The USS Stonewall Jackson (SSBN-634) was a James Madison-class fleet ballistic missile submarine active from 1963 to 1995, named after Confederate General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. Constructed at Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, California, her keel was laid on July 4, 1962, and she was launched on November 30, 1963. Sponsored by Miss Julia Christian McAfee, she was commissioned on August 26, 1964, under the command of Commander John H. Nicholson for the Blue Crew and Commander Richard A. Frost for the Gold Crew. Following her commissioning, Stonewall Jackson embarked on her shakedown cruise to Cape Kennedy, Florida, in September 1964. Her Blue Crew successfully conducted a Polaris ballistic missile firing in December 1964, as did her Gold Crew later that month. After post-shakedown modifications, she commenced her first strategic deterrent patrol in April 1965, operating from Apra Harbor, Guam, for the next five years, conducting deterrent patrols during the Cold War. In 1970, the submarine was reassigned to the Atlantic Fleet, transiting from Pearl Harbor through the Panama Canal to New London, Connecticut. She underwent a conversion at Groton to carry the Poseidon C-3 ballistic missile system, completed by October 1971. Subsequently, Stonewall Jackson conducted Atlantic deterrent patrols from Holy Loch, Scotland, until her return to the U.S. for an overhaul in the late 1970s. Later, she was fitted with the Trident C-4 missile system at Port Canaveral in 1988 and operated out of Charleston, South Carolina, and later Kings Bay, Georgia, until her final patrol in 1994. The submarine was decommissioned on February 9, 1995, and scrapped through the Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program by October 1995. Her service marked significant contributions to U.S. strategic deterrence during the Cold War era.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.