USS Patrick Henry (SSBN-599)
USS Patrick Henry (SSBN-599), a George-Washington class nuclear-powered fleet ballistic submarine, was commissioned on April 11, 1960, at General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut. Operating out of Holy Loch, Scotland, she deployed her blue and gold crews for the next four years. Returning to Groton in 1964, Patrick Henry underwent extensive overhaul, repair, and modifications, allowing her to handle the Polaris "A-3" missile. Relocating to the Pacific in the early 1970s, she operated out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, patrolling both the Atlantic and Pacific while performing tests on her nuclear capability. In October 1981, she was reclassfied as a nuclear-attack submarine and redesignated SSN-599. Decommissioned on May 25, 1984, Patrick Henry was disposed of through the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program on August 31, 1997, at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington.
A model of Patrick Henry can be found in the Dive, Dive, Dive! exhibit at the National Museum of the U.S. Navy.
Image: NH 72626-KN: USS Patrick Henry (SSBN-599), artwork by John Landry, circa 1970s. Courtesy of the Navy Art Gallery. NHHC Photograph Collection.
