[rmmcdaniell]

Why not James K. Polk?

I think there already was a WW2 era Submarine named after him. I'm too lazy to google right now, so I'll leave that up to you.

[Poohbah]

Negative on The Jimmy K being a WW2 sub--they were all named for fish.

The Polk was built in the 1960s as SSBN 645, one of the "41 for Freedom" Polaris boats. She was later converted to a SEAL transport, and she was decommissioned in 1999.

[Paleo Conservative]

'Why not James K. Polk?'

I think there already was a WW2 era Submarine named after him. I'm too lazy to google right now, so I'll leave that up to you.

There was an SSBN named James K. Polk that was decommissioned in 1999. Since there is not an active ship by that name now, it is available for another ship.

USS JAMES K. POLK (SSBN-645)