Over three decades, the USS Parche became the most decorated ship in U.S. naval history – yet little is known of her activities.

It was an event that started a story in American military history like no other. In June 1968 the United States Navy ordered the construction of a special type of submarine. Then, just under five years later, the vessel finally saw her launch. And yet little did people at the time know that this craft would go on to make U.S. naval history.

The USS Parche (SSN-683), as the vessel was christened, was launched in January 1973. Yet it wasn’t until over 18 months later that she actually entered into active service for the U.S. Navy. From that point on, though, the ship would prove to be an invaluable addition to the American fleet.

Across over three whole decades of service, the USS Parche was involved in numerous naval operations. And despite the fact that she supposedly never fired her weapons, the vessel proved herself essential to protecting American interests. She even managed to remain functional well past the days of the Cold War.

But in October 2004 the USS Parche was finally retired from active service. And nine months later, the ship was stricken from the register of American naval vessels. Still, by that time it had solidified its legacy, having become the highest decorated vessel in U.S. naval history.

The United States Navy actually has its roots in the Continental Navy, which was founded in the midst of the American Revolutionary War. It’s worth noting, though, that the Continental Navy experienced a number of ups and downs throughout the course of its existence. For instance, while it achieved a number of victories against the British, 24 of its ships were also lost.

Now, come September 1785 all the ships within the Continental Navy’s fleet had been either lost or sold. That’s because at this time it was proving too expensive to manage and care for these vessels. And as a result, the United States spent nearly a decade without a naval force.

However, in 1794 Congress passed the Naval Act, which led directly to the founding of a permanent navy. This legal act called for the creation of six ships, the first three of which were ready three years later. These were the USS United States, the USS Constellation and the USS Constitution.

The newly formed U.S. Navy was initially subject to relatively small skirmishes against the French and the North African Barbary States. But it was soon engulfed in the War of 1812 against Britain. Here, after victories against a number of Royal Navy vessels, the Americans managed to push the British away from Lake Champlain and Lake Erie.

Later, in the midst of the Mexican-American War, the U.S. Navy once again demonstrated its seafaring abilities. Throughout the course of the conflict – which lasted between 1846 and 1848 – the Navy obstructed Mexican seaports. It also contributed to the first major American amphibious operation – by facilitating the landing of 12,000 U.S. troops in the Mexican city of Veracruz.

Image: Carlos Nebel, Adolphe Jean-Baptiste Bayot

In order to achieve victory at Veracruz, the Americans needed to attack the city with larger weapons. So, naval volunteers set up and operated sizable guns, ultimately contributing to the U.S. taking the city. And this success later allowed the Americans to go on to conquer Mexico City and thus conclude the conflict.

Then in 1861 the American Civil War erupted between the northern Union states and the southern Confederacy. And during this conflict, the Union’s naval forces were notably more capable than those of the Confederacy. In fact, the Unionists’ force even pioneered a new sort of naval activity that took place on rivers.

Yes, during the war the Union’s navy started to patrol the murky waters of the Mississippi River. This in turn led to similar river-based naval activities being termed riverine warfare. And the Union proved adept in these activities, making traveling by river difficult for the Confederacy.

The American Civil War was also notable for advancing naval warfare past the exclusive use of wooden ships. In fact, the conflict saw the first clash of two ironclad vessels – the Union’s USS Monitor and the Confederacy’s CSS Virginia. Fighting over two days in March 1862, neither vessel overcame the other, and the fighting ultimately ended in a tie – unlike the wider conflict.

Following the Union’s overall victory, the vessels of the U.S. Navy were apparently of little concern, and they became outdated. Yet an initiative to modernize the fleet was introduced during the 1880s, and the Americans became a global naval force to be reckoned with. What’s more, the fleet’s potential was demonstrated when the U.S. Navy decisively overcame Spain’s military fleet in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.

By 1907 American construction of ships had advanced to the point where the country’s navy was considered comparable to those of Germany and Britain. And so in order to demonstrate this new strength, President Theodore Roosevelt commanded that American ships sail around the globe. This journey lasted fourteen months and was conducted by vessels collectively known as the Great White Fleet.

The U.S. Navy once again strengthened in the midst of the First World War. Though the United States declared neutrality at the start of the conflict, the Naval Act of 1916 saw the U.S. significantly advance its fleet. The idea behind this legislation was, you see, to turn the American Navy into a major global power.

The United States – and consequently its navy – joined the First World War in April 1917. And the naval forces were concerned primarily with opposing German U-boats in the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. But given the country’s late entry into the war, the U.S. Navy’s more significant vessels never actually faced the Germans.

Then, in the years between WWI and WWII, the U.S. Navy greatly developed its fleet. And after America actually entered into the later global conflict, its naval forces flourished even further. What’s more, they were particularly effective when the country was battling against the Japanese in the Pacific, for example.

By 1943 the U.S. Navy in fact possessed a fleet larger than all of the others involved in WWII combined. When the conflict reached its end in 1945, in fact, more than 70 percent of naval forces worldwide were reportedly American. And at its most significant point during the war, the U.S. reportedly managed nearly 7,000 ships.

Of course, the end of WWII soon saw the beginning of the Cold War. And the possibility of a full-on engagement with the Soviet Union during this period encouraged the U.S. to further develop its navy. So it was that a range of new vessels, weapons and aircraft were developed.

The U.S. Navy also played a significant role in the Vietnam War. And it generally became a pivotal force within the United States’ overall approach to nuclear deterrence. What’s more, it was within the context of the Cold War that America created its first operational ballistic missile submarine: the USS George Washington (SSBN-598).

Then in the early 1960s the U.S. Navy began constructing Sturgeon-class submarines. This new generation of vessels were to be nuclear powered and primarily tasked with attacking enemy ships. The class first entered into active service during the latter half of the decade, in 1967.

Sturgeon-class submarines could reach a maximum speed of 26 knots – or just under 30 miles per hour. They were also capable of being armed with a range of weaponry, including Harpoon and Tomahawk cruise missiles. And the submarines were, furthermore, designed to have torpedo tubes in the middle of each vessel.

Image: US Navy Arctic Submarine Laboratory

During the Cold War, a number of ships were constructed that fell under the banner of the Sturgeon class. Examples include the USS Sturgeon (SSN-637), the USS Tautog (SSN-639) and the USS Pargo (SSN-650). But looking back now, one ship in particular amassed more honors for her service than any other.

The USS Parche (SSN-683) was launched in 1973 and got her name from a type of butterfly fish found in coral reefs. The vessel’s sponsor was Mrs. Philip A. Beshany. The concept of a ship’s sponsor is traditionally associated with a woman from society whom it’s believed will provide the vessel with good luck.

The Parche first entered active service for the U.S. Navy in August 1974. Initially commanded by Richard N. Charles, she was a part of America’s Atlantic Fleet Submarine Force until 1976. But in October of that year, the vessel was reassigned to the country’s Pacific Fleet.

Upon joining up with the Pacific Fleet, the USS Parche was subjected to some alterations – although very little is known about these changes. In any case, around this time the vessel managed to slip from public view. Why? Because the Navy had reportedly chosen her to play a role for the National Underwater Reconnaissance Office (NURO).

NURO actually started operating in 1969 as a means of allowing the CIA and U.S. Navy to oversee underwater surveillance. It was an extremely secretive branch – and the mere fact that it existed was only confirmed in 1998. In addition to employing the USS Parche, NURO used vessels such as the USS Halibut (SSGN-587) and USS Seawolf (SSN-21) to spy on the Soviets.

These ships were kitted out with instruments that could be used to listen in on enemy communications. Hence, NURO apparently sent them into Soviet waters to have them collect vital information. And indeed, the USS Parche spent a number of years working in this way.

Apparently, the U.S. submarine force is often dubbed the “silent service,” owing to the optimal spy work that it performs when undetected by the enemy. So it was that NURO and the Navy undertook measures to retain the clandestinity of the USS Parche. In fact, it has been alleged that any crew member assigned to the vessel was sworn to total secrecy.

Now at the beginning of the 1970s the United States discovered that there was a communications cable in the Soviet-controlled Sea of Okhotsk. And, realizing the benefits of spying on this cable, America sent the USS Halibut into the territory. This activity fell under the banner of Operation Ivy Bells.

The USS Parche was eventually called upon to take part in Operation Ivy Bells too. And the mission ultimately proved successful in allowing the Americans to wiretap Soviet communications. The vessels also managed to collect pieces of enemy anti-shipping rockets, paving the way for the U.S. to later design protections against them.

Following Operation Ivy Bells, the USS Parche was undoubtedly part of other naval operations. Yet given the secretive nature of the vessel and its objectives, little is actually known about the nature of these ops. In fact, most missions are still classified – decades after they took place.

What is known, however, is that between 1987 and 1991 the USS Parche undertook modifications once again. This time around, though, the vessel was extended by around 100 feet at the hull – allowing for more crew members and equipment to come aboard. And she was also enhanced to enable her to sit at the bottom the ocean.

When its alterations had been completed, the USS Parche was reintroduced back into the fold in 1991. But the Soviet Union was to collapse by the end of that year, signaling the end of the Cold War. And yet the submarine still remained operational for a number of years to come.

Interestingly, it has been posited that the USS Parche was involved in the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis of 1995 and ’96. This incident saw China fire ballistic missiles into the sea surrounding Taiwan in order to intimidate the smaller neighboring country away from pursuing independence. It’s also thought that the submarine may have collected some of the resulting rocket pieces, thereby acquiring information on the Chinese weapons.

By the turn of the millennium, however, the USS Parche had become outdated. And so in 2004 – after thirty years of service – the submarine was finally retired. Yet in spite of the secretive nature of her activities, she nonetheless became known as the most decorated vessel in American naval history.

Over the course of its career, you see, the USS Parche had racked up a whole host of significant honors. In fact, the submarine was awarded with 13 Navy Expeditionary Medals, ten Navy Unit Commendations and nine Presidential Unit Citations. And no other ship has been bestowed with so many awards in all of the U.S. Navy’s history.

In October 2004 a service dedicated to the USS Parche’s retirement was organized at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington. And the following July, the vessel was officially removed from the U.S. Navy’s register. The craft was then scrapped for parts – although her sail and markings were saved and are now displayed at Bremerton.

Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Terrell Stephens of the Naval Hospital Bremerton has summed up the significance of maintaining the USS Parche’s sail. He told the U.S. Navy’s official website, “It’s important to remember the sacrifices of those who have gone before us. Saving this piece of history shows an appreciation to the past submariners.” He added, “This sail shows a milestone that was set forth in the past to make history what it is today.”