>From the “Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships,” (1970) Vol. 5, p.214. PARGO Pargo: A fish of the genus Lutianus found in the West Indies. SSN-650 Displacement: 4,600 t. Length: 292’ Beam: 31’ Draft: 28’8” Speed: 20+ k. Complement: 107 Armament: 4 21” torpedo tubes; SUBROC Class: STURGEON The second PARGO (SSN-650) was laid down 3 June 1964 by General Dynamics Corp., Electric Boat Division, Groton, Conn.; launched 17 September 1966; sponsored by Mrs. James L. Holloway, Jr.; and commissioned 5 January 1968, Comdr. Steven A. White in command. Assigned to Submarine Development Group 2, with a homeport of New London, Conn., her primary wartime mission is to detect, track and destroy enemy submarines. She combines the endurance and environmental independence of nuclear power with deep submergence, high speed, quietness, and the most advanced weapons and electronics capabilities. These characteristics make her one of the Navy's most effective anti-submarine warfare weapons. After acoustic trials and a restricted availability at Groton, Conn., PARGO participated in the search for submarine SCORPION (SSN-589) 27 May to 7 June 1968, and spent the rest of the year conducting various trials in the Caribbean and off New London. As of 1970, the second PARGO is still operating with the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. [PARGO was decommissioned and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 14 April 1995. She went through the Navy’s Nuclear Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program at Bremerton, Washington from 1 October 1994 to 15 October 1996. When she emerged from the program, she no longer existed as an entity and was listed as scrapped. Internet web site: United States Naval & Shipbuilding Museum www.uss-salem.org/worldnav/usa/decom.htm Transcribed by Michael Hansen mhansen2@home.com