By Michael Smith, Posted 23 June 2004

The ship’s crew is starting to gather for this week’s Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) annual meeting in Mobile.  Preparations are underway both aboard and with the convention personnel to assure that the MVPA folks have every opportunity to see and enjoy the LST.  Buses will be available, and instructions for those who wish to drive themselves are ready to be handed out at the convention.  There is already strong involvement from the ship’s crew in the MVPA, and hopefully after this weekend the ship will have many new friends and supporters.  Both the LST 325’s mission and that of the MVPA are similar.  To preserve living, operational military transport, to educate the public and to serve as memorials for the nation's veterans.

In the midst of all the regulars showing up, the LST 325 continues to be blessed with new volunteers lending their time and talents.  I met two new volunteers today.  Phillip Kotheimer was in his second week aboard the ship.  He is coming twice a week and yesterday was working with Sid Hisel on installing a new fire extinguisher bracket in the aft crew quarters.  Josh Schick is also new and was introduced to the ship by Ron Maranto.  Josh knew Ron from the D-Day Museum’s LCVP project, so he comes with good experience.  It’s also nice to meet someone younger then myself working on the ship.  Josh was helping Ad Mumford in the main engine room.  (Josh, next time you won’t be able to avoid the camera!) 

Mrs. Jornlin and Mrs. Hisel rearranged the wardroom to better display the various souvenirs available aboard the ship.  The new layout is much more appealing and accessible.  Ron Maranto and Dave Phillips were on the main deck reinstalling an old cover that had been leaking.  Kenny and Anna Adams and Bill Arras were also aboard; they went over to Bender's to retrieve the spare davit winches and some other parts that had been left in storage.

The MVPA convention is an important event for the ship.  Come out and show your support.  It is also a great opportunity to come out for weekend tours.

     ~ Michael Smith

  - LST-325 Public Statement on the 2004 Atlantic Voyage
  - Many New Items are Now in the Ship's Store
  - LST-325 Collectibles Auction is Now Underway
 

LST-325 Public Statement on the 2004 Atlantic Voyage

LST-325 entered drydock on April 5th -- five weeks after the planned drydock date (this was due to a hospital ship requiring additional work, followed by an accident that damaged the drydock facility).  We had been scheduled to complete our shipyard work by the end of April. However, LST 325 did not leave the shipyard until May 26th -- two days after we were to have been underway for Boston (pending successful dockside trials and a sea trial). The soonest we could have been underway with a  revised time schedule was May 31st, Memorial Day Weekend.  No Marine Inspectors were working on Memorial Day Weekend -- not even for the 325.  Therefore, it would have been June 1st, under the best of circumstances.

As a result, our revised arrival date in Boston would have been June 12th -- instead of the 5th -- the very day we were to leave Boston for Gloucester.  We would have lost seven in-port days, out of a total of the 23 days scheduled (i.e., one-third of our available revenue-producing days). The ship’s costs for fuel, port fees, tugs, pilots, etc. would have remained the same (23 days underway), but with only 16 days in port.  Thus, the  voyage could no longer be justified in terms of costs, scheduling, dockside/sea trials and safety.  Lastly, any revised departure schedule would now have to work under the assumption of no more surprises during any of the dockside/sea trials. Making that kind of assumption is certainly a bit of a stretch. 

Our work with LST-325 has never been easy; she is a lady of surprises and she has given us a few (but manageable ones, and not with such tight time schedules as this). She has also given us many pleasurable surprises -- her watertight integrity is sound and requires very little work.  In short, we ran out of time and a decision had to be made.  The Board of Directors therefor decided to postpone the trip for one year.  Nothing has altered my personal opinion that this was the only prudent choice. 

     ~ Bob Jornlin, Captain, LST-325 
           President, The USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc.
 

Many New Items are Now Available in the Ship's Store

A number of new items have been added to the Ship's Store.  Please take the time to have a look at them.  There's certain to be something that will tickle your fancy, or make for a nice gift for a loved one.
 

LST-325 Collectibles Auction is Now Underway

Several LST-325 collectible items are now available at auction.  Most are philatelic in nature.  All of the items are scarce, and some are one-of-a-kind!  Please click here to check out the auction items.

The LST (Landing Ship Tank) landing craft was designed and built primarily to transport tanks, vehicles, supplies and troops to enemy shores during the World War II era.  During this four-year period, a total of 1,051 LSTs were constructed and put in service in Europe and the Pacific.  Evansville, Indiana, was one of several locations in the U. S. that built LSTs.  167 were constructed in Evansville during the war years. 

Approximately 50 years after World War II ended, a group of Navy veterans formed the USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc.  These veterans were LST crew members during WWII, Korea and Vietnam.  A search was started to locate a World War II-era LST with intentions to restore it to an operational status and create a floating Memorial/Museum that was capable of going on tour. 

The U. S. Navy was contacted and the results were negative.  The Navy had scrapped all World War II LSTs.  Other countries were contacted.  With the exception of Greece, the results were disappointing.  Several LSTs were located in Greece; they were in disrepair and scheduled to be scrapped in the near future.  The Greek Government gave one to the organization in 2000. 

The ship selected was LST 325 (built in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania).  After several months of repair work by the volunteer crew members and off-duty Greek and American sailors, the ship was ready to sail.  All of the physical labor was donated.  Funding for this project consisted of contributions from corporations, companies, the crewmembers themselves and other interested individuals.  The ship was ready to sail back home to the States in mid-November. 

The volunteer crew of about 30 men, all Navy LST veterans (average age 72), left Crete and arrived in Mobile, Alabama, on January 10, 2001. 

During the ship’s scheduled stay in Evansville, July 11 through 21, three thousand (and on some days, over four thousand) visitors arrived at the ship to be given tours.

Several miles offshore in the English Channel, near midnight, LST 325 maneuvers into position against a troop ship and boards troops -- destination Omaha Beach.  During the slow trip to the beach (at approximately 8 or 9 knots), German bombers pound the Allied vessels in the area.  Sporadic firing of the ship’s anti-aircraft guns at enemy bombers occurs.  The Landing Ship stops, the bow doors open, the landing ramp drops.  The troops disembark in darkness into shoulder-deep water, which slowly becomes shallower as the beach is approached.  Among the group is 22-year-old Arthur Garland, a former coal miner from the mountains of east Kentucky.  To be more specific, Private First Class Garland, from Bell County, Middlesboro, Kentucky, is an artillery man assigned to Battery B of the 37th Field Artillery, Second Division.  The group reaches Omaha Beach at 1:00 a.m. on June 8, 1944. 

Retired Earlington, Kentucky, coal miner Arthur "Rough Country" Garland, accompanied by his wife, two daughters and a son-in-law, arrive at the ship’s mooring in Evansville.  They are informed that ticket sales for the day have ceased due to the long waiting line of tour visitors. 

Arthur, in conversation with one of the volunteer firemen helping with the tours, commented that this LST 325 was the ship that he was on when he landed on Omaha Beach during the Normandy Invasion.  Arthur was informed immediately he did not need a ticket.  Nor would he go into the long waiting line -- he was going to tour the ship right now. 

Being confined to a wheel chair, and under oxygen 24 hours a day/7 days a week, assistance was needed.  Two of the volunteer firemen pushed him up the gangplank, lifted him over the side and onto the deck.  He was accompanied by his daughter Susan.  Crewmembers then assisted him throughout a complete tour of the ship. 

Word spread quickly among the crewmembers, volunteer firemen and the large group of tourists on board of Arthur’s previous involvement with LST 325.  The scene on board became very emotional among the many crewmembers, volunteers, and visitors.  A lot of handshaking took place.  Cameras were used to photograph and many, many tears were shed throughout the tour.

Considering that 1,051 LSTs were built and utilized during World War II, and assuming Greece scrapped their remaining LSTs in 2000 as planned, at present -- six decades following World War II -- only two are known to exist in the U.S.  The other is LST 393.  It is owned by a single individual, located on Lake Michigan and docked in downtown Muskegon, Michigan.  LST 393 is classified as permanently moored.  [Ed. note: a handful of LSTs are still in active service in other countries.] 

The odds are enormous against a person -- four weeks short of his 85th birthday -- boarding the very same ship that nearly 60 years prior he disembarked from in darkness into shoulder-deep water, in France.  The ship is the only navigable World War II era LST in the U. S.  It was scheduled to fade into history via a Greek scrap yard within a few months, but was rescued by the USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc. 

Arthur is affectionately known by many, many people as "Rough" (short for "Rough Country") a nickname that he was tagged with almost 50 years ago.  In closing, I say to my friend "Rough" that sixty years have passed since your first introduction to USS LST 325 on the night of June 7, 1944.  Of the total 1,051 LSTs constructed and utilized in World War II, most are now history and the 325 was destined to join them in oblivion.  It was saved by a small group of war veterans, you might say, almost at the last minute.  I believe your visit on the same ship (325) in July 2003, defeated the tremendous odds against the occurrence of such occasion, and definitely meets the criteria of an "extraordinary event."  The event reminds me of two expressions often heard.  One being, "It wouldn’t happen again in a million years," and the other being, "It’s a small world we live in after all."  Hang in there, "Rough."  You are a true American Patriot.

     ~ Gene Roberts
           Madisonville, Kentucky

Well, here I sit on a Sunday afternoon, fulfilling the WEBSKIPPER's request for an update on the financial status of the 325.  When I left the ship in Chickasaw and arrived home, I had an attitude that was hard to describe -- disappointment, upset, maybe a feeling of failure.  I am sure a lot of the Atlantic Voyage crewmembers, who busted their butts for us trying to make it work, felt the same way.  Time has a way of healing this sort of thing and we will come around.

We spent almost $500,000 at Bender's Shipyard, and had an awful lot of work done on the ship.  Most of the work is not visible to the eye but I assure you that she is in much better condition.  There's still some work to be done below decks to prepare for Atlantic Voyage 2005.

The hull was sandblasted to bare metal from the main deck down.  Two coats of epoxy primer and a finish coat was applied.  The old girl looks pretty good.  We spent money removing the rust and scale on the undersides of the gun tubs, and removed the spy shack and motor generator room.  A new $18,000 AC generator is now on deck on the O1 level.  We have a new radar, gyrocompass, and transducer (depth finder) along with a new mast.  All of this work has cost in excess of $600,000.  We are still solvent and will be able to manage all our expenses, but we need to start immediately on raising additional funds for the Atlantic Voyage next year.  One of the big expenses we need to plan for is 50,000 gallons of diesel fuel and I am sure there will be many more, considering we are working with a 62-year-old ship.  Let's keep working on donations and Atlantic Voyage 2005 WILL HAPPEN.

It's important to note that -- even though we are still solvent -- we experienced a double-whammy this year.  Not only did we spend a lot of money getting the ship prepared; but we lost a lot of anticipated short-term revenues due to the ultimate postponement of the trip.  Had the trip come about, it might have come close to a "wash."  That's not to say that the expenditures were in vain -- they most definitely were not.  It's only to indicate that we'd anticipated having those costs covered to some degree with our anticipated revenues this year.

I want to take a minute to thank all the crew that were aboard trying to get the ship ready to go, especially the deck gang.  You fellows did a super job, and it was much appreciated, I assure you.

     ~ Bruce Voges
           LST-325 Treasurer
           LST-325 BMC "Boats"

Cruise Book:  Chapter One from Cliff Dunaway Posted 10 June 2004       Shown at right: Cliff Dunaway on a well-deserved shore leave

Through all the blood, sweat, and tears, we became a crew, didn't we?  We didn't get to sail, we didn't get a crew photo or even a crew color, but we a WERE a crew!

Would you join with me in fixing some of that?  We can have a crew picture.  Even more than that, we can have something of a "cruise book."

To those who participated as crewmembers and volunteer workers for the 2004 Voyage:  Send me your pictures and I'll burn them onto a CD and then return a copy of the final CD to each of you who do. I don't know about you, but I've probably got 100 or more snapshots to share.  With good participation in this project, we should have a nice collection.

It will take a month or two to get this done, but we can preserve some very nice memories.

Now, for some ground rules:

• If you are ONLY able to send traditional snapshots, and want them back, include an SASE (big enough and with enough postage).  E-mail me for my mailing information.  Also, please identify your pictures as yours, with your mailing address and telephone number on the back of each one, so I know who to return them to.
• If at all possible, send them digitally (email, CD or floppy).  You can visit Kinko's or a similar printshop to perform such services if you're unable to do so yourself.  Send them via E-mail if you can.  My email address is duna7502@bellsouth.net.  You should know that because of some E-mail restrictions (mainly AOL), you may have to send just one or two at a time, but it works well enough and it certainly makes this job so very much easier.
• Please identify the picture(s) as to subject(s) and context.  (Believe it or not, some of your names are already gone from my feeble memory!)  If you like (and preferably), include a caption or other comment.  That will add a lot of interest to the CD.  This will be especially true as time passes and memories fade.

Contributors will each get one CD free.  Extra CD's will be made available through the Ship's Store at a price ýet to be determined, say, about ten bucks + S&H of about three dollars or so.

Chapter TWO of the "Cruise Book" will come next year, when we all sail proudly into Boston or whereever else we want to go!  See you there, boot.

     ~ Cliff Dunaway, SN1C, LST 325

We closed up the ship and took it back to Chickasaw with Bob and Rosemary Ostrander placed in charge.  Bruce Voges, Jim Bartlett, some dedicated volunteers, and I worked on the 325 from April 5th when it went into the shipyard until June 3rd.  They are tired and I am tired.  Bruce said he slept for three days after he got home June 3rd.  Bruce and I rode together from Mobile to Champaign, IL, where my wife picked me up, then two more hours home.  It was a long day and good to be home!

The decision to postpone the trip to Boston was very difficult, probably one of the most difficult in my life.  The entire Memorial Board made the decision, and then informed the licensed officers before we told the crew and the world.  At that meeting, the licensed officers supported our decision.  We felt it should come from the LST Memorial Board, and not lay the decision on the licensed officers.  We had missed the window, and we would still not be ready as I write this update.

At this time the #2 F & F pump motor is being worked on again, and the bilge pumping system installed by the yard does not work.  The delay getting into drydock just did not allow us enough time to get all the repairs done correctly, take our sea trial, and get underway in time to meet the schedule.

We had a great crew and everything was set up to make a great trip, but it was just not to be.  I could go on and on with all the reasons we canceled, but it was NOT for lack of effort by everyone involved.

The MVPA Convention will be in Mobile from June 24-26, 2004, with some 2,000 expected to be in attendance.  We hope we can get all of them out to see the ship.  This will make up for some of the revenue lost by not going to Boston.

Meanwhile, we still need volunteers to maintain the ship and perhaps be in charge for a time -- call Bill Kaupas or myself if you can help or have any questions.  Bob and Rosemary cannot do it all.  The ship’s landline phone works again (251-452-3255), but we lost our cell phone service for the time being due to a change of servers.

I will say the ship has never looked better!  We will start working on the 2005 trip and trying to find a permanent home for her right away.  We hit a snag, but we will not give up our dreams! 

May the wind be always at your back! 

     ~ Bob Jornlin
           Captain, LST 325

Posted 06 June 2004

When it was announced that the Atlantic Voyage was to be postponed for a year, I needed a way home.  My wife drove down to Mobile, along with my grandson Chase.  I managed to talk them into staying for a few days while I finished up with the ship.  Little did I know that this would turn out to be a proud time for me and grand time for Chase.

The crew welcomed Chase and provided him with an opportunity few ever get and Chase responded with delight. 

Soon after reporting aboard, he began interviewing for striker.  The pictures below tell the story.

     ~ Cliff Dunaway

A Personal Dedication from the LST 325 WebSkipper Posted 04 June 2004 (0100Z)    At right: WebSkipper Jim Anderson flanked by XO James Edwards and Captain Jornlin in Evansville during the River Trip in July 2003

It's never been my intention to utilize this website as my own personal forum.  I guess I've been able to resist that particular temptation so far, but today I break that tradition.  I wish to dedicate my efforts on behalf of LST 325 to my family.

We have Tom Brokaw to blame for those efforts.  After reading his book "The Greatest Generation," I was compelled to research my Dad's WWII history.  Mr. Brokaw mentioned how many vets never spoke of their experiences.  My Dad, Edward A. Anderson, Sr., was a MoMM3 on LST 1110 in the Pacific Theater.  Though he wrote Mom often, he never spoke of what was happening.  Neither did he speak of the war to me and my brother.  All we knew was that he "ran the engines on one of the ships that carried tanks."  At the time, that was plenty enough for us.  After all, we were kids and the war was already just so much dusty history, even in the 1950's.
 

Working on a temporary assignment in the Netherlands in late 2000, I couldn't resist the urge to visit the 325.  After all, I was most of the way there already.  Also (and I have NEVER mentioned this to any of the Gold Crew), I had serious doubts that they'd get the old rustbucket back to the States -- at that time, it was one problem after another.  I figured it might well be my only opportunity to see an LST up close and live.  I have to add that when I met these wonderful old salts, all doubt immediately disappeared.  I was overwhelmed with their wealth of talents and skills, not to mention their determination despite all odds.

I returned home in mid-December 2000.  At that time, I used the LST 1110 website to issue reports and to display a daily progress map, updating it with every SITREP from the late Jack Carter (a more wonderful man is hard to find).  I didn't intend to be at the arrival in Mobile, but when they reached Nassau, I could resist no longer.  I was the jerk madly waving the BRAVO ZULU flags.

At that time I was fiercely determined to help the ship in any way that I could.  Having full-time employment in Salt Lake City, opportunities to visit the ship would have been minimal.  So I set up a working model for a website.  I was ecstatic in February 2001 when Capt. Jornlin gave me the go-ahead.

So here we are and please believe me when I say I never intended to get so long-winded.  As always with the 325, I got carried away.

And now I want to dedicate my far-off efforts to my family.  First, of course, my Dad.  He is now in his final port-of-call.  If not for him, this ship would be just another curiosity for me.  Next, to my older brother Ed, Jr. who unfortunately passed away at the tender age of 39.  Finally, but foremost today, my Mom.  She and I are the only ones left in the family.  And I definitely have to include my stepfather, A. J. Barnes ("Pops"), who has now also passed on.  That brings yet one more little story.

Pops very much wanted to serve in uniform.  The government wouldn't let him, because he was in a war-critical industry.  He served as foreman in GM's Electro-Motive Division.  Yes, he built the exact same engines that my Dad worked on!  I'll always wonder if they ever shared the same GM 12-567 in common.

Okay, I'm ready to wrap this up now with a little request.  How about sending my wonderful Mom Irene ("Admiral Mommy") a little email birthday greeting?  Can we fill up her mailbox?  She can be emailed at xxxxxx@xxxxx.xxx (email address since deleted so that she doesn't wind up on too many spam lists).  The sooner, the better ... she's the one that wakes up the birds.

I'm finally done.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOM!

     ~ LST 325 WebSkipper

  - Report from Kenny Adams
  - Photo Gallery from Pat Perrella
 

REPORT FROM KENNY ADAMS       Shown at right: The Adams' parade one of LST 325's LCVP's on Memorial Day in their hometown in Ohio

The Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) is holding its National Convention at the Convention Center in Mobile, AL.  Their email address is HQ@mvpa.org and their website is at www.mvpa.org.

I have talked to them and we can have a center table devoted to the ship, and the ship's information will be printed in the programs to be distributed at the gate as people come in.  They plan on 1,500 to 2,000 people over two days - they think they will all come to visit the ship.

There will be several of us from Ohio coming down there to help.  Anna and I plan to come a week earlier to get things set up with the Alabama MVPA Chapter. 

While the MVPA and LST 325 have somewhat different interests, they most definitely go hand in hand.  We've had WWII-vintage vehicles on the ship for display.  Who knows but that the day may come that we make a journey with a fully-loaded ship!  Wouldn't that be a sight worth seeing?  I think it's very important to establish and maintain good, ongoing relationships with each other.

I'd like to encourage our LST 325 people to come visit the MPVA convention for exactly this purpose.  Together, we can make things really happen in the future.

By the way, our family (mainly Dad) are very good friends with Art Pope, the Vice President of the MPVA.  Art has been to our farm and has become enthusiastic about our ship.  Maybe we could ask Art to consider taking the ship under their wing and have him try to get a $1.00 per year per member contribution from the MPVA ....

The convention dates are June 24-26.  We're going to see if we can't make some kind of transportation arrangements to shuttle people back and forth to the ship.  We'll hope to see you there!
 

~ Kenny & Anna Adams

Posted 02 June 2004
 
 

Shown at right:
Our hard-working
(and long-suffering)
ace photographer
Pat Perrella

Thanks, Pat!

A personal note from the WebSkipper:  I'd like to encourage absolutely anybody and everybody to provide material for this page.  By no means are submissions here restricted to just certain individuals.  The whole purpose of this website (and especially this particular page) is to share information about our LST Memorial with the entire community.  Sitting here 2,000 miles away, I personally don't have a clue what's happening aboard the ship unless somebody tells me.  To date, I've posted absolutely every single tidbit of information that's come my way.  If you have any news to share at all, please just send me an email:  WebSkipper@LSTMemorial.Org -- all of us would be very appreciative, and we all want to know what's going on!

Legend:

[Note:  Effective 01 JUL 04 all references to Gold and Blue Crews will be discontinued.  In addition, the placement of stars next to the names of individuals will also be discontinued.  Crewmembers may be identified on the Crewmember page.]

Archive for June 2004:

• 23 JUN 04 - Preparations for the MVPA Convention, from Michael Smith
• 20 JUN 04 - LST-325 Public Statement on the 2004 Atlantic Voyage
• 20 JUN 04 - Many New Items are Now in the Ship's Store
• 20 JUN 04 - LST-325 Collectibles Auction is Now Underway
• 16 JUN 04 - Sometimes It's a Small World, from Gene Roberts
• 16 JUN 04 - Treasurer's Update
• 10 JUN 04 - Cruise Book: Chapter One, from Cliff Dunaway
• 09 JUN 04 - Captain's Update
• 06 JUN 04 - Breaking in a New Recruit, from Cliff Dunaway
• 04 JUN 04 - A Personal Dedication from the LST-325 WebSkipper
• 03 JUN 04 - Report from Kenny Adams
• 03 JUN 04 - Photo Gallery from Pat Perrella

• 31 MAY 04 - Addendum to Michael Smith's Report
• 30 MAY 04 - Final Installment of LST-325's "That's the Way It Was" Now Posted
• 30 MAY 04 - Update from Michael Smith
• 29 MAY 04 - LST-325 Memorial Day Events in Mobile, AL
• 25 MAY 04 - LST-325 Trip to Boston Delayed
• 25 MAY 04 - Military Records Research Tips from Sharon Lawrence
• 25 MAY 04 - Report from Kenny Adams
• 24 MAY 04 - Progress Report from Capt. Doherty
• 24 MAY 04 - Note from the LST-325 WebSkipper
• 24 MAY 04 - Photos from Michael Smith
• 18 MAY 04 - A Birthday Celebration for Our BMC
• 15 MAY 04 - Update from Capt. Doherty
• 14 MAY 04 - Update from Capt. Doherty
• 13 MAY 04 - Update from Michael Smith
• 12 MAY 04 - Update from Capt. Doherty
• 10 MAY 04 - Urgent Message from Terry Leahy
• 08 MAY 04 - LST-325 NEEDS YOU! from Capt. Doherty
• 08 MAY 04 - LST-325 PAPA IS CLOSED UP from Bill Kaupas
• 08 MAY 04 - Captain Doherty's Biography
• 08 MAY 04 - HELP URGENTLY NEEDED FOR OUR UPCOMING VOYAGE from Bill Kaupas
• 07 MAY 04 - Progress Report from Ron Maranto
• 04 MAY 04 - "Mosier's Raiders: The Story of LST-325" by Dave Bronson is Now Available

CDR Jackson Carter was LST 325's Executive Officer before and during the voyage back from Greece.  In addition to his normal duties, he was an avid ham radio operator and enjoyed communicating during his down-time with other hams all over the world.  He also maintained a website for LST 325 which included all of his situation reports, as well as many photographs showing the hard work done in Greece getting the ship seaworthy – that site is a must-see for anyone who hopes to understand what it took to bring this ship home.  Most importantly, Mr. Carter was one of the finest human beings one could ever hope to meet.  He passed away just five weeks after finally realizing his dream.  This website now carries on the work – and the dream – where he left off, and in his memory.  Thanks, Jack ... for being you.    Fair winds!

In Memoriam Jackson Carter