USS Dixon AS 37 – History of the U.S. Navy's Submarine Tender & Navy Decals

USS Dixon AS 37 – History, Service Record & Navy Decals

The USS Dixon (AS-37) was a L. Y. Spear-class submarine tender that served the United States Navy during the Cold War and into the post-Cold War era, providing comprehensive basing, repair, and support services to the Pacific Fleet's nuclear fast attack submarine force. Named for Lieutenant George E. Dixon — one of the most heroic and poignant figures in the history of submarine warfare, the Confederate Army officer who commanded the CSS H.L. Hunley — the world's first submarine to sink an enemy warship in combat — on her historic and fatal mission on the night of February 17, 1864.

George Dixon was an Alabama infantry officer who had been severely wounded at the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862, saved from a potentially fatal bullet by a gold $20 coin that his sweetheart, Miss Queenie Bennett of Mobile, Alabama, had given him as a good luck piece. The bullet struck the coin and drove it into his thigh, saving his life — and Dixon carried that bent gold coin for the rest of his life as his most treasured possession. When the H.L. Hunley needed a commander willing to take her into combat after two previous crews had perished in training accidents, George Dixon volunteered. On the night of February 17, 1864, he led his crew of eight men through the dark waters of Charleston Harbor, attacked and sank the Union sloop-of-war USS Housatonic with a spar torpedo — and then vanished with the Hunley into the sea, not to be found for 131 years.

When the Hunley was raised in 2000, the remains of George Dixon were found at the commander's station at the forward crank — and beside him was the bent gold $20 coin, engraved with the words: "Shiloh April 6, 1862. My life Preserver. G.E.D." One of the most moving artifacts in American military history, Dixon's lucky coin confirmed his identity and made tangible the human story of the man who led the first successful submarine attack in history. USS Dixon (AS-37) carried that name and that legacy of courage, dedication, and sacrifice throughout her career in service to the submarine force that Dixon's bravery helped inspire.

Keel, Launch & Commissioning

Dixon's keel was laid down on September 7, 1969, at the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) in San Diego, California. She was launched on June 20, 1970, and commissioned into the U.S. Navy on August 7, 1971, as the second ship of the L. Y. Spear class under hull designation AS-37.

Class & Design

USS Dixon was one of the L. Y. Spear-class submarine tenders — purpose-built to support the Navy's nuclear-powered fast attack submarines (SSN). At approximately 644 feet in length and displacing approximately 23,000 tons fully loaded, she was equipped with sophisticated facilities for the maintenance and repair of nuclear propulsion systems, advanced sonar and weapons systems, torpedo workshops, and all the other highly specialized technical capabilities required to maintain the Navy's most advanced fast attack submarines in peak operational condition.

Her comprehensive nuclear propulsion maintenance capability, combined with her full range of submarine support workshops, made her one of the most capable submarine tenders in the Pacific Fleet — an indispensable asset to the fast attack submarines that were the cutting edge of American undersea warfare capability throughout the Cold War.

Pacific Fleet Fast Attack Submarine Support

Commissioned in August 1971, USS Dixon was assigned to support the Pacific Fleet's nuclear fast attack submarine force. Homeported at San Diego, California, she provided comprehensive basing, maintenance, and support services to Pacific Fleet fast attack submarines throughout the Cold War — keeping the submarines that conducted anti-submarine warfare operations against Soviet submarines, intelligence-gathering missions in the Western Pacific, and forward deterrence operations across the Pacific theater operational, capable, and ready for their demanding missions.

Pacific Fleet fast attack submarines during the Cold War operated across some of the most challenging and consequential waters in the world — from the North Pacific beneath the Arctic ice to the South China Sea, tracking Soviet submarines, supporting carrier strike group operations, and maintaining the undersea superiority that was a cornerstone of American Pacific strategy. USS Dixon kept those submarines ready for every mission through the Cold War's most demanding decades.

Later in her career, Dixon was homeported at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, extending her support to the Central Pacific and continuing to provide comprehensive fast attack submarine tender services across the broad Pacific theater.

Post-Cold War Service

Following the Cold War's end, USS Dixon continued to support Pacific Fleet fast attack submarines as the Navy restructured for the post-Cold War strategic environment, maintaining her essential role through the transition years of the early 1990s.

Decommissioning

USS Dixon was decommissioned on October 7, 1995, after more than 24 years of commissioned service — a career spanning the height of the Cold War through its conclusion and into the post-Cold War era.

Legacy

For the sailors and nuclear-trained submarine specialists who served aboard Dixon — the nuclear propulsion technicians, torpedo specialists, sonar repair professionals, and submarine maintenance experts who kept Pacific Fleet fast attack submarines battle-ready through more than 24 years of Cold War and post-Cold War service — she represents a career of exceptional dedication to the submarine force. Named for Lieutenant George E. Dixon — the brave Confederate officer whose lucky gold coin saved him at Shiloh and who gave his life leading the world's first successful submarine attack in 1864 — USS Dixon honored that legacy of submarine courage with every year of distinguished service to the fleet's most advanced attack submarines on the Pacific frontier of American naval power.

Shop USS Dixon AS 37 Navy Gifts & Decals

Honor your service or give a meaningful gift to a USS Dixon veteran with our full line of USS Dixon AS 37 products:

• USS Dixon AS 37 Aluminum License Plate — Show your Navy pride on the road.
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• USS Dixon AS 37 License Plate Frame (Metal or Plastic) — Pair with your license plate for a complete look.
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All products ship from the USA. Custom options available — contact us for details.