and returning to reload, repair and turn over between crews.

In the spring of 1970, strategic planning shifted some Polaris assets from the Pacific to the Atlantic, and USS STONEWALL JACKSON was reassigned from Submarine Flotilla 5 in the Pacific to Submarine Flotilla 6 in the Atlantic as part of that redistribution. On April 23, 1970, she left Pearl Harbor for a special operation and then continued southward toward the Panama Canal. She transited the canal on May 7, 1970, formally changing operational control to the Atlantic Fleet upon passage, and arrived at New London, Connecticut, on May 15. During the second half of May, she underwent upkeep there, adjusting to East Coast support arrangements.

On June 1, 1970, STONEWALL JACKSON departed New London and steamed to Annapolis, Maryland, where she embarked midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy from June 7 to June 10 for at-sea indoctrination cruises, giving future officers direct exposure to nuclear-powered submarine operations. After these short embarkations she proceeded to sea for "special operations", a term typically used in unclassified narratives to cover exercises and tasks whose details remain restricted. In early July, she entered Charleston, South Carolina, to off-load her Polaris missiles in preparation for major modernization, then returned to New London, arriving on July 10, 1970. On July 15, she entered the Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics at Groton, Connecticut, to begin conversion to carry the new Poseidon C-3 ballistic missile system, part of a Navy-wide program to upgrade 31 of the 41 Polaris submarines.

The Poseidon conversion fundamentally re-equipped USS STONEWALL JACKSON's missile compartment and combat systems to handle the larger, more capable C-3 missile, which offered increased payload and multiple independently targeted warheads. The installation was completed by October 29, 1971, when program records note that conversion to Poseidon capability at Groton was finished and that STONEWALL JACKSON became the tenth SSBN to receive the C-3 system.

On December 6, 1971, the Blue Crew successfully launched a Poseidon C-3 missile during Demonstration and Shakedown Operations, validating the new system from the submarine at sea. A follow-on test on January 21, 1972, by the Gold Crew completed the ship's Poseidon DASO sequence. After these trials STONEWALL JACKSON returned to Groton on March 4, 1972, and entered a short post-shakedown availability on March 8 to incorporate lessons from the test firings.

On April 7, 1972, she got underway for Charleston for missile loading, and on April 26, 1972, she deployed from Charleston on her first Poseidon-armed and first Atlantic deterrent patrol. From that point, she operated primarily from the advanced base at Holy Loch, Scotland, where a submarine tender, floating drydock and extensive support infrastructure sustained Atlantic SSBN patrols in the North Atlantic and adjacent waters. Holy Loch sources list USS STONEWALL JACKSON among the Polaris/Poseidon boats based there, all supported at various times by US Navy submarine tenders. The boat continued the dual-crew pattern, with Blue and Gold crews alternating through the mid-1970s on successive deterrent patrols launched from the Clyde estuary.

During the mid-1970s, she also played a direct role in the Poseidon C-3 test and evaluation program. On August 22, 1975, program records show USS STONEWALL JACKSON successfully launching three Poseidon C-3 missiles during an operational test series, contributing flight data to verify long-term performance and reliability of the missile system on front-line SSBNs.

Throughout this period the broader geopolitical environment included detente, renewed arms-control negotiations, and growing Soviet ballistic-missile submarine deployments. Holy Loch-based patrols by boats like STONEWALL JACKSON were an essential part of NATO's response, providing a continuous, survivable strategic presence in the Atlantic.

By the late 1970s, the Navy began a major mid-life overhaul cycle for many Poseidon boats. On August 7, 1978, USS STONEWALL JACKSON entered Portsmouth Naval Shipyard at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for a significant overhaul that included reactor-plant work, hull and machinery maintenance, and refurbishment of the Poseidon weapon system. This availability lasted into 1980. Missile-program documentation records that she completed Poseidon overhaul on March 28, 1980.

After shipyard completion, on July 14, 1980, her Gold Crew conducted a successful Poseidon C-3 missile launch in support of post-overhaul Demonstration and Shakedown Operations, confirming the ship's readiness to re-enter the deterrent patrol cycle. On November 15, 1980, this was followed by deployment on an operational patrol, marking her formal return to front-line service after the yard period.

In parallel with these overhauls, the Navy initiated the Trident I (C-4) missile program, which aimed to extend the reach and effectiveness of the existing SSBN force before the OHIO-class Trident submarines fully took over the role. Between October 1979 and February 1982 selected JAMES MADISON- and BENJAMIN FRANKLIN-class submarines, including USS STONEWALL JACKSON, underwent conversion from Poseidon to carry Trident I C-4 missiles.

According to Trident I program chronology, STONEWALL JACKSON completed a pier-side Trident I conversion - rather than a full shipyard overhaul - and on February 18, 1982, deployed on operational patrol as a Trident I-armed SSBN. She is identified in these records as the ninth Poseidon submarine converted to Trident I and the last SSBN to receive C-4 capability via a pier-side conversion rather than in a drydock. From that point, she carried sixteen Trident I C-4 missiles, offering greater range and improved payload compared to Poseidon.

Through the 1980s, USS STONEWALL JACKSON continued Atlantic strategic deterrent patrols as part of the mixed Poseidon/Trident I force, operating against the backdrop of renewed Cold War tension, NATO maritime exercises and the gradual introduction of OHIO-class Trident submarines. Open sources indicate that after earlier service from Holy Loch she became closely associated with the emerging East Coast Trident infrastructure, including Kings Bay, Georgia, which grew into a major base for ballistic-missile submarines. Contemporary accounts and imagery place STONEWALL JACKSON at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay alongside other Trident boats, reflecting her integration into that basing structure.

Her missile-system role continued to be visible in test events. On February 27, 1988, at 10:27 in the morning, the U.S. Navy conducted a Trident I C-4 launch from the submerged USS STONEWALL JACKSON (Blue Crew) during Demonstration and Shakedown Operation 30, a high-profile test to verify the readiness of the ship, crew and missile system. Missile-range documentation lists this as her final Cape-based launch and notes that over the course of her career she conducted ten launches at Cape Canaveral, spanning the Polaris, Poseidon and Trident I eras. These launches, spread from December 2, 1964, to February 27, 1988, bookend nearly a quarter-century of continuous involvement in the Navy's sea-based strategic missile programs.

Photographic records from the early 1990s show USS STONEWALL JACKSON still active late in the Cold War period. On February 1, 1991, she was photographed off Naval Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii, demonstrating that even as an Atlantic-allocated Trident I platform she occasionally operated in central Pacific waters, likely in connection with transit movements, training, or missile-test support. Other imagery places her at the Trident pier at Port Canaveral, Florida, on March 13, 1994, by which time she was an established Trident I unit working within the Atlantic missile-test and support complex.

Throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s she is also associated in open sources with patrol deployments staged from Charleston, South Carolina, and subsequently from Kings Bay, Georgia, as the Atlantic SSBN basing plan evolved.

After roughly three decades of patrols and multiple generations of missile systems, USS STONEWALL JACKSON approached the end of her service life as arms-control agreements, force-structure reductions and the introduction of newer submarines reduced the number of required SSBN hulls. She was decommissioned and simultaneously stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on February 9, 1995, at Bremerton, Washington. The boat then entered the Navy's Ship-Submarine Recycling Program at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, where her reactor compartment was defueled and packaged for land storage, usable materials were recovered, and the remaining hull structures were dismantled. The recycling process for STONEWALL JACKSON was completed on October 13, 1995, formally closing the record of SSBN 634.

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