May 1967 to participate in the Cotton Carnival at Memphis, Tennessee. On 1 January 1971, Vital received word that her home port had changed back to Charleston. She arrived there on the 27th and, for the next 20 months, operated from that base as a unit of the Atlantic Fleet Mine Force. Decommissioning On 22 September 1972, Vital was decommissioned at Charleston. She was towed to Hampton Roads, Virginia, late in November and, on the 30th, placed in the Norfolk Group of the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She remained there until struck from the Navy List in September 1977. The ship was sold for scrap on 21 July 1979 by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service to Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation of New York City for $25,250. References External links A Salute to the Minesweeper USS Vital (MSO-474), from geocities Photo album of George Scearce, Commander USS Vital (MSO-474) A Navy Minesweeper, USS Vital (MSO-474) USS Vital (MSO-474) USS Vital (MSO-474) Crew List USS Vital (MSO-474) USS Vital photos Aggressive-class minesweepers Ships built in Manitowoc, Wisconsin 1953 ships Vietnam War mine warfare vessels of the United States