Heavy bronze disc approx. 6.50 inches across with a raised embossed whale at center with raised letters and stars around the border. Lettering reads “USS WHALE SSN 638.”

This plaque was taken from the nuclear Sturgeon-class submarine USS WHALE when she was scrapped in 1996. The ship was built by General Dynamics in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was laid down on May 27, 1964, launched October 14, 1966 and was commissioned October 12, 1968 at the height of the Vietnam War.

The USS WHALE was just over 292 feet long and held a crew of 107 men. She could make 15 knots on the surface and 25 submerged. Armament consisted of four 21-inch torpedo tubes which fired Mark 48 torpedoes. The ship was also had Tomahawk cruise missiles as well as the UUM-44A SUBROC and UGM 84A/C Harpoon missiles.

One of the submarines first missions was a trip to the Arctic Circle and the North Pole. She then operated out of Charleston, South Carolina making trips to Europe and in 1970 went to the Mediterranean during the Jordanian crisis.

From 1971-1972 she took part in Fleet exercises in European waters. In 1974 she again sailed to the Mediterranean due to heightened tensions between the Arabs and Israelis. Upon her return from the Med she operated out of Groton, Connecticut taking part in several exercises. She continued to operate in the Mediterranean area on and off through the rest of her career.

USS WHALE was decommissioned on June 25, 1996 and was scrapped in July of that year. She had spent 28 years protecting the east coast of the United States and projecting US power abroad. This plaque is a tangible reminder of that ships faithful service to the country.  [ad]

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