ready to evacuate American families. Upon completion of shakedown training, she made brief visits to Kingston, Jamaica, and Key West, Florida, before returning to Norfolk 27 February. Exercising her "sea legs" Jamestown was redesignated AGTR-3 on 1 April and 8 days later departed on her first deployment visiting Gibraltar; Valletta, Malta; Aden; Cape Town; and Freetown, Sierra Leone, before returning Norfolk 17 August. The ensuing weeks were devoted to preparation for deployment off the African coast. She stood out of Norfolk 2 November for Dakar, Senegal, Cape Town, South Africa, and further service acquiring new knowledge in the vital field of electronic communications. Jamestown then returned to Norfolk 6 February 1965. After operation in the Caribbean in the spring, she transited the Panama Canal for a cruise along the Pacific Coast of South America reaching Valparaíso, Chile, 9 June. She celebrated the Fourth of July at Callao. Peru, and then transited the Panama Canal, returning to Norfolk 23 July. Vietnam operations Exactly 3 months later Jamestown got underway for the Far East and reached Subic Bay in the Philippines 29 December. She operated in the South China Sea gathering valuable information for the Navy's ships fighting to protect the independence of South Vietnam while adding to the long Navy tradition of serving the field of scientific research. She continued operating in the Far East, often operating in the Vietnam war zone, through mid-1969. Jamestown was decommissioned 19 December 1969 and scrapped in May 1970. Awards and decorations The USS Jamestown was awarded a Meritorious Unit Commendation along with the . The citation reads (in part): References External links NavSource Online: Service Ship Photo Archive - AG-166 / AGTR-3 Jamestown Vietnam War ships Cold War auxiliary ships of the United States Research vessels of the United States Navy Ships built in Portland, Maine Liberty ships 1945 ships