USS L. MENDEL RIVERS (SSN 686) was a United States Navy Nuclear Powered Submarine of the STURGEON Class (a.k.a., 637 class).  Built in Newport News, VA, she was one of the few "stretch hulls" that made her a few feet longer than her predecessors*.  The ship was sponsored by Representative Rivers' daughters, Margaret and Marion.

(View the Christening Program:
Page 1,  Page 2,  Page 3)

The boat was originally homeported in Charleston, SC, but was moved to Norfolk, VA after the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Committee closed Charleston Naval Base.

During the later years of service, SSN 686 was outfitted with a Dry Deck Shelter (DDS) which carried a SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV).

The ship's motto:
RIVERS DELIVERS!

Ship's Seal:
The USS L. MENDEL RIVERS (SSN 686) ship seal (see top left) reflects her lasting ties to her host city of Charleston, South Carolina where it was proclaimed "...the four great rivers meet to form the Atlantic Ocean: the Wando, the Cooper, the Ashley, and the Mendel."  Mendel Rivers is still a legend in the beautifully preserved seaport city, and the city has always supported the ship bearing his name.  "RIVERS DELIVERS" was the campaign slogan of this great statesman, and now the motto of this celebrated submarine.

Commanding Officers:

CDR Roderic L. Wolfe
February 1975 to September  1976

CDR Raymond G. Jones, Jr.
September 1976 to July 1979

CDR John F. Jordan, Jr.
July 1979 to December 1982
"The Rivers crew could do it all. I think we sometimes performed better than our natural capability. When you are on top, like Rivers was so often, you could do almost anything! The crew made these years some of the best of my life."

CDR Hollis W. Holden
December 1982 to November 1985

CDR Mario J. Bagaglio, Jr.
November 1985 to November 1988
Bio

CDR Russell A. "Rusty" Pickett
November 1988 to August 1991

CDR Carl V. "Van" Mauney
August 1991 to April 1994
Official U.S. Navy Bio

CDR Brad "Fleetwood Mac" McDonald
April 1994 to October 1996
Photo 1    Photo 2   Bio

"Every day was a holiday, every meal was a banquet, every paycheck was a fortune; best of all I was surrounded by people who loved me and treated me like I was one of their own family....well, that's the way I remember it anyway!"

CDR George M. Petro
October 1996 to March 1999

CDR David A. Portner
March 1999 - Decommissioning 

 

Chiefs of the Boat:
TMCM(SS) Dale Money
ICCS(SS) Jim Williams
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SKCM(SS) Edgar Pitman
MCPO(SS) Mork
??
ETCS(SS) Pete Fly
MMCM(SS) Pat Stables
MMCS(SS) Harold Miller

Keel laid: June 26, 1971 (View 1, 2, 3)
Launched: June 2, 1973
Commissioned: February 1, 1975
Decommissioned: May 10, 2001

(Data courtesy Naval Vessel Register)

Here is a link to the Decommissioning Ceremony pamplet.  It has a lot more information about the boat.

Overall Length: 298 ft.*
Extreme Beam: 32 ft.
Navigational Draft: 30 ft.
Displacement: 4208 tons

(Data courtesy Naval Vessel Register.)

Other data:  The above data came from the "Naval Vessel Register" (NVR).  However, the ship's installed nameplate states the following:

Length: 302' *(making LMR 10 ft. longer than a short-hull 637)
Beam: 31.8 ft
Draft: 28.8 ft
Displacement: 4229 tons (surfaced), 4762 tons (submerged)
Depth Limit: 1300 ft.
Speed: Surfaced 15 kts, Submerged 25 kts

More info

Awards:

RIVERS has a distinguished tradition of excellence spanning over 25 years and has been the recipient of:

6 Battle Efficiency "E" Awards

3 Damage Control "E" Awards

3 Operational & Weapons Excellence "E" Awards

3 Engineering "E" Awards

5 Supply "I" Award

1 Communications Excellence "E" Award

2 COMSIXTHFLT "Hook-em" Awards for ASW Excellence

2 Meritorious Unit Commendations

2 Navy Unit Commendations

1 Tactical White "T" Award

1 Damage Control Red "DC" Award

1 Navigation "N" Award

1 Communications Green "C" Award 

 

Deployments:

February 1976 - August 1976: Mediterranean

August 1977 - December 1977: Mediterranean

August 1978 - November 1978: North Atlantic

November 1979 - April 1980: Mediterranean

July 1983 - October 1983: North Atlantic / Arctic

May 1984 - August 1984: North Atlantic

May 1985 - October 1985: Mediterranean

October 1986 - December 1986: North Atlantic / Arctic

August 1987 - October 1987: North Atlantic

February 1988 - May 1988: North Atlantic

February 1989 - April 1989: North Atlantic

September 1989 - November 1989: North Atlantic

August 1994 - January 1995: Mediterranean

February 1996 - August 1996: Mediterranean

October 1997 - April 1998: Mediterranean

June 1999 - December 1999: Mediterranean

September 2000 - November 2000: North Atlantic / Arctic