Will Rogers

(SSBN-659: dp. 7,320 (surf.), 8,220 (subm.), 1. 425'; b. 33' dr. 31'4", s. 6 k. (surf.), 20+ k. (subm.);cpl. 110, a. 16 Polaris, 4 21" tt.; cl. Benjamin Franklin)

Will Rogers (SSBN-659)—the 41st and last Polaris submarine—was laid down on 20 March 1965 at Groton, Conn., by the General Dynamics Corporation's Electric Boat Div.; launched on 21 July 1966; sponsored by Mrs. Hubert H. Humphrey, the wife of the Vice President of the United States, and commissioned on 1 April 1967, Capt. R. Y. Kaufman and Comdr. W. J. Cowhill in command of the Blue and Gold crews respectively

Following shakedown, Will Rogers culminated her initial training and work-up by conducting a successful Polaris shot in the Atlantic missile range off Cape Kennedy, Fla., on 31 July 1967. In October of that year, she made her first deterrent deployment

Will Rogers was based out of Groton, Conn., until 1974 when she shifted to a forward deployment at Rota Spain. She conducted additional deterrent deployments from Rota over the next four years, into 1978, bringing the total number of patrols made to 35.

From the latter half of 1978 until November 1991 Will Rogers was forward deployed at Site One in Holy Loch, Scotland. On 9 November 1991, Will Rogers departed Site One, the last submarine to leave Holy Loch before Submarine Squadron 14, which had been based there, was deactivated.
Deactivation, decommissioning, and disposal
Deactivated while still in commission, Will Rogers entered the U.S Navy's Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Bremerton, Washington on 2 November 1992. She was formally both decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 12 April 1993. Scrapping via the recycling program was completed on 12 August 1994.