USS John Marshall ( SSBN - 611 ) USS " John Marshall " ( SSBN - 611 ) was an , the only ship of the United States Navy to be named for John Marshall ( 1755 – 1835 ) , the Chief Justice of the United States . Originally a fleet ballistic missile submarine desiganted SSBN - 611 , she later was reclassified as an attack submarine and redesignated SSN - 611 . Construction and commissioning . " John Marshall " s keel was laid down on 4 April 1960 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company of Newport News , Virginia . She was launched on 15 July 1961 sponsored by Mrs . Robert F . Kennedy , wife of the Attorney General of the United States , and commissioned on 21 May 1962 with Commander Robert W . Stecher commanding the Blue Crew and Commander Robert D . Donavan commanding the Gold Crew . Service as a fleet ballistic missile submarine , 1962 – 1980 . " John Marshall " began her sea trials on 8 April 1962 . On 21 May , " John Marshall " joined the Atlantic Fleet as a unit of Submarine Squadron 14 ( SUBRON14 ) . On 31 May , she began her shakedown cruise , which culminated on 12 July with the successful firing of two Polaris A - 2 missile s off Cape Canaveral , Florida . In October , with a port call in İzmir , Turkey , she became the first U . S . FBM to visit a foreign port . On 31 December , " John Marshall " sailed for her first Polaris patrol . Manned by the Blue crew , she became the ninth operational fleet ballistic missile submarine . From 4 April 1963 to 30 November 1966 , the Blue and Gold crews conducted a total of seventeen deterrent patrols from Holy Loch , Scotland . On 13 December 1966 , " John Marshall " started her first major overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding . The overhaul was completed in April 1968 . After the post - overhaul shakedown , she loaded ballistic missiles at Charleston , South Carolina , and in September 1968 began her eighteenth deterrent patrol . She conducted her 19th through 25th deterrent patrols from Holy Loch between October 1968 and June 1970 . In June 1970 , she became a unit of Submarine Squadron 16 and began operations from Rota , Spain . She conducted her 26th through 37th deterrent patrols from Rota . She was awarded her first Meritorious Unit Commendation as a result of an operation conducted in March 1971 that demonstrated the effectiveness and dependability of the fleet ballistic missile system . In June 1973 , she returned to New London , Connecticut , for a dependents cruise , then conducted two deterrent patrols from Charleston , South Carolina . On 1 November 1974 , " John Marshall " began her second refueling overhaul at Mare Island Naval Shipyard at Vallejo , California . During this overhaul , the missile systems were converted to support the Polaris A - 3 missile . The overhaul was completed in May 1976 and " John Marshall " commenced strategic deterrent patrols in February 1977 as a unit of Submarine Squadron 15 . she conducted her 40th through 54th deterrent patrols from Apra Harbor , Guam . Her final deterrent patrol concluded with her arrival at Pearl Harbor , Hawaii , on 28 December 1980 . Service as an attack submarine , 1981 – 1992 . On 12 January 1981 , " John Marshall " was reclassified as an attack submarine and given hull number SSN - 611 . She began operations as an attack submarine from Pearl Harbor . Her last Polaris missile was removed in Bangor , Washington , on 1 June 1981 . " John Marshall " arrived in Charleston , South Carolina , on 20 July 1981 and began operations as a unit of Submarine Squadron 4 . On 28 December 1981 , she departed for her first deployment to the Mediterranean Sea . The deployment included several major fleet exercises and visits to La Maddalena , Italy ; Naples , Italy ; Tangiers , Morocco ; and Lisbon , Portugal . She returned to Charleston on 21 May 1982 , twenty years to the day after she was commissioned . In September 1983 , " John Marshall " again transferred to the Pacific Fleet and arrived at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Bremerton , Washington , on 29 September to start her third overhaul . She ( along with her sister , ) was modified to support operations . This included the installation of additional troop berthing , the removal of some ballistic missile tube bases , and the conversion of other ballistic missile tubes into air lock s and stowage for equipment . She was fitted with two Dry Deck Shelter s ( DDSs ) abaft her sail . These , which house SEAL team Swimmer Delivery Vehicle s , allow her to act as a SEAL mother ship . Post - overhaul sea trials were conducted in September 1985 and " John Marshall " joined Submarine Squadron 6 in Norfolk , Virginia , in November 1985 . On 15 December 1986 , " John Marshall " began her transit for her second deployment to the Mediterranean Sea . The deployment included several exercises and a demonstration of her unique special warfare capability and visits to Toulon , France ; and La Maddalena , Italy . She returned to Norfolk , Virginia , on 29 May 1987 . In September 1987 , " John Marshall " conducted a special operational demonstration near Puerto Rico with SEAL Team Two . Aircraft carrier battlegroup exercises , special acoustic trials , and dry deck shelter operations continued through 1988 . She made her 1 , 000th dive on 25 October 1988 , off Puerto Rico . On 1 May 1989 , after conducting a variety of exercises with aircraft carrier battlegroups and other submarines , " John Marshall " departed for her third Mediterranean deployment . It was the first time a submarine had deployed anywhere in the world with two dry deck shelters on board , adding a unique flexibility and endurance to the fleet commander for special warfare operations . Embarked when " John Marshall " departed Norfolk was the largest special warfare detachment in the Atlantic or Mediterranean . During the 1989 deployment , " John Marshall " s response to contingency operations , providing forward area support of a unique nature on extremely short notice , as well as her success in antisubmarine warfare operations , was recognized in the award to " John Marshall " of the Meritorious Unit Commendation . " John Marshall " returned to Norfolk in September 1989 . " John Marshall " conducted three special warfare training exercises in the Caribbean Sea in 1990 , including a highly successful exercise that featured the employment of submarine - launched mobile mines . On 26 January 1991 , " John Marshall " departed Norfolk for her fourth and final deployment to the Mediterranean . Equipped once again with two dry deck shelters , she operated in direct support of Operation Desert Storm and provided significant capability options to the United States Sixth Fleet commander . She visited Toulon , Gibraltar , and La Maddalena , returning to Norfolk on 22 June 1991 . In September 1991 , " John Marshall " served as flagship for the largest submarine special warfare exercise since World War II . Over 191 personnel , including three flag officer s , U . S . Navy SEALs , and United States Army special forces , embarked to conduct joint special operations during Exercise Phantom Shadow . " John Marshall " transited to the Pacific in early 1992 to begin deactivation at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard , where she was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 22 July 1992 . She was disposed of through the Nuclear Power Ship and Submarine Recycling Program on 29 March 1993 . Commemoration . " John Marshall " s ship ' s bell is on display at Marshall University in Huntington , West Virginia . In 2012 , BIC issued a series of lighters commemorating the United States Armed Forces , with proceeds benefiting the USO . A photograph of the " John Marshall " sail taken while the boat was cruising on the surface was used for one depiction of the United States Navy .