USS Will Rogers (SSBN-659)
The USS Will Rogers successfully fired a Polaris Missile on July 31, 1967. The vessel
completed over 70 Fleet Ballistic Missile Deterrent Patrols and completed more than
1,000 dives (more than any other SSBN). She was fast, silent, and almost immune
to surprise attack; endurance that stemmed from nuclear power. The last of the “41
for Freedom” Polaris submarines, she was the only ship of the United States
Navy to be named for humorist Will Rogers (1879–1935).
- Type: Balistic Missile Submarine
- Length: 425 ft
- Displacement: 8,220 tons - submerged
- Beam: 33 ft
- Launched: July 21, 1966