Vincennes was commissioned in 1985, and saw service in the Pacific before being dispatched to the Persian Gulf in 1988 in support of Operation Earnest Will during the Iran–Iraq War. Operating in this capacity the cruiser shot down Iran Air Flight 655 over the Persian Gulf, killing 290 passengers and sparking an international incident between Iran and the United States. Following the cessation of hostilities, Vincennes returned to the Pacific Fleet where she remained for the rest of her active career. (Intro from Wikipedia)
August 28, 1981 - USS Vincennes is ordered
October 19, 1982 - Pascagoula, Mississipi - Laid down at Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula, Mississippi
April 14, 1984 - Pascagoula - USS Vincennes is launched
May 1(?), 1985 - Gulf of Mexico - Sea trials
June 3, 1985 - Pascagoula - Acquired
July 6, 1985 - Pascagoula, Mississippi - Commissioned =(START)
August(?) 1(?), 1985 - Panama Canal - Transits Panama Canal to the Pacific
June 1, 1986 - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - USS Vincennes participates in the multinational exercise RIMPAC 86, coordinating the anti-aircraft warfare efforts of two aircraft carriers and more than 40 ships from five nations
August 12, 1986 - San Diego, Califonia - Departs for the Western Pacific in USS Carl Vinson battlegroup. The ship serves as anti-air warfare commander with the USS Carl Vinson and USS New Jersey battle groups
August 18, 1986 - Bering Sea - USS Carl Vinson battlegroup underway in the Bering Sea, becoming the first aircraft carrier to operate for an extended period here since WW2
August 26, 1986 - Bering Sea - Exits the Bering Sea
September 1, 1986 - Busan, South Korea - Arrives in Busan for a four-day port call
September 12, 1986 - Subic Bay, Phillipines - Arrives in Subic Bay for a six-day port call
September 23, 1986 - Singapore - Arrives in Singapore for a five-day port call
October 5, 1986 - Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean - The USS Carl Vinson Battlegroup anchors off the coast of Diego Garcia for a six-day visit to the British Indian Ocean Territories
October 17, 1986 - Masirah, Oman - Arrives in Masirah for a four-day stop
October 30, 1986 - Masirah - Returns to Masirah (until november 2nd)
November 7, 1986 - Karachi, Pakistan - Arrives in Karachi, Pakistan (until November 11th)
November 17, 1986 - Mombasa, Kenya - Arrives in Mombasa, Kenya, for a six-day port visit
November 29, 1986 - Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean - Returns to Diego Garcia for upkeep from (until December 6th)
December 19, 1986 - Fremantle, Australia - Arrives in Fremantle, Australia, for a week-long liberty visit to Perth
January 5, 1987 - Singapore - Returns to Singapore for a six-day port visit
January 21(?), 1987 - Off Adak Island, Aleutian Islands, Alaska - The USS Carl Vinson battlegroup reaches the Aleutian Islands in 10 days for the "Kernel Potlach 87-1" exercise
February 6, 1987 - San Diego, California - Returns to homeport after steaming more than 46,000 nautical miles (85,000 km; 53,000 mi) in waters from the Bering Sea to the Indian Ocean
October 26, 1987 - Coast of southern California(?) - Participates in interim refresher training
November 6, 1987 - San Diego - Returns to San Diego
February 1, 1988 - Coast of southern California(?) - Participates in the exercises FLEETEX 88-1 and COMPUTEX 88-3
February 5, 1988 - Coast of southern California(?) - USS Vincennes simulates escort missions, providing training against silkworm anti-ship missiles and defense against terrorist small boats/swimmers/aircraft (until February 8th)
February 12, 1988 - San Diego - Returns to San Diego
April 8, 1988 - San Diego - Departs for the "FLEETEX 88-2" exercise
April 14, 1988 - While off the coast of Southern California - The frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts hits a mine in the Persian Gulf during Operation "Earnest Will"
April 20, 1988 - Off the coast of Southern California - Orders to detach from FLEETEX 88-2 for immediate return to homeport and prepare to deploy to the Persian Gulf Force. (Navy leaders decided that they needed an Aegis ship to protect the exit of the damaged USS Samuel B. Roberts through the Strait of Hormuz)
April 25, 1988 - San Diego - Departs San Diego for the Persian Gulf - Operation "Earnest Will" (protection of Kuwaiti-owned tankers from Iranian attacks)
May 9, 1988 - Subic Bay, Philippines - USS Vincennes reaches Subic Bay, Philippines
May 16, 1988 - Strait of Hormuz - USS Vincennes reaches the Strait of Hormuz. Training in operations with "Aegis" system and the SPY-1A radar in the Strait of Hormuz
May 21, 1988 - Gulf of Oman - Reaches the Gulf of Oman. Further training before entering the Persian Gulf
May 29, 1988 - Bahrain - USS Vincennes arrives in Bahrain
July 1, 1988 - Persian Gulf - Underway replenishment from USS Niagara Falls (AFS 3) in the Persian Gulf
The helicopter crew reported that they had come under fire and with that report, Rogers turned his ship around and, with the frigate USS Elmer Montgomery, moved to intercept the gunboats. By doing so, USS Vincennes crossed into Iranian waters herself. As the US ships approached, the Iranian gunboats maneuvered, in what Rogers claimed was a threatening fashion. Rogers requested permission to fire and permission was granted by command, without knowing that USS Vincennes had crossed into Iranian waters. USS Vincennes and USS Elmer Montgomery commenced fire upon the gunboats at 9:43 a.m., scoring several hits on the gunboats, sinking two and damaging another.
While USS Vincennes was firing on the Iranian gunboats, confusion reigned aboard the ship as the tracking of aircraft in the area had become muddled, between USS Vincennes and other U.S. ships, and on Vincennes itself. Crucially, USS Vincennes misidentified an Iran Air Airbus A300 civilian airliner, Iran Air Flight 655, as an attacking F-14 Tomcat fighter aircraft. The Iran Air Flight 655 was climbing at the time, and her IFF transponder was on the Mode III civilian code rather than on the purely military Mode II, as recorded by USS Vincennes's own shipboard Aegis Combat System. After issuing multiple radio challenges and receiving no response from the aircraft, USS Vincennes fired two radar-guided missiles and shot down the Iranian civilian airliner over Iranian airspace in the Strait of Hormuz, killing all 290 passengers and crew on board" (From Wikipedia)
July 10(?), 1988 - Bahrain - Anchored at Bahrain throughout the investigation
September 22, 1988 - South China Sea - USS Vincennes rescues 26 vietnamese boat people adrift in the South China Sea
October 24, 1988 - San Diego, California - Welcome home ceremony held for the crew of the USS Vincennes at San Diego, California
September 18, 1989 - Northern Pacific / Coast of Japan - "PACEX 89" exercise involving 54 warships (until middle October)
October 22, 1989 - Sasebo, Japan - Arrives in Sasebo, Nagasaki, Japan
November 9, 1989 - San Diego, California - Returns to San Diego from the North Arabian Sea/Arabian Gulf Operation "Earnest Will" patrols)
February 1, 1990 - San Diego - USS Vincennes is deployed on a third six-month tour of the western Pacific and Indian oceans in USS Carl Vinson battlegroup. The ship coordinated all battle group air events and served as the command-and-control flagship during Harpoonex 90
February 15, 1990 - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - The USS Carl Vinson battlegroup arrives in Pearl Harbor for a 3-day port call
March 4, 1990 - Sasebo, Japan - Pulls into Sasebo, Japan
March 24, 1990 - Subic Bay, Philippines - Moored to Alava Pier, Subic Bay for a 12-day upkeep
April 14, 1990 - Changi Naval Base, Singapore - Moored at Changi Naval Base for upkeep (until April 21st)
April 30, 1990 - Diego Garcia, Indian Ocean - Anchored off Diego Garcia
May 2, 1990 - Diego Garcia - Departs for a month of operations in the North Arabian Sea
May 13, 1990 - Masirah, Oman - Arrives in Masirah for a 2-days port call
May 24, 1990 - Masirah - Returns to Masirah for another two days
June 12, 1990 - Fremantle, Australia - Arrives in Fremantle, Australia, for a week-long liberty visit to Perth
June 28, 1990 - Subic Bay, Philippines - Arrives in Subic Bay for a four-day port call
July 3, 1990 - Hong Kong - Six-days visit to Hong Kong
July 21, 1990 - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - The USS Carl Vinson battlegroup arrives in Pearl harbor and embarks 850 male "Tigers" (until July 23rd)
July 30, 1990 - San Diego, California - USS Vincennes returned home after steaming nearly 100,000 nautical miles (190,000 km; 120,000 mi)
August 5, 1991 - San Diego - USS Vincennes departs for a fourth western Pacific deployment with the aircraft carrier USS Independence battegroup
August 22, 1991 - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - Arrives in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, with USS Independence
August 28, 1991 - Pearl Harbor - Departs Pearl Harbor with USS Independence
September 11, 1991 - Yokosuka, Japan - USS Independence reaches her new homeport. USS Vincennes performed duties as the anti-air warfare commander for Battle Group Delta until detaching to participate as the United States representative in MERCUBEX 91, a joint United States and Republic of Singapore Navy exercise
October 29, 1991 - Coast of South Korea - Replenished at Sea by the LPD USS Dubuque
October 30, 1991 - Pohang, South Korea - USS Vincennes arrives in Pohang with USS Blue Ridge, USS Dubuque and USS St.Louis
November 7, 1991 - Tsushima Strait (between Japan and South Korea) - "Annualex 03G" exercise with the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF)
November 8, 1991 - Coast of South Korea - "Valiant Blitz 1991" exercise with the South Korean Navy
December 1(?), 1991 - Hong Kong - With destroyer USS Hewitt in Hong Kong
December 21, 1991 - San Diego, California - Returns to San Diego
March 21, 1992 - Off Central America(?) - Law Enforcement Operations (LEO) Seizure of drug sailing ship "Driven"
March 25, 1992 - San Diego, California(?) - Returns to San Diego(?)
May 12, 1992 - Off Central America - Law Enforcement Operations (LEO) off Central America (until June 9th)
November 12, 1992 - San Diego - Regular verhaul (ROH) in San Diego
July 9, 1993 - San Diego - End of overhaul
June 24, 1994 - San Diego - USS Vincennes departs on a fifth western Pacific deployment with the USS Kitty Hawk Battle Group
July 14, 1994 - Off Japan - The USS Kitty Hawk battle group commences PASSEX operations with the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF)
July 16, 1994 - Sasebo, Japan - Three-day visit to Sasebo, Japan
July 20, 1994 - Off Japan - Participates in "RAIDEX 94" and conducts PASSEX with the JMSDF
July 24, 1994 - East China Sea - The USS Kitty Hawk battle group conducts PASSEX with the South Korean Navy (until July 26th)
August 4, 1994 - Yokosuka, Japan - Arrives in Yokosuka for a 5-day port call
August 10, 1994 - East China Sea - Operations in the East China Sea
August 22, 1994 - Off the Malaysian Peninsula, South China Sea - Bilateral exercise MERCUB 94–2, a joint U.S. and Singaporean Navy exercise off the Malaysian peninsula (until August 26th), while USS Kitty Hawk arrives in Hong Kong for a 4-day port-call
August 27, 1994 - East China Sea | Sea of Japan - Operations in the East China Sea and Sea of Japan (until September 12th)
September 12, 1994 - Off southern South Korea - The President of South Korea visits USS Kitty Hawk underway
September 13, 1994 - Pusan, South Korea - The President of South Korea visits USS Kitty Hawk underway
September 18, 1994 - China Sea - Fleet test of the Threat Ballistic Missile Defense (TBMD) system
September 29, 1994 - Pusan, South Korea - Returns to Pusan (until October 3rd)
October 10, 1994 - Yokosuka, Japan - Arrives in Yokosuka for a 5-day port call
October 19, 1994 - Yokosuka - Returns to Yokosuka after short exercises for the ship's airwing
October 25, 1994 - Sea of Japan | Western Pacific - Bilateral exercise "Keen Edge" with the JMSDF
November 21, 1994 - Hong Kong - Returns to Hong Kong for a 5-day port call
December 6, 1994 - Guam - "Tandem Thrust" exercise - USS Vincennes participates as the area air defense coordinator for the entire joint operating area
December 14, 1994 - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - Arrives in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
December 22, 1994 - San Diego, California - Returns to San Diego following a six-month Western Pacific deployment with USS Kitty Hawk battle group
January 11, 1996 - Southeastern Pacific | West Indies - Southeastern Pacific/West Indies PASSEX Ecuador/Peru TEAMWORK SOUTH 1996 (information needed)
July 3, 1996 - San Diego, California - Returns to San Diego
October 21, 1996 - San Diego - Selected restricted availability - SRA - USS Vincennes drydocked in San Diego
February 7, 1997 - San Diego - Returns to readiness at her base
August 5, 1997 - San Diego - USS Vincennes departs for her new homeport in Yokosuka, Japan, with SH-60B helicopters from HSL-49 Detachment 8G embarked
August 25, 1997 - Yokosuka, Japan - Arrives to her new homeport
September(?) 10(?), 1997 - near Townsend Island, Australia - Steams to the South Pacific and takes part in Exercise Valiant Usher 98–1 with the USS Belleau Wood amphibious ready group and the Royal Australian Navy destroyer HMAS Perth
October 14, 1997 - Coast of South Korea - "Foal Eagle 97", an exercise that simulates the military defense of South Korea
November 7, 1997 - Yokosuka - Returns to Yokosuka
January 21, 1998 - Yokosuka - Departs Yokosuka for exercises in the Western Pacific and Australia
March 6, 1998 - Off the coast of Australia - USS Vincennes is replenished underway by the amphibious assault ship USS Belleau Wood (LHA 3) off the coast of Australia during the exercise "Valiant Usher '98"
April 24, 1998 - Yokosuka - Returns to Yokosuka
July 1, 1998 - Yokosuka - Selected restricted availability - SRA - USS Vincennes drydocked in Yokosuka
September 22, 1998 - Yokosuka - Returns to readiness at her base
October 19, 1998 - Yokosuka - Departs for "Foal Eagle 98", an exercise that simulates the military defense of South Korea
October 24, 1998 - Off the coast of South Korea - USS Vincennes also takes part in the US 7th Fleet's Fleet Battle Experiment Delta (FBE-D) from 24 October 1998, to 2 November 1998
November 9, 1998 - Off the coast of South Korea - End of "Foal Eagle 98"
November 18, 1998 - Yokosuka - Returns to Yokosuka
March 1, 1999 - Guam - "Tandem Thrust" military training between US and Australian military forces
April 14, 1999 - Yokosuka - Returns to Yokosuka
June 11, 1999 - Coast of South Korea - Korean contingency operations
June 21, 1999 - Yokosuka - Returns from the coast of South Korea
July 6, 1999 - Yokosuka - Departs to visit Thailand and Malaysia
August 16, 1999 - Yokosuka - Returns to Yokosuka
October 19, 1999 - Off the coast of South Korea - "Foal Eagle 99", an exercise that simulates the military defense of South Korea
November 5, 1999 - Yokosuka - Returns to Yokosuka
November 19, 1999 - Hong Kong - Visit to Hong Kong
November 29, 1999 - Langkawi, Malaysia - Arrives to participate in the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Show
December 18, 1999 - Yokosuka, Japan - Returns to Yokosuka
May 19, 2000 - Hong Kong - Visit to Hong Kong
June 9, 2000 - Yokosuka, Japan - Returns to Yokosuka
August 12, 2000 - South China Sea - Completes "Sharem 134", a bilateral exercise with several Japanese ships and other US participants. The exercise included a week of undersea warfare training and data collection in the South China Sea. The ship tested her submarine detection, sonar range testing, and use of sonobuoys, and developed new submarine prosecution procedures
August 21, 2000 - Philippines - "Bridge Sequel" exercise, Philippines
September 6, 2000 - Yokosuka, Japan - Returns to Yokosuka
October 5, 2000 - Coast of South Korea - "Foal Eagle 2000", an exercise that simulates the military defense of South Korea
November 15(?), 2000 - Off Okinawa - Fires missile batteries at remote-controlled aerial drones provided by Fleet Activities Okinawa during MISSILEX 01–1
November 21, 2000 - Yokosuka - Returns to Yokosuka
March 2, 2001 - Yokosuka - Departs for Singapore, Thailand and Guam
March 22, 2001 - Changi Naval Base, Singapore - USS Kitty Hawk, USS Vincennes and USS Chancellorsville call at Changi Naval base
April 20, 2001 - Apra Harbor, Guam - USS Vincennes arrives in Apra Harbor to participate in the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the Commissioning of the Aircraft Carrier USS Kitty Hawk
May 4, 2001 - Yokosuka, Japan - Returns to Yokosuka
August 23, 2001 - Off Guam - USS Vincennes takes part in the "Multi-Sail" military training exercise, designed to provide US and Japanese forces interoperability training in multiple warfare areas (until August 27th)
September 17, 2001 - Yokosuka, Japan - USS Vincennes departs to conduct operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom (Diego Garcia, Singapore, Hong Kong)
December 18, 2001 - Yokosuka, Japan - Returns to Yokosuka
April 24, 2002 - Yokosuka - Departs for "CARAT 02" exercise (Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) - Brunei, Bali, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong)
July 17, 2002 - Zambales, Philippines - USS Vincennes arrives for the opening of joint naval exercises between the U.S. and the Philippines dubbed CARAT 2002
August 10, 2002 - Yokosuka, Japan - Returns to Yokosuka
January 21, 2003 - Coast of South Korea - Counter special operations forces exercises (CSOFEX), South Korea
February 1, 2003 - Yokosuka, Japan - Returns to Yokosuka
March 1(?), 2003 - Yokosuka - Assigned to Destroyer Squadron 15
March 14, 2003 - Incheon, South Korea - USS Vincennes arrives at the Incheon port to participate in the joint U.S.-South Korea military exercise, called "Foal Eagle," between March 19 and April 2 west of Seoul, South Korea
May 29, 2003 - Yokosuka, Japan - Departs for "CARAT 03" exercise (Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) - Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia)
June 9, 2003 - Sattahip, Thailand - USS Vincennes receives Royal Thai Navy personnel aboard
June 12, 2003 - Gulf of Thailand - USS Vincennes conducts training operations in the Gulf of Thailand during the Thailand phase of "CARAT 03"
June 23, 2003 - Muara, Brunei - USS Vincennes arrives for the week-long Brunei phase of "CARAT 03"
August 13, 2003 - Yokosuka, Japan - Returns to Yokosuka
January 28, 2004 - Off Okinawa - USS Vincennes participates in a semi-annual Multi-sail exercise in the Okinawa area with other four destroyers of the Kitty Hawk battle group
February 18, 2004 - Yokosuka - The USS Kitty Hawk battlegroup departs Yokosuka for a spring underway period
March 6, 2004 - Hong Kong - Four-day visit to Hong Kong
March 15, 2004 - Busan, South Korea - Five-day visit to Busan, South Korea
March 19, 2004 - Coast of South Korea - "Foal Eagle 2004", an exercise that simulates the military defense of South Korea
April 12, 2004 - Singapore - Four-day visit to Singapore
April 17, 2004 - Indian Ocean, near Australia - USS Vincennes is replenished at sea by the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk
April 24, 2004 - Fremantle, Australia - Third visit to Fremantle, Australia
May 24, 2004 - Yokosuka, Japan - Returns to Yokosuka after traveling more than 25,000 nautical miles
July 19, 2004 - Yokosuka - The USS Kitty Hawk battlegroup departs Yokosuka for a routine summer deployment
August 19, 2004 - Apra Harbor, Guam - Visit to Guam, which is shortened due to the approach of Super Typhoon Chaba
September 4, 2004 - Philippine Sea - USS Vincennes is replenished at sea by the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk
September 7, 2004 - Yokosuka, Japan - The USS Kitty Hawk battlegroup returns to Yokosuka after 48 days underway in support of "Summer Pulse 04" and routine readiness training
October 9, 2004 - Yokosuka - A Pacific typhoon causes the USS Vincennes to snap away from the pier at Yokosuka and to collide with the USS Coronado (AGF 11). There were no casualties or injuries reported as a result of the collision
April 7, 2005 - Yokosuka - Departs for Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
April 15, 2005 - Pearl Harbor, Hawaii - Arrives in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
June 29, 2005 - San Diego, California - Decommissioned =(END)
