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NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive

Contributed by Mike Smolinski

AF-59 Vega

Flag Hoist/International Radio Call Sign:
November - Quebec - Sierra - Juliet
Radio Voice Call - "Thunderbolt Mike"

Awards, Citations and Campaign Ribbons

Precedence of awards is from top to bottom, left to right
Top Row - Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation (2) - National Defense Service Medal - Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (7-Vietnam, 2-Quemoy-Matsu, 1-Korea, 1-Op. Eagle Pull, 1-Op. Frequent Wind, 1-Mayaquezx Op.)
Bottom Row - Vietnam Service Medal (10) - Humanitarian Service Medal (1-Eagle Pull, 1-Frequent Wind)- Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

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, CAPT. Floyd T. Thompson in command

During the Vietnam War Vega (AF-59) participated in the following campaigns:

**Vietnam War Campaigns**
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

Decommissioned, 29 April 1977, at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, Vallejo, CA.

Struck from the Naval Register, 29 April 1977

Returned to the Maritime Administration for disposed

Final Disposition, sold 1 December 1977, fate unknown.

Vega earned 10 campaign stars for service during the Vietnam War

Specifications:
Displacement 15,150 t(fl)
Length 502'
Beam 72'
Draft 29'
Speed 21 kts.
Complement 350
Armament four dual mount 3"/50 gun mounts
Propulsion 600psi cross compound steam turbine, single propeller

Size	Image Description	Contributed By
140k	Vega (AF-59) Welcome Aboard pamphlet cover.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. USS Vega
100k	Vega (AF-59) underway, date and place unknown. US Navy photo	James Byrd USS Vega (Mount 33)
62k	Vega (AF-59) at anchor off Kagoshima, Japan. Note Volcano in background.	R. J. Clark USS Vega
87k	Vega (AF-59) during underway replenishment with a destroyer on her starboard side and an aircraft carrier on her port side, date and place unknown. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. USS Vega
82k	Vega (AF-59) alongside Ranger (CVA-61) while conducting an underway replenishment, WESTPAC, 1965. US Navy photo.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. USS Vega
117k	Vega (AF-59) in position ready to receive a ship to port for an UNREP. At the same time a destroyer is preparing to UNREP off the starboard side of *Vega*, date and place unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. USS Vega
111k	Vega (AF-59) in position to receive an aircraft carrier coming alongside to port for an UNREP. At the same time a destroyer is preparing to UNREP off the starboard side of *Vega. Note the destroyers mast is visible to starboard of Vega*.date and place unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. USS Vega
50k	Vega (AF-59) at anchor in San Francisco Bay, date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. USS Vega
84k	Vega (AF-59) entering San Francisco Bay, date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. USS Vega
90k	Vega (AF-59) underway in San Francisco Bay, August 1957. Photo ©Allied Photographers, San Francisco.	Robert M. Cieri
87k	Vega (AF-59) underway off California, date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. USS Vega
84k	Vega (AF-59) and Ramsey (DEG-2) during underway replenishment in the Gulf of Tonkin in March 1975.	Photo by Terry Hedgewood GM3 USS Vega Submitted by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. USS Vega
80k	Vega (AF-59) moored pierside at NAS Alameda, date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. USS Vega
133k	Vega (AF-59) crew preparing for an underway replenishment, date and place unknown.	Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. USS Vega
50k	Vega (AF-59) moored pierside at NSC Oakland, CA., date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. USS Vega
62k	Vega (AF-59) loading stores at NAS Alameda, date unknown.	Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. USS Vega
57k	Vega (AF-59) moored at pier 2, NAS Alameda, date unknown.	Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. USS Vega
51k	Vega (AF-59) arriving at the Naval Supply Center, Oakland, CA. after completing a WESTPAC deployment, date unknown.	Photo by Richard Miller BMCS USNR Ret. USS Vega
64k	ex-Vega (AF-59) moored at Tacoma, WA. 1987.	Courtesy Lyle Hildebrand USS Vega web site