Since retiring from the Navy I jumped into another career delivering mail in La Jolla, California. Worked at that for 22 years until it became time for me to become a senior citizen and pull chocks. When I finally retired we moved to Parker, Colorado......between Denver and Colorado Springs.......and now enjoy working part time at a neighborhood country club golf course, playing ice hockey, golf and karate.
Rigel Class Stores Ship: Laid down, 7 June 1954, as a Maritime Administration type (R3-S-4A) hull, under Maritime Administration contract (MA 37) at Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., Pascagoula, MS.; Launched, 28 April 1955; Commissioned USS Vega (AF-59), 10 November 1955; Decommissioned, 29 April 1977, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA.; Struck from the Naval Register, 29 April 1977; Returned to MARAD, disposed of by MARAD sale, 1 December 1977.
Vega earned 10 battle stars for her service to units of the 7th Fleet during the Vietnam War.
Specifications: Displacement 15,150 t(fl).; Length 502'; Beam 72'; Draft 29'; Speed 21kts; Armament four dual mount 3"/50 gun mounts; Propulsion: two boilers, oil fired with G.E reduction gear, 600psi cross compound steam turbine, single propeller; Complement 350.
Campaigns and Dates
Campaigns and Dates
Vietnamese Defense
25 July to 1 August 1965
12 to 20 August 1965
5 to 17 September 1965
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase V
4 to 15 July 1968
21 July to 2 August 1968
Vietnamese Counteroffensive
20 to 27 February 1966
9 to 16 March 1966
1 to 6 April 1966
Tet/69 Counteroffensive
8 to 17 May 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
3 to 15 September 1966
23 September to 14 October 1966
20 to 24 October 1966
31 October to 10 November 1966
Vietnam Summer-Fall 1969
11 to 26 June 1969
7 to 18 July 1969
28 to 29 July 1969
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase II
8 to 18 August 1967
26 August to 8 September 1967
26 September to 11 October 1967
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase VI
9 to 22 October 1970
5 to 25 November 1970
30 November to 15 December 1970
31 December 1970 to 13 January 1971
26 January to 6 February 1971
13 to 14 February 1971
23 February to 7 March 1971
Vietnamese Counteroffensive - Phase IV
11 to 22 April 1968
8 to 27 May 1968
Vietnam Ceasefire
4 to 16 April 1972
22 April to 2 May 1972
6 to 16 May 1972
27 May to 3 July 1972
12 to 20 July 1972
10 August to 6 September 1972
