January 1971 - July 1972

Captain Andrew G. Merget was raised in Ridgewood, Queens, N.Y. and graduated from the U. S Naval Academy in 1953. His first tour of duty was as CIC Officer on USS Benner (DDR 807), followed by assignment as Gunnery Officer aboard USS Turner (DDR 834). After serving as Commanding Officer USS Nahant (AN 83) his first shore duty was Freshman Instructor, NROTC Dartmouth College in Hanover, N. H.. He subsequently served as Executive Officer, USS Peterson (DE 152) and Operations Officer, Naval Station, Key West, FL.

After a tour as Executive Officer, USS Nicholas (DD449) in Pearl Harbor, He served in country Vietnam as Officer -in- Charge, Naval Advisory Detachment, DaNang, RVN. A two-year tour as Head,Weapons Department, Destroyer School, Newport, RL preceded his tour as Commanding Officer, USS McKean.

After detachment from McKean he graduated from the Naval War College, was selected for Captain and served in the Operations Directorate, Joint Chiefs of Staff. Another tour in Hawaii as the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, Third Fleet and a twilight tour at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, from which he retired in 1981.

Captain Merget’s awards include two Bronze Star Medals with Combat "V". He is married to the former Lucille Mann of Vancouver, B.C. Canada. They have two sons, Andrew and James. Presently the Mergets reside in Bothdll, WA.