USS Sam Rayburn SSBN 635 – History, Service Record & Navy Decals

USS Sam Rayburn (SSBN 635): A Cold War Sentinel Beneath the Waves

For the sailors who served aboard her and the families who waited at home, USS Sam Rayburn (SSBN 635) was more than a submarine — she was a silent guardian of American security during one of history's most tense eras.

Ship History

USS Sam Rayburn was a James Madison-class fleet ballistic missile submarine commissioned on December 2, 1964. Named for the legendary Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, Sam Rayburn of Texas, she was built at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia.

Throughout her service life, Sam Rayburn conducted deterrent patrols in the Atlantic Ocean, carrying Polaris and later Poseidon ballistic missiles as part of the Navy's strategic nuclear triad. Her crew — divided into Blue and Gold crews who alternated 60-day patrols — maintained constant readiness during the height of the Cold War.

She was decommissioned on April 1, 1978, after 14 years of distinguished service. Her hull number, SSBN 635, remains a point of pride for every veteran who served aboard her.

Hull Number Explained

The designation SSBN breaks down as:

• SS — Submarine
• B — Ballistic missile
• N — Nuclear powered

Hull number 635 placed her in the James Madison class, a group of 10 submarines that formed the backbone of America's undersea nuclear deterrent through the 1960s and 70s.

Honor Her Service

If you served aboard USS Sam Rayburn — or want to honor a family member who did — we carry a full line of USS Sam Rayburn (SSBN 635) products:

• USS Sam Rayburn Vinyl Decals – Navy Vinyl Decals Collection
• USS Sam Rayburn License Plate Frames – Navy Plate Frames Collection
• USS Sam Rayburn License Plates – Navy License Plates Collection

Each item is made in the USA and proudly displays the ship's name and hull number.