About the USS JOHN ADAMS (SSBN 620)

~ LIBERATUM AMICITIAM RETINEBIS ET FIDEM ~

~ You will preserve freedom, friendship, and faith. ~

About the Boat:

USS JOHN ADAMS (SSBN 620) is the Navy's seventeenth nuclear powered fleet ballistic missile submarine and is named in honor of John Adams, the second President of the United States, and John Quincy Adams, the sixth President of the United States.

USS JOHN ADAMS began her career as she slid down the ways at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, at 1:10 pm on January 12, 1963. At 425 feet and 8000 tons, the JOHN ADAMS was the largest submarine launched from Portsmouth at the time. Mrs. James C.(Abigail Adams) Manny, the great-great-great granddaughter of John Quincy Adams, broke the traditional bottle of champagne on the submarine's stern, sending her bow first, into the icy Piscataqua River. On May 12, 1964, CDR Lando W. Zech, Jr. and CDR Paul J. Early assumed command of the Blue and Gold crews of the JOHN ADAMS and set the first watch as the ship was commissioned.

After a shakedown cruise, and test firing of her Polaris missiles off Cape Kennedy, Florida, USS JOHN ADAMS joined other Polaris missile subs on station. JOHN ADAMS then completed sixteen Polaris deterrent patrols while assigned to the Atlantic Fleet in operations based in Holy Loch, Scotland, and Rota, Spain.

In August 1968, she transited the Panama Canal on her way to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington, for overhaul and modernization. JOHN ADAMS completed overhaul in August 1969, and returned to sea as a unit of the Pacific Fleet.

It was during this time of service in the Pacific Fleet that the USS JOHN ADAMS was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation for her outstanding performance from December 1969 through October 1970.

Upon completion of her thirty-second patrol, JOHN ADAMS entered Portsmouth Naval Shipyard at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, for her second overhaul and conversion to the Poseidon missile system. During the overhaul period, JOHN ADAMS was presented with the 1975 COMSUBLANT Golden Anchor Award signifying the highest retention rate in the Atlantic Fleet Submarine Force. The ship completed her 26 month overhaul and conversion in April 1976, and returned to sea as a unit of the Atlantic Fleet.

After completing an additional forty-three patrols, from both her homeport in Charleston, South Carolina, and Holy Loch, Scotland, USS JOHN ADAMS transited the Panama Canal to again enter Puget Sound Naval Shipyard; this time in preparation for deactivation after a long and distinguished career.

During her last three years of service, the USS JOHN ADAMS has been awarded the 1986 Commander Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet Silver Anchor Award for outstanding retention, been designated a COMSUBLANT Tactical Readiness Evaluation "Top Performer" for three consecutive years, and was awarded the 1987 Commander, Submarine Squadron FOURTEEN Battle Efficiency "E" and Engineering Red "E".

Fast, silent, and virtually immune to surprise attack, JOHN ADAMS has combined the endurance of nuclear power with the deterrent might of sixteen Poseidon Missiles for over twenty-four years of distinguished commissioned service. During her seventy-five strategic deterrent patrols, she has traveled over 975,000 miles, nearly 900,000 of these submerged, for a total of over fifteen years below the waves in defense of her nation.