The Cold War was not fought in great naval battles but in silence beneath the sea. America’s missile boats carried the burden of nuclear deterrence, vanishing for months at a time to ensure that war never came. Among them was the USS John Marshall, SSBN 611, a submarine with a career unlike most of her sisters.

She began her service carrying Polaris missiles, one of the Ethan Allen class that made up the backbone of the early deterrent fleet. Later she was converted into a special operations submarine, equipped with Dry Deck Shelters to carry Navy SEALs on covert missions. From the 1960s through the early 1990s she stood the watch, first with nuclear firepower and then with commandos and gear packed into her hull.

Tonight we tell the story of the John Marshall, from missile patrols to secret missions, and the men who served aboard her.