The USS Groton (SSN-694) the seventh Los Angeles class submarine, was the third ship of the United States Navy to be named for Groton, Connecticut. USS Groton was built at Electric Boat and commissioned on July 8, 1978, with Commander R. William Vogel III in command and Master Chief Petty Officer Joseph Pow as Chief of the Boat.

USS Groton deployed on its first overseas assignment in March 1980 to the Indian Ocean and completed an around the world cruise in October 1980 under Commander George Emery. The submarine was decommissioned on November 7, 1997.

Groton, Connecticut, rightfully called the “Submarine Capital of the World” is home to the United States Naval Submarine Base, General Dynamics Electric Boat, and the historic USS Nautilus and Submarine Force Museum.

This legacy goes back more than 100 years, and the synergy between the defense industry, U.S military and the people of southeastern Connecticut make Groton uniquely qualified to build this lasting monument.

We need to raise the funds to build a monument in Groton, because we are the Submarine Capital of the World. The Groton community has hosted tens of thousands of Navy and shipbuilding families over the past century, and we are focused on preserving this legacy of our maritime heritage.