ROBERT E LEE SSN 601
Ship Name and Designation History
This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.
Keel Laid 25 August 1958 - Launched 18 December 1959 |
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This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each name of the ship (for example, Bushnell AG-32 / Sumner AGS-5 are different names for the same ship so there should be one set of pages for Bushnell and one set for Sumner). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).
Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.
- USS Robert E. Lee SSBN / SSN-601 Covers Page 1 (1959-1983)
Postmarks
This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each name and/or commissioning period. Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.
A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an
image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN
THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the
existing example.
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Postmark Type |
Postmark Date |
Thumbnail Link To Postmark Image |
Thumbnail Link To Cover Image |
|---|
|
Locy Type 2 |
1959-12-18 |
 |
N/A |
Launching, cachet by Tazewell G. Nicholson
|
USPO Slogan |
1960-09-16 |
 |
No Image |
As SSBN-601
First Day in Commission, Signed by CO Commander Reuben F. Woodall (Blue Crew)
|
USPO Slogan |
1961-01-02 |
 |
No Image |
As SSBN-601
First Successful Launching of their POLARIS missle. The first launch (Blue Crew) was actually on Dec. 22; this was mailed while she was back at the Cape changing crews for the Gold Crew's first launch on Jan. 11. Cocoa (Beach) Fla. was the nearest post office before they put one at Cape Canaveral.
|
Locy Type |
1964-09-15 |
 |
 |
As SSBN-601
Official Ships Cachet and boxed "Free World" slogan.
|
USPS Machine Cancel |
1972-10-05 |
 |
No Image |
As SSBN-601
Polaris A3 Launch cover.
|
Locy Type |
1974-02-10 |
 |
No Image |
As SSBN-601
Official Ship's Cachet.
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Locy Type |
1975-02-06 |
 |
 |
As SSBN-601
|
USPS |
1982-10-06 |
 |
No Image |
As SSN-601
Official Ship's Cachet.
|
Locy Type |
1983-11-30 |
 |
No Image |
As SSN-601
Last Day of Commission, cachet by Tom Armstrong, sponsored by USS Puget Sound Chapter No. 74, USCS
|
Locy Type |
1983-12-01 |
 |
No Image |
As SSN-601
Last Day of Commission +1, cachet by Duane Rosendale
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N/A |
c 1960's |
 |
N/A |
As SSB(N) 601
Honorary Membership Card.
|
N/A |
c 1960's |
 |
N/A |
As SSB(N) 601
Early Ship Sticker.
|
N/A |
1983-11-30 |
 |
N/A |
As SSN-601
Last Day of Commission Invitation
Other Information
ROBERT E. LEE (Blue Crew) received the Meritorious Unit Commendation in October 1969
NAMESAKE - Robert Edward Lee, born at Stratford, Va., on 19 January 1807, entered the U.S. Military Academy in 1825; graduated second in his class; and was commissioned second lieutenant in the Engineer Corps on 1 July 1829. Advanced to the rank of captain by 1838, he served as chief engineer under General Wool and General Scott during the Mexican War. According to General Scott the fall of Veracruz was due in part to Lee's "skill, valor, and undaunted energy." By the end of the war he had risen to the rank of colonel.
After serving as Superintendent of West Point from 1852 to 1855, Lee was assigned to duty in Texas. He refused to aid the rebellion and returned to Virginia. After Fort Sumter was fired upon, Lee was offered command of the Federal Army. He declined, and following Virginia's secession on 19 April 1861, resigned his commission the following day, to accept command of Virginia forces.
After organizing and equipping the troops of his State, he served as adviser to President Jefferson Davis. Succeeding to command of the Army of Northern Virginia when General Joseph E. Johnston was seriously wounded, Lee, with inferior forces, forced McClellan to retreat from the outskirts of Richmond, then marched north to push Union forces toward the Potomac. General Lee's advance ended in the Battle of Antietam on 17 September 1862. He repulsed northern thrusts at Fredericksburg on 13 December 1862 and at Chancellorsville 2 to 4 May 1863, then marched north again until forced to turn back after the battle of Gettysburg.
In March 1864, General Grant, appointed to the supreme command of the Federal Armies, engaged Lee several times in an advance from the Rappahannock to Petersburg. On 2 April 1865, Lee abandoned his lines around Richmond in hope of uniting with Johnston in North Carolina but Grant pursued the retreating Southern Army and forced Lee to surrender at Appomattox Court House on 9 April.
Noble in peace as in war, Lee devoted his remaining years to rebuilding Washington College (now Washington and Lee) at Lexington, Va., where he died on 12 October 1870. {DANFS}
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