This is just one last reminder about our LST-325 Group Chat Session TOMORROW (Sun., 01 AUG, early afternoon).  Specific times, instructions and other details are included in the 04 JUL post toward the bottom of this page.

Capt. Jornlin is expected to participate and field any questions or comments.  His logon ID is Capt325.

All participants are requested to keep the conversation courteous, civil and clean.  Ladies will be present, including my very own Admiral Mommy.  I don't foresee any problems, but I will be acting as the Discussion Moderator, as well as a participant.  My logon ID is WebSkipper325.

We'll be hoping to see you there!

     ~ LST-325 WebSkipper

On Tuesday, July 20th, I was privileged to view the World War II Memorial for the first time.  What made this even more humbling was the fact that I was accompanied by approximately 150 WWII LST Veterans ... and, I believe, with the spirit of my Father standing beside me.  For those of you who have not yet visited and to renew the memories of those who have ... 

"Here we mark the price of freedom ..."

Looking across the entrance into the white granite and marble monument, the sun was shining and a gentle breeze blowing ...  In my mind, the light stone symbolizing the hope that was given to the free world by the sacrifice and service of so many.  No longer the sound of guns, only of rushing water ... quiet, respectful, solemn.  The water flowed as the memories of loved ones, comrades in arms and respect for those who survived tumbled through minds and hearts.  Those who died were indeed there in spirit ... acknowledging that they had not been forgotten.  Acknowledging and somehow conveying that they were still brothers, now at peace and content.  The memories were not dead.  Tears flowed down the faces of some.  Heads bowed in quiet prayer.  One veteran, proudly erect wearing his Pearl Harbor Survivor beret simply stood with his wife, hands clasped as they remembered.  Others stood in silence as they read inscriptions or gazed at the bas relief sculptures of America at war.

Still remembering.

There were no children playing in the water.  There were no loud conversations.  All walked or stood in reverence.  There was no laughter, no smiles as photographs were taken.  It was enough to just be there. Solemn ... holy.

Entering the monument under the Pacific Pavilion, I gazed across the monument at the Atlantic Pavilion.  I raised my eyes, gazing at the eagles above, in flight -- thinking of my Father, Uncle Ed and my mother's cousin Joe.  Ed and Joe both lie at the bottom of the Pacific ... one a Sailor, the other a Navy pilot.  Only two of hundreds of thousands ... but important to me as the others were to their families.  The sense of enormous sacrifice was overpowering.

At the base of each pavilion is a fountain ... the base of which contains contoured slabs commemorating the major battles of each Ocean's campaigns.

I gazed around at the pillars for the roll call of the nation ... one for each of the 56 U.S. States, Territories and District of Columbia that then joined in the cause of preserving freedom and now forever joined together in one place to give homage. 

The Arsenal of Democracy wreaths hang on each pillar -- wreaths of oak and wreaths of wheat on alternating pillars.  I walked the distance around the monument alone ...  Each of us on the tour, in unspoken agreement, had dispersed to allow some modicum of privacy of thought in the midst of others. 

At the official entrance of the monument I stopped to read ... a massive piece of stone is located there.  Upon that stone is forever inscribed: "Here in the presence of Washington and Lincoln, one the eighteenth century Father and the other the nineteenth century Preserver of our Nation, we honor those twentieth century Americans who took up the struggle during the Second World War and made the sacrifices to perpetuate the gift our forefathers entrusted to us: a nation conceived in liberty and justice." 

I raised my tear-filled eyes to see across the monument to view the Lincoln Memorial in the distance. 

As I continued on, I reached the Atlantic side of the monument.  Looking across I could see the Pacific Pavilion, majestic and noble ...  Of massive proportions, these Pavilions truly represent the enormity of effort given by those who served.  Gazing up at the Atlantic Pavilion, I thought about friends who have shared the Normandy experience with me ... and others who were at Anzio, the Battle of the Bulge ... the deep respect I have for them and what they accomplished. I thought about my Uncle Bob, a two-time Purple Heart veteran who never speaks of his war experiences.  I thought of the 325 and so many other LST's and the heroic efforts to give aid, men and equipment to men on the beach. 

I continued on, yet stopped abruptly when seeing the Freedom Wall, confronted by the 4,000 gold stars representing the over 400,000 men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice.  The need to touch those stars is overwhelming ... a need to convey respect and appreciation to those who died through the simple touch of a hand.  "Here we mark the Price of Freedom" is inscribed at the base.  Indeed ... we mark it ... we reverence it.  As I gazed back across the monument, in the distance I see the Washington Monument.  Again, surrounded by history, these men and women were indeed central to the preservation of life that we enjoy today.

After a time, I continued on, back to the Pacific side of the Monument.  I came back to my point of entrance and I realized that during that time I was not aware of others since my entrance -- I had been lost in thought, in feeling.  I began to read the inscriptions in stone scattered in various locations around the base of the monument. 

"Our debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our Country can never be repaid.  They have earned our undying gratitude. America will never forget their sacrifices."

"They fought together as brothers-in-arms.  They died together and now they sleep side by side. To them we have a solemn obligation."

"Women who stepped up were measured as citizens of the nation, not as women.  This was a people's war, and everyone was in it."

"They have given their sons to the military services.  They have stoked the furnaces and hurried the factory wheels.  They have made the planes and welded the tanks, riveted the ships and rolled the shells."

No one was forgotten or overlooked.

The detail of the monument is minute.  The flagpole's base stated that "Americans came to liberate, not to conquer."  Even the grating is designed with stars ... every aspect of the monument is reflective of sacrifice, of patriotism, of honor to those who served.  Never ostentatious, simple in design yet complex in depth of honor.  The bas relief sculptures beautifully depict the efforts of those at home and those abroad during the war.  Poignant.  Stirring.

I continued with a second walk around the monument.  Several friends stopped me to share a memory, a bit of information.  One pointing to the base of a Pavilion stating, "That's where I began the war ..." Another looking at the D-Day quotation saying, "I waded through bodies to get to the beach ... there were so many ...."  Another remembering a brother who had died.  One remembering a father he would never know  ... 

     ~ Susie Bloom

[Ed. note:  Susie Bloom is one of our hard-working LST 325 volunteers, who goes mostly unheralded because she's normally "behind the scenes" -- if not for the fact that most of her work has been performed "shoreside," she would doubtless be a recognized crewmember by now.]

I'm back from working on the 325 from June 28th - July 3rd, and here is a trip report for the website.  I saw many familiar faces and met some new folks too.  Dave Phillips welcomed me aboard Monday morning, and I was just in time to catch up with Kenny and Anna Adams before they left for home.  I got to meet and spend the week working with Bob and Rosemary Ostrander, two of the most dedicated people I've ever met.  Two more of our most dedicated people, Cal and Pearl Ellison, were also there helping to run the show.

Collins Lawson was aboard several times during the week, wiring up and getting the port and starboard running lights into fine shape.  Phillip Kotheimer diagrammed fire extinguisher, battle lantern, and other important Damage Control gear locations.  Bill Arras was aboard several times troubleshooting ventilation fans; Matt Matoon was hard at work sorting out gear; and I kept busy helping each one, plus adjusting some water-tight door dogs. 

On Friday, July 2nd, Paul Hannie, along with nine crewmembers from the guided missile frigate USS Halyburton (FFG-40) who were visiting from Mayport, Florida, came aboard for several hours of much-appreciated hard work.  They stowed lines and gear topside, moved heavy boxes below decks, swept down the entire tank deck and vacuumed up all the water from the tiedown pockets, and carried many boxes of trash off the ship.  It was a real pleasure to meet and work with all of them.

     ~ Erik Eriksen
 

REMINDER:  Please plan to participate in our LST-325 Group Chat Session on Sun., Aug. 1.  Complete details are available in the July 4 posting further down this page.

Posted 08 July 2004

Things were started up on Wednesday by setting up a display table at the Convention Center, giving a special written invitation to all 100-plus vendors to visit the ship that evening, and Captain Jornlin gave his two-minute welcome and his "glad to be here with you" speech.  Of course they had to discuss the Alcan trip he made with them several years back.  BUT, we now know he was a HITCHHIKER!  This all took place at the MVPA's Board of Directors' Meeting at the Adam's Mark Hotel.  On Thursday, the display table was visited by MVPA members seeking directions to the ship, and to watch a short video of the 325.
Crewmembers of the 325 were giving tours; they were also given a few hours' leave by the Officer of the Deck (by happy coincidence, the Skipper, who happens to be an MVPA Member, so he made sure everyone had an opportunity to take in the sights at the Convention Center).

On Friday, the ship rented a vintage non-airconditioned old school bus and started a 9 am shuttle service to the ship, ending in the early afternoon.

Tour groups continued into Saturday, with a large group on hand for the closing of the bow doors and ramp.

On Sunday, we were visited by some late-comers on their way home from the Convention.  The LST 325 was also the host on Sunday to Luke Janquitto from Island Heghts, NJ.  Luke was the young man with the camera at the Convention Center.  He is the MVPA Director & Editor, and has provided the MVPA with some great video coverage of their past conventions, and he did not want to miss the LST as part of the 2004 convention.

The conversations between LST crew and MVPA members always ended up with how much we have in common: MVPA -- an organization dedicated to preserving military transport ... and then we have the LST-325 crewmembers -- a group of people dedicated to preserving a military transport, Landing Ship, Tank.  It's no wonder that by day's end the ship was vividly imagined by all as being loaded with drab green army trucks and setting sail for an unknown destination.

     ~ Kenny & Anna Adams

What with all the activity lately, it's been a while since I've been able to report.  I left home a few days ago at 5:00 am to head for the ship.  On the way, I stopped to pick up 16-year-old Josh Schick who is a crewmember striker.  I wanted to be on hand to provide tours while the MVPA Convention was in progress.

When I arrived, I was greeted by Dave Phillips and Kenny & Anna Adams.  Capt. Jornlin and his wife Lois weren't too far behind.  Ad Mumford was there, as well as Sid & Gladys Hisel.  Bill Arras also popped in occasionally.

Kenny gave Josh and me a welding lesson.  We had a pretty good turnout from the MVPA Convention, and they are very supportive of us.  Thanks!

The second gangway was installed once again.

The next day, more of the Adams Clan arrived: Dad Marion, Will, John Paul and his wife, sister Ann and Lee.  Will brought his daughter and her friend along (I'm sorry ... I've forgotten their names). 

Josh did some work with Ad in the engine room, and then with the Adams Family, opening the bow doors and letting the ramp down, among other things.

As for the Adams Clan, it's hard to keep up with them.  They find things to do, even when the rest of us think everything's all done.  They thrive on being busy.

I took Josh to the Convention and we were amazed at the restoration their members have done with old WWII vehicles.  Dave and Josh did a little fishing and caught a few catfish, but not enough for a good-sized meal.

It rained every day, but that didn't stop the tours or the work being done on the ship.  Ad was down in the engine room painting the reduction gear.  He's another busy bee!

Lois Jornlin was pretty involved working on the inventory along with Gladys Hisel.  They were also taking care of the shipboard sales.

Come on down and join us.  There's always plenty to be done, and we always have a terrific time doing it.  We'd be glad to have you!

     ~ Ron Maranto

Our first online group chat session (real-time) has been scheduled for Sunday, 01 AUG.  Since most of us are scattered far and wide, this will be a perfect opportunity for us to get together by the scuttlebutt and have a good time.  We can sit and chew the rag, or else we can ask and answer questions.  Sea stories are, of course, always welcome.  Even the ones that are true.

Most likely, Capt. Jornlin will be there.  With his various responsibilities and rapidly-changing schedule, he's not able to make a 100% definite commitment, but he's put it on his calendar.  I'm also encouraging other Board members and crewmembers to be on board for this one.

We haven't had one of these since the ship was in the mid-Atlantic in December 2000.  We had a terrific time, with about thirty people showing up.  (One of them was even in simultaneous radio contact with Jack Carter at the time!)  So we're long overdue for another one of these.

So please plan on joining in.  Put it on YOUR calendar too.

It's scheduled for 01 AUG at 2000Z.  For those not inclined to do the math, that equates to 1:00 pm PDT; 2:00 pm MDT; 3:00 pm CDT; and 4:00 pm EDT.

If this turns out to be successful, we may start doing this on a regular basis.

Now for a few simple instructions (this is a lot easier than you may think).  Click on the "Discussion & Chat" option.  If you haven't yet registered on the Discussion Forum, you will need to do so ... it's fast, free and painless.  Just click on "Create Account" -- you'll need to provide a logon name ("handle"), a password and your email address.  (If your chosen logon name is already taken, you'll need to come up with one that isn't.  The Discussion Forum is hosted on Network54, which is HUGE.  Don't waste your time trying to logon with names such as Bob, Mary or other common names.)

Once you're registered, then Login to the Forum.  Next, click on the "Chat!" link.  On the next screen, click on "Start Chatting."  That will take you to the main chat screen.  The lefthand panel will show the people already there.

At this point, I suggest you click on "Options" at the bottom of the page, and reset the interval to five seconds (this will be how often the page gets refreshed with the newest messages).  Then click on "Members" and that will put the online roster back on the left side.

From this point, you'll see what others are writing.  To add a comment of your own, go to the Message box at the bottom of the screen, write what you want to say, and then either click on the "Send" button or simply hit your <ENTER> key (my preference).

I don't mean to make this sound complicated.  It's not!  I just figure more details are better than fewer.  In the space of five minutes, you'll be up and running.  If you have any problems at all, check your browser and make sure that you have Javascript enabled -- you probably do (Java is NOT required).  I'd suggest that anyone who's interested enter the chatroom at least once before then -- even if there's nobody else there at the time -- just to get familiar with the process and make sure everything's working right.  Don't hesitate to email me if you need some help.

We'll be hoping to see you there!

     ~ LST-325 WebSkipper

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 July 2004:

• 31 JUL 04 - FINAL REMINDER: LST-325 Group Chat Session Tomorrow!
• 24 JUL 04 - The World War II Memorial, by Susie Bloom
• 17 JUL 04 - Update from Erik Eriksen
• 08 JUL 04 - Military Vehicle Preservation Association (MVPA) Annual Convention in Mobile, and LST-325 Crew Come Together, from Kenny & Anna Adams
• 06 JUL 04 - Update from Ron Maranto
• 04 JUL 04 - Online Group Chat Session Scheduled for Sun., 01 AUG, from the LST-325 WebSkipper

• 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