USS Plunger ( SSN - 595 ) USS " Plunger " ( SSN - 595 ) , a , was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named " plunger " , meaning a diver or a daring gambler . The contract to build her as a guided - missile submarine ( SSGN ) was awarded to Mare Island Naval Shipyard on 23 March 1959 , but by the time her keel was laid down on 2 March 1960 she had been redesigned as an attack submarine ( SSN ) . She was launched on 9 December 1961 ( sponsored by Mrs . Clinton P . Anderson ) , and commissioned on 21 November 1962 , with Commander William M . Adams , Jr . , in command . Service history . Following a trip to Puget Sound on 27 November to test torpedo tubes and sound gear , " Plunger " departed Mare Island on 5 January 1963 for shakedown to Pearl Harbor . " Plunger " next was homeported at Mare Island and operated to test the performance of sonar and the fire control system . In April she changed homeport to Pearl Harbor , where she became flagship of ComSubDiv 71 , on 1 April . Continuing in a testing capacity , " Plunger " evaluated the most advanced class of nuclear attack submarines . Operating off the U . S . West Coast during the spring and summer , she proceeded to Wake Island on 15 September 1964 for SubRon Operational Evaluation missile firing . At Pearl Harbor again in January 1965 , " Plunger " was selected to demonstrate the capability of the Navy ' s latest ASW weapon system to Dr . Donald Hornig , Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology . At Wake Island in May , " Plunger " participated in C / S - 17 , the SubRon Operational Training Test . In September , she prepared for WestPac deployment , which continued into mid 1966 . During this deployment , " Plunger " conducted evaluation exercises of the AN / BQQ - 1 sonar systems and traveled as far east as Okinawa and Subic Bay . She also conducted ASW exercises and executed oceanographic and port surveys . At Pearl Harbor with SubRon 7 in 1967 , " Plunger " operated to improve the ASW readiness of the Pacific fleet ; from 6 March to 22 March , she participated in ASW exercises and later continued in advanced type - training work . During inport periods at Pearl Harbor , " Plunger " provided services to Fleet Training Program Pearl Harbor . Homeporting at Puget Sound the last six months of 1967 , " Plunger " returned to Pearl Harbor on 1 February 1968 . USS Plunger underwent a refit in Bremerton from 1980 - 1982 receiving several modernizations including the BQQ - 5 Sonar System . She returned to San Diego after sea trials in 1983 . She deployed to Westpac from January - June 1984 participating in two long operations during the deployment . She was involved in a collision with a freighter off Southern California while coming to periscope depth in early 1985 which damaged portions of her bow and sonar dome . These repairs required an unscheduled drydock during the spring of 1985 . In 1986 " Plunger " won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award , becoming the first warship to win both the Sterrett and the Arleigh Burke Awards . In this year , too , " Plunger " made yet another deployment to the Western Pacific , making port calls in Yokosuka , Japan and Subic Bay in the Philippines as well as visiting Hong Kong as a liberty port . During the 1986 WestPac " Plunger " participated in naval exercises with ships from the US , Japan , and other nations as well as a ten - week " special operation " , for which it was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation . After returning from the WestPac Plunger conducted normal operations in the SoCal Operational Area for the next several months . The next few years saw a number of other accomplishments - " Plunger " was recognized for excellence in virtually every major inspection and won the Battle Efficiency ( the coveted " Battle E " ) award for overall combat readiness . Although aging , " Plunger " maintained a grueling operational schedule , spending over 60 % of her time at sea and never missing a scheduled underway period - a record that many much newer submarines were unable to match . " Plunger " made her final WestPac deployment in 1988 , visiting Japan and the Philippines as well as Guam and Chinhae , South Korea ( and making port calls in Okinawa and Hong Kong ) and conducting another two - month " special operation " that garnered her a Navy Unit Commendation . This WestPac was followed by another fairly intense period of routine operations out of San Diego and , in December 1988 , departure for her final " special operation " - this time keeping her crew at sea over Christmas , New Year ' s Day , and ( to the disappointment of the crew ) Super Bowl Sunday . This special operation ended with Plunger completing its final Operational Reactor Safeguards Examination ( which it passed with flying colors ) and giving its crew some well - earned R & R in Pearl Harbor Hawaii . Returning to home port , " Plunger " was deactivated ( while under the command of William Large ) , in commission , on 10 February 1989 , decommissioned on 3 January 1990 and stricken from the Navy Register the following 2 February . Ex - " Plunger " entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in Bremerton , Washington , on 5 January 1995 and on 8 March 1996 ceased to exist . At the time of decommissioning " Plunger " was noted by the San Diego Tribune as being the most - decorated submarine in the Pacific Fleet and it was the most - decorated warship in San Diego . Through its history , " Plunger " was awarded four Navy Unit Commendations as well as multiple Meritorious Unit Commendations , Battle Efficiency , and other awards . And as of its retirement " Plunger " was the only submarine to win the Arleigh Burke Award ( in 1969 under Commanding Officer Nils Thunman ) .