On 15 and 16 August 1955, Mendota rescued 46 crew members and one dog from the Portuguese FV Ilhavense Segundo. On 11 and 12 March 1957, Mendota assisted the disabled FV Stella Maris southwest of Louisbourg, Nova Scotia. On 25 January 1958, Mendota towed the disabled USN tug Sagamore and the destroyer escort Stewart to Southport, ME. On 22 May 1958, while serving on Ocean Station ECHO, she rescued the pilots from two USAF jets that had collided. On 6 January 1959, she assisted MV Hillcrest at 34°43’N, 62°30’W. From 1 to 22 August 1960, she was employed on the reserve cruise visiting Veracruz, Mexico. She paid an official visit to Curaçao from 18–21 August 1961. On 15 November 1962, Mendota assisted the disabled schooner Curlew northwest of Bermuda. In March 1965, she served as on-scene commander following a mid-air collision of two USAF aircraft south of Cape Race, Newfoundland. The body of one of the pilots was recovered and returned to Argentia. Mendota coordinated a search for the SV Stella Maris, a yacht with a single crew member sailing from Newport, Rhode Island to Bermuda, in October 1966. The crewman refused assistance when found by Mendota, and Stella Maris later disappeared without a trace. Mendota participated in a medical emergency on board the SS Michelangelo in March, 1967 after Michelangelo was struck by a freak wave. On 24 April 1968, Mendota took on board 26 survivors from Irinis Luck. In the fall of 1968 Mendota coordinated the rescue of the Alberto Beneti during hurricane Helen. Vietnam war After assignment to Coast Guard Squadron Three Mendota departed Wilmington on 27 January 1969, bound ultimately for the waters off the coast of Vietnam. Once in Vietnamese waters, Mendota conducted eight Operation Market Time patrols during which time she detected 1,550 vessels, inspected 825, and boarded 8. Mendota also participated in Special Operation SEALORD missions twice, Navy SEAL support missions three times and Operation Silver Mace once. Mendota acted as a troop transport, operational base, and rest stop for Cambodian and Chinese mercenaries and Hoi Chi troops on numerous occasions. The cutter steamed in the Western Pacific Ocean from March through October, 1969, and was underway 70-percent of that time. Combat operations summary Mendota also conducted naval gunfire support (NGS) missions during her tour. She participated in 31 NGS missions with her main battery, expending 2,527 rounds of ammunition. Additionally 731 rounds