Columbia and as far south as Ensenada, Mexico. On 1 August 1963, while in convoy with other NRT ships of the 11th Naval District en route to Pearl Harbor, Vammen lost steering control and collided with USS Tingey (DD-539) doing major damage to Tingey, but inflicting no personnel casualties. Tingey returned to San Diego and was subsequently removed from service, the damage being too severe to be economically repaired. Vammen's bow was repaired in Long Beach Naval Shipyard. Age ultimately caught up with the veteran destroyer escort; and, in the summer of 1969, she was adjudged unfit for further service. Placed out of service on 12 July 1969, Vammens NRT crew was transferred to ; and the ship herself was turned over to the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility, San Diego. Struck from the Navy List on 12 July 1969, Vammens stripped hulk was utilized in a Condor missile test on 4 February 1971 and, as a result of the damage suffered on that date, sank on 18 February. The wreck of the USS Vammen was found by scuba divers on 1 August 2010 in about 80 metres of water off San Clemente Island. Awards Vammen (DE-644) earned one battle star for her World War II service and one engagement star for her Korean War service. References External links http://www.ub88.org/researchprojects/ussvammen/uss-vammen.html Buckley class from Destroyers OnLine USS Vammen pictures from Destroyer Escort Sailors Association Buckley-class destroyer escorts World War II frigates and destroyer escorts of the United States Ships built in San Francisco 1944 ships