USS Sculpin ( SSN - 590 ) USS " Sculpin " ( SSN - 590 ) , a " Skipjack " - class nuclear - powered submarine , was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for the sculpin . Her keel was laid down on 3 February 1958 by Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula , Mississippi . She was launched on 31 March 1960 sponsored by Mrs . Fred Connaway , widow of Commander Fred Connaway , who was killed while commanding the first USS Sculpin during World War II , and commissioned on 1 June 1961 with Commander C . N . Mitchell in command . Operational history . 1960s . " Sculpin " departed Pascagoula on 8 June for her designated home port , San Diego , California . Following her arrival there , she began a period of shakedown training . In July , she held special trials and tests in the Puget Sound area and then returned to San Diego for type training . In August , " Sculpin " cruised to Pearl Harbor for two weeks before returning to San Diego . She operated off the West Coast before entering the Mare Island Naval Shipyard for post - shakedown availability in October . This was completed in late March 1962 , and " Sculpin " returned to her home port . Following training operations , she departed for the western Pacific in May ; returning to San Diego in August . The nuclear submarine participated in local training operations , ordnance evaluation projects , and fleet exercises until entering the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in early January 1963 for a hull survey . " Sculpin " returned to San Diego at the end of the month , conducted type training for two months and , on 29 March , got underway for a dependents ' cruise . The submarine returned to Mare Island in April for restricted availability and remained there until August when she returned to San Diego and commenced local operations . " Sculpin " was in Pearl Harbor , in early December , en route to the western Pacific , when defective piping forced her to sail back to Mare Island for repairs . She returned to San Diego on 25 February 1964 , and operated from that port until early April . On 8 April , " Sculpin " sailed for duty with the Seventh Fleet . Prior to reporting , she made port calls at Pearl Harbor , Sydney , and Subic Bay . For the remainder of her deployment , " Sculpin " operated in and out of Subic Bay , and Naha , Okinawa , with the Seventh Fleet . She returned to her home port on 20 October 1964 and was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for her deployment . Operations and exercises along the west coast , from San Diego to Bangor , Washington , occupied the submarine for the next 25 months . On 27 November 1966 , " Sculpin " stood out of San Diego for Naha and another tour with the Seventh Fleet . She returned to her home port on 11 May 1967 and began conducting local operations . The submarine had an extended training cruise from 27 July to 26 October and , on 11 November , gave a demonstration dive for President of the United States Lyndon B . Johnson . On 31 December , " Sculpin " was notified that she was due for drydock and overhaul at Puget Sound , and she sailed for that destination on 2 January 1968 . This was " Sculpin " ’ s first major overhaul and refueling since commissioning , seven years before , and she was in drydock from 30 January 1968 to 22 January 1969 . Sea trials and training lasted until 26 July when she sailed to Pearl Harbor on a shakedown training cruise . She returned to the West Coast on 22 August and began an upkeep period at San Diego which lasted until 8 September . The submarine operated along the California coast until 6 February 1970 when she got underway for Pearl Harbor and deployment to the western Pacific . 1970s . " Sculpin " sailed from Pearl Harbor on 21 February and entered Buckner Bay , Okinawa , on 6 March . She also visited Subic Bay , Hong Kong , and Yokosuka before returning to San Diego on 21 August . She conducted local operations until 4 January 1971 when she began a three - month restricted availability period at Mare Island . The yard work was completed on 16 April , and the submarine returned to San Diego . The only interruption of her schedule came in October when she sailed to Puget Sound to have her bottom sand blasted and painted . " Sculpin " returned to San Diego on 13 November 1971 and began preparing for another deployment period which began on 5 January 1972 and terminated on 24 July . She was berthed at San Diego for the remainder of the year , with only 15 days being spent at sea . On 2 February 1973 , " Sculpin " entered the Mare Island Naval Shipyard for a three - month restricted availability . After leaving the yard in May , the submarine operated along the Pacific coast until 12 November when it arrived at San Diego and began preparing for a deployment in early January 1974 . " Sculpin " sailed from San Diego on 7 January for Pearl Harbor and the western Pacific on an extended cruise . Decommissioning . " Sculpin " was decommissioned on 3 August 1990 and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 30 August 1990 . Her final Captain was Cmdr . J . B . Allen . " Sculpin " was decommissioned at Newport News Naval Shipyard with ceremonies occurring at Norfolk Naval Base prior to the shipyard event . ex - " Sculpin " entered the Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program in Bremerton , Washington , on 1 October 2000 and on 30 October 2001 ceased to exist .