USS Henry Clay (SSBN-625)

USS **Henry Clay (SSBN-625)** was a Lafayette-class ballistic missile submarine commissioned by the United States Navy in 1964. Named after the American statesman Henry Clay, she played a crucial role in the U.S. nuclear deterrent force during the Cold War by conducting strategic deterrent patrols armed with Polaris and later Poseidon ballistic missiles. The submarine completed numerous deterrent patrols throughout the Atlantic, contributing to the nation's second-strike capability. After over two decades of service, USS Henry Clay was decommissioned in November 1990 and subsequently scrapped as part of the Navy's Nuclear-Powered Ship and Submarine Recycling Program.