The USS Simon Bolivar (SSBN-641) was a Benjamin Franklin-class fleet ballistic missile submarine, laid down in 1963, launched in 1964, and commissioned in 1965. The ship had two crews: the Gold Crew led the 1966 shakedown operations in the Caribbean Sea, and the Blue Crew prepared for and conducted the first deterrent patrol in the same year. The Gold Crew conducted the second deterrent patrol, then went into a training period that stretched into early 1967, while the Blue Crew conducted the third deterrent patrol. The submarine’s routine of deterrent patrols by her two crews continued until 1971, when she underwent an overhaul and conversion of her ballistic missile system to support Poseidon missiles and resumed deterrent patrols thereafter. Following her 40th deterrent patrol in 1979, the vessel underwent another overhaul and conversion of her ballistic missile system to support Trident C-4 ballistic missiles. Throughout the 1980s, the submarine continued to make deterrent patrols and underwent occasional refits. The USS Simon Bolivar was decommissioned and stricken from the Register in 1995. Asbestos was widely used in the shipbuilding industry, especially during World War II and the Vietnam War, impacting the health of veterans who served on ships built for the war effort.
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