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Here's a great article I found at www.northwestnavigator.com: -- USS Parche (SSN 683) Sailors past and present, former commanding officers, distinguished gusts, friends and family paid tribute to the Parche and its 30 plus years of dedicated and faithful service to the U.S. Navy during a decommissioning and change of command ceremony at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) Oct. 19. The guest speaker for the event was Rear Adm. Paul Sullivan, commander, Submarine Force U.S. Pacific Fleet. The USS Parche is named after its predecessor USS Parche (SS 384), which was commissioned Nov. 20, 1943. The name Parche comes from a French butterfly fish, Chaetodon Capistratus, which is known for its remarkable navigation abilities. Throughout its 30-year career, the Parche has earned numerous accolades including nine Presidential Unit Citations and 10 Navy Unit Commendations. The Parche Sailors, past and present, have helped place the Parche into the elite category of being known as the Navy’s most decorated submarine. In a letter addressed to the Parche Commanding Officer (CO), Capt. Charles Richard, the President of the United States thanked those responsible for the submarine’s success. After 30 years of faithful service, “the Parche has earned its place in our nation’s maritime history. From the Cold War to the ongoing Global War on Terrorism, the Parche’s achievements and resourcefulness has helped ensure our country’s security...The many crewmembers that have served aboard the Parche can take great pride in their contributions to our Navy and our nation. As Parche lowers her colors after more than 30 years of faithful service, I salute her current officers and crew for their hard work and commitment to excellence. We also recognize those who have served with honor, courage and commitment on the Parche over the years. Decommissioning might be the end of a vessel’s service, but the pride and tradition of service to America will remain in the hearts of many forever.” During the ceremony, Sullivan spoke about how proud he was to be on hand to witness such a special occasion. “Capt. Richard, you and your crew have never looked better. The Parche crewmembers and reunion group embody the motto of the Parche herself, parexcellence. Your steadfast devotion to duty, ingenuity, boldness and competence of Parche crewmembers past and present symbolizes the very essence of our nation and is a clear demonstration of your love and passion for freedom.” Sullivan added it’s because of each Sailor’s exceptional service that the Parche was able to take the ship to sea safely and provide the nation with national security through their war fighting readiness. As the outgoing CO, Richard, boasted about his crew and what a pleasure it was to serve with an impeccable crew. “Parche has consistently set the standard for material readiness, right up to her last day underway a few weeks ago. You just can’t find a more dedicated, enthusiastic, hard charging group of men willing to go to sea for extended periods of time away from family and friends doing a job that needed to be done, not for favor or reward, but because their country asked them to. They are true American heroes.” Witnessing this special event was sentimental for those who once served on Parche many years ago. “I was a part of the commissioning crew, and I wanted to see it full circle and see the decommissioning ceremony. It was a great boat from start to finish. It ran well, performed all of its duties, and we did our best to make it look better,” said former crewmember Dennis Doering. And for those who were a part of the last Parche crew, the day will not soon be forgotten. “The Parche is the last of the old boats, the Sturgeon class submarine, and I really liked it a lot because I’ve grown up with them over the past 20 years. I’m going to miss the crew because that’s what makes the boat what it is. The camaraderie that we have here is better than any other sub I’ve ever served on,” said Senior Chief Machinist Mate (SS) Gary Kernan, engineering department Master Chief. Now that the Parche era has come to a close, and a new CO takes the helm, the legend of this infamous ship will continue throughout and long after the decommissioning process. “My vision is that this will be finished with the same penosh as all their previous exploits and faithful to the spirit of the ships motto, Parexcellence,” said the new commanding officer Cmdr. Bill Guerrero. http://www.northwestnavigator.com/index.php/navigator/regionalnews/parche_decommissions_at_psns/