Sink the Vandenberg

USS/USNS Gen. Harry Taylor

22 February 1943 General G. O. Squier Class Transport Laid down as a Maritime Commission type (C4-S-A1) hull, under a Maritime Commission contract, at Kaiser Co. Inc., Yard No. 3, Richmond, CA
- Built by Kaiser Shipyard, Richmond California
10 October 1943 Launched
29 March 1944 Acquired by the Navy,
1 April 1944 placed in ferry commission for transfer to Portland OR for conversion to a transport by Kaiser at Vancouver, WA
10 April 1944 decommissioned
8 May 1944 Commissioned USS General Harry Taylor (AP-145), CAPT. J. L. Wyatt in command
- Service as a troop transport, WWII
- Who was Gen. Harry Taylor?
8 May 1944 to 26 June 1945, Pacific ports
- Ports of call 1944-45
7-8 May 1945 Victory in Europe, surrender of Nazi Germany
29 June 1945 departed San Francisco for duty in the Atlantic
8 July 1945 Passing through Panama Canal
5 August 1945 depart from Marseilles France bound for Panama Canal and planned invasion of Japan
15 August 1945 announcement of victory over Japan
18 August 1945 First Ship Home to New York
2 September 1945 Formal surrender of Japan; “Magic Carpet” voyage from Marseilles, bringing home the troops from European fighting
- "Magic Carpet" bringing the troops home
  - Marseilles, France
13 September 1945 to 21 May 1946, voyages to Egypt, India, LeHavre France and Bremerhaven Germany
13 June 1946 Decommissioned at Baltimore, MD.
Struck from the Naval Register (date unknown)
Transferred to the US Army Transport Service and placed in commission as USAT General Harry Taylor
1 March 1950 Reacquired by the Navy, and assigned to the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS),
Placed in service as USNS General Harry Taylor; reclassified (T-AP-145)
- refugees from Europe and the Hungarian Revolution
19 September 1957 Placed out of service,
10 July 1958 Transferred to the Maritime Commission for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Beaumont, TX.

USAFS/USNS Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg

15 July 1961 Withdrawn from the Reserve Fleet and transferred to the US Air Force,
- 1961 Conversion by Bethlehem Steel and Sperry Rand
Converted to a Missile Range Instrumentation Ship and renamed General Hoyt S. Vandenberg
18 July 1963 Recommissioned; dedicated at Baltimore MD as USAF Ship Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg
13 July 1964 Reacquired by the Navy, and placed in service by the Military Sealift Command (MSC) as USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg (T-AGM-10)
1965-1975 Pacific service tracking missiles launched from Space and Missile Test Center, Vandenberg AFB
January 1976 transferred to Port Canaveral, instrumentation modifications
1977 returned to service serving Eastern Missile Range, based at Patrick AFB, Cape Canaveral FL
- Log of the Vandenberg - 1978-82 (with photo gallery)

MARAD Fleet, James River, VA

8 February 1983 Transferred to the Maritime Administration MARAD Reserve Fleet, James River VA
- 1983 Mothballed and transferred to MARAD
29 April 1993 Struck from the Naval Register

Universal Pictures Movie, "Virus"

10 September 1996 title transfer to Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (DCNO) so that filming for the Movie “Virus” can be authorized.
19 June 1997 return from filming to James River Reserve Fleet
1999 Artificial Reefs of the Keys identifies Vandenberg as best choice for an artificial reef in Key West; requests MARAD reserve the ship for this purpose
- ARK selects ship to create an artificial reef in Key West, Florida
- Florida Keys Community College plans monitoring and educational program
15 January 1999, “Virus” released, starring Jamie Lee Curtis, William Baldwin and Donald Sutherland
1 May 1999 Title transferred back to (MARAD) for lay up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, James River, Fort Eustis, VA.
26 January 2007 Transfer Agreement with the State of Florida signed. for reefing in the Florida Keys
30 March 2007 Withdrawn from the James River Reserve Fleet for clean up and preparation at Colonna Shipyard Norfolk, VA in preparation for sinking as an artificial reef in Key West FL.

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