Since moving to the Low Country, I have spent a lot of time rediscovering many treasures of the Charleston area.
One of the most significant is the Cold War Submarine Memorial at Patriot’s Point.
Because most of my earlier life was living through the Cold War, the place has pretty significant memories for me. I started my advanced training here in 1973 at the Fleet Ballistic Missile Training Center at the old submarine base. My boat was going to be the USS George Washington although she left for Pearl Harbor and a few years of sailing out of Guam. I was left to finish Auxiliary Package Course and would make my way to Hawaii to wait for the boat to come back from her patrol. I would serve on fast attacks and the Ohio before going to Trident Training Facility and later to Los Alamos and Hunley. A really full Cold War experience.
http://coldwarsubmarine.memorial/
The focus of the Memorial is a full-sized replica of a Benjamin Franklin Class Fleet Ballistic Missile submarine, typical of those that were stationed in Charleston throughout the Cold War. The submarine is depicted returning from a 70 day strategic deterrent patrol, headed fair in the Charleston channel on entry course of 299 Degrees True. The earth is sculptured and landscaped to represent the smooth water build-up over the bow of the submarine, and a frothy, persistent wake crashing to either side of the ship as it moves through the water, both typical of this type of submarine when underway. The submarine is constructed to accurate scale using segmented retaining wall stone for the hull, and with the actual sail, sail planes and rudder from the decommissioned FBM submarine USS Lewis and Clark (SSBN 644) mounted appropriately thereon. As is the case with an actual submarine underway, there are no openings in the hull, and it is dangerous to climb on the hull.”
Now comes the interesting part. A number of us from the Charleston USSVI Base are working on a project to identify how many of the boats listed below have active associations.
And if they have associations, how do we catalogue and contact them?
If yours is one of these boats and you have an answer to the question, can you let me know?
Thanks
Mister Mac
theleansubmariner 
While not a member of any association of my previous boats, I was crewmember aboard:
USS Sturgeon (SSN-637)
USS Ray (SSN-653)
USS Billfish (SSN-676)
…And my father retired (1979) from USS Parche (SSN-683)
Lots of Cold War History
USS Mariano G Vallejo has an active association on Facebook and also a website at ssbn658.org A reunion is planned in Charleston in Spring of 2026. It has been active for a long time with reunions about every three years. We were in Charleston when the Hunley opened for viewing and in 2019 dedicated our sail on the building ways at Mare Island on the exact spot where Vallejo was built. The boat was named for the first Governor of the State of California and Mare Island was part of General Vallejo’s ranch. General Vallejo was a General in the Mexican Army but changed sides during the California Revolution and ended up as a general on the winning side with large land holdings in the North Bay.
why not the John Marshall SSBN/SSN/611
As far as I can tell from what I have been given and can verify, the John Marshall does not have a monument stone in the garden. If I am wrong, I will make that correction.
Mac