Where is the USS Richard B. Russell SSN-687 now? - By STSCS(SS) Roger Lundin

   "Let me go back a few years. April 1974 I was a "NON Qual", I was E-6, I was coming from the surface ship Navy and
I was reporting to my first submarine and it was a new Fast Attack Submarine being built in Newport News Shipyard.
As time moved toward the commissioning of the submarine I was the center of many, many jokes, tricks, and pranks
and anything else the Qualified crew members could and would think up for a "NON-Qual".  After hard studying and
a few tries I Qualified and received my Dolphins. After being in the Navy a long as I had been, you'll never know
how much that meant to me to have the Dolphins pined on my chest. Not only was I proud to wear my Dolphins, but I
was proud to be part of the of this GREAT submarine crew. Over my three tours aboard the submarine, I was part of
a crew that I could not believed how close and how much of a family they were. Sometimes I felt closer to my
shipmates than I did to my own family. One time we had a Captain that wanted to find out who was the oldest crew
member aboard. I came in second, because the Captain was older by 3 days.

   After my sea tour I was transferred to shore duty and after my tour on shore duty, I requested to return to my
previous command. I was lucky enough to receive orders back to my previous submarine and it was like coming
home. The next tour for me was off to various school commands and then lucky enough to come back to the same
submarine. Over my three tours, I was the first to reenlist twice aboard and proud of it. After my retirement I tried to
keep in touch with some of my old shipmates, but as time goes by it gets harder and harder to find anyone as they
tend to move around and not have time to keep in touch or join one of the military web sites. I missed the
decommissioning, which I really wish I could have been there. After the decommissioning, my former submarine
was transferred to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard to be cut up for scrap. I was retired in the area of the shipyard. I
started asking IF there was anyway to get a piece of my old "Boat" and I was told by everyone I talked to that the
Government did not do that anymore.

   Then one day I received a phone call from a person from the shipyard and he told me he had something for me. I
met with him and he handed me something wrapped in white paper towels and was heavy. I started to open it and
he said wait until I got home. I asked where it came from and he said, it was given to him in a fast food parking lot
he couldn't tell me any more. I drove home and sitting in the driveway I opened the paper towel and there was a
2"x2"x2" piece of the hull of my former submarine with the words inscribed in one side. EX SSN 687. I don't know
where the rest of my former submarine "USS Richard B. Russell, SSN 687" is now, but I know that piece of the hull
sits on a shelf in my living room and I'm still proud of it today and the memories that it brings back to me.

   I have attached a couple of pictures to share with my shipmates the part of our Submarine I know about.

Roger C. Lundin STSCS (SS) USN Retired"
For those who would like to reach Rog Lundin:
Rog [asubsailor at gmail.com]
Thanks, Rog!!  I hope you are doing well and life's
treating you good.  Do you still have that camper?  :-)
Welcome To The Official Website For The
U.S.S. RICHARD B. RUSSELL (SSN-687)