Progress Report 
from Michael Smith
Dated 29 September 2002

After riding out the tropical storm in New Orleans and finding we were lucky enough to make it through without flooding, our thoughts immediately turned to the 325.  I was able to head over to Mobile early Friday morning and make it aboard the 325 by 8:30.  I was so happy to find out the ship rode out the storm with out any damage.  With many extra lines and a couple of vigilant crewmen, the ship stayed put.  I have included a picture here of the high water around the ship.  As you can see, one can no longer tell where the land ends.  The new LCVP was also well moored with plenty of line with slack that would have allowed for rising water.  The ship was without power until 10:00 am on Friday but it was a shore power problem, not a shipboard issue.  By the time any visitors arrived the lights were on and the ship was ready for business. 

Volunteering has been a little slow in the summer, but that certainly doesn’t mean that things are not getting done.  Check out the progress with the chipping and painting!!  The painting crew is really doing their part.  The difference is unbelievable.  Things also continue to slowly fall into place mechanically.  Work on the steering gear has been completed.  Everything is operational in the system including the rudder angle indicator.  New air compressors for the main engine room have been procured.  These were necessary before other main propulsion work could be planned. 

The new LCVP appears to be in great shape, and I was told that it runs!  I haven’t gotten the full scoop yet but apparently the only expense in procuring it was shipping costs.  Perhaps on my next trip I’ll get some interior photos. 

Everyone in the 325 community should know that the Gold and Blue Crews, along with many other volunteers, are doing a fantastic job down in Chickasaw!

     ~ Michael Smith

The wardroom panty no longer serves as a workshop.

Update from Ron Maranto

I arrived in Mobile at 8:00 AM on Monday, went to the Brookley Center where I got a room, and then I went to the ship.  James Edwards and his wife Doris are the on-duty Gold Crew.  James' son Larry came to spend the week with them, and turned to with the rest of the Blue Crew. 

Chuck Frawley was busy chipping paint, and the rest of the Blue Crew were busy securing the ship in case Hurricane Isidore should hit in the Mobile area. 

We managed to get rid of two barrels of used oil through a recycling company.

We now have a fifth LCVP.  I do not know the details as to where it came from, but with a little work it will be in good operating condition.

We now have a 10-ft. ladder platform to attach to the gangway, which will make it a lot easier to board the ship.

WE ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF PLUMBERS AND ELECTRICIANS!PLEASE come help if you can.

There's not much else to report at this time.  I'll be going back as soon as time is available.

     ~ Ron Maranto

Report from Paul Hannie

On Sept. 20, 2002, at 9:30 AM, a Memorial Service was held for LST 394 and LST 1049 aboard the 325.  A full military service was held, with an invocation by Chaplin Col. Phil Cassiby (Ret.).  A 21-gun salute was made by the U. S. Marines Corps, with Taps being blown by Al Polowski. 

Following the 21-gun salute, the ship's bell rang out in memorial for the sailors killed during WWII and those deceased since WWII.  Paul Hannie was moderator.  Sidney Hisel was bell-ringer.  Calvin Ellison handled the ship's visitors.  Pearl Ellison, Doris Edwards, and Sidney's wife, Gladys Hisel, staffed the wardroom. 

The Marines were greeted aboard by The Halls of Montezuma, and the sailors and their guests by Anchors Aweigh.  A memorial wreath was cast overboard during the service. 

After the ceremony, the guests took a tour of the ship.  Guides for the occasion were Larry Johnson, Calvin Ellison, Sidney Hisel, Red Lake, Bill Arras, Chuck Frawley, Matt Mattoon, and Paul Hannie.  Upon disembarkation, the Marine Anthem and Anchors Aweigh were again played.

Despite the rain, 40 more guests arrived and for a while it was hectic getting them organized.  LST 325's Blue Crew received many compliments, because the group had no idea of such a beautiful ceremony being held.

     ~ Paul Hannie

Notes from the meeting in St. Louis of the LST Ship Memorial:

The meeting held at an Adams Mark Hotel ballroom was opened at 3:15 PM by Robert Jornlin, 1st Vice-president, on Friday, August 30, 2002. He welcomed all and introduced the members of the Board of the Memorial, and Anna Koepp and her committee. 

Treasurer's Report - Bruce Voges

• $197,000 spent for Dry Docking
• Made $100,000 since that time with donations, sales of souvenirs, speaking fees, etc.
• Approximately $165,000 in account at present. 
• Pay out $4500/month dock fee and approx. $500/month for electricity.
• Stated we are in need of corporate sponsorship to finance repairs needed if we are to sail next summer.

Long Range Planning Report - Robert Jornlin

In the summer of 2003, the plans are to sail the ship up he Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to ports including St. Louis, MO, Evansville, IN and others.  In 2004, the plan is to sail it up the East Coast to Boston and other ports.  In 2005, bring the ship up the Mississippi to the Illinois River.  Of special concern on the Illinois River is height of the bridges and the height of the mast.  He stated support in the form of labor, expertise, and financial will be needed to succeed.  Crew applications for the 2003 trip will be in the Scuttlebutt.  At present the requirements to serve on the crew is at least two weeks of work on the ship. Areas of expertise and physical capabilities will be evaluated.  Arrangements for housing along the way will also be posted in the Scuttlebutt. 
 

Fundraising Report - Terry Leahy

Terry Leahy has contacted 103 businesses that were original contributors of parts or equipment on LST's when they were built.  He sent out letters and packets to ask for donations of material or financing for the LST 325.  Thus far, he has received declines from four companies and received a positive response from "Peerless Pump" with an offer to repair our fire pump.*  Upon conclusion of his report, he asked for support for the Memorial by donations of $50 from those present, himself included, and received contributions from the membership in excess of $1300.

* Since this meeting, Mr. Leahy reports another $5,000 corporate donation.
 

Questions and Comments:

It has been stated that the state of Illinois VFW has made the LST 325 Ship Memorial a statewide project for the year 2002-2003.  Could this not become a National project of the VFW?

Gene Creedon reported that the state of Massachusetts LST Association has sent all its membership (approximately 350 members) a brochure and information on the LST Ship Memorial.  The MA chapter now has the largest number of members in the LST 325 Memorial.  He challenged other states to do the same.

The meeting adjourned at 4:00PM.

     ~ Lois Jornlin

First off, many thanks to Blue Crew member Howard A. Buhl (LST 494), who answered the call for a donation to cover the costs of the SCR-508 radio equipment.  As a result of his generosity, this equipment will be installed and working before we embark on our 2003 voyage.  My hat's off to you, Mr. Buhl ... thanks for all you've done for the 325!

Speaking of hats, and such ... we've recently received the new Ship's Store items that I mentioned earlier.  We have some exciting new souvenir items that you're really going to like.  I'm sorry to say that I won't be able to get them posted on the website for about another 2-3 weeks.  The website pages for the Ship's Store need to be completely revised, and preparing images of the items hasn't even been begun yet.  So please be patient, as I share something with Alice in Wonderland: "The hurrieder I go, the behinder I get!"

     ~ Your WebSkipper

 

Another Urgent
Contact Request

from Capt. Bob Jornlin

Dated 13 September 2002

You may recall that a few months ago we asked for your support when House Bill H.R. 3856 [text at right] was introduced and then subsequently sent to the Transportation Committee. 

Efforts are now being made to have this bill attached to the Transportation Appropriations Bill, and your contact support is needed once again.

We very much need the assistance of Speaker J. Dennis Hastert [R-IL/14] in doing so, and we ask that you contact him to request that help.

The Speaker's fax number is (202) 225-0697, and the telephone number for his Washington DC office is (202) 225-2976.  Click here to email him.

We also urge you to contact your own Representative and request support for H.R. 3856.  Faxes and telephone calls are best, but emails are also helpful.  If you need help finding your Representative, you can visit the website for the House of Representatives.  If you don't know who your Representative is, that information can be found by entering your ZIP code into the search engine.  Full contact information for your Representative is available on that website as well.

Please note that this bill is currently before the House of Representatives, so we're not asking you to contact your Senators ... yet.

These things take a long time to run the course.  This one still has a ways to go yet, but it's important to note that it is now at a crucial crossroad.

I thank you, the 325 thanks you. 

  ~ Bob Jornlin, CO LST 325

HR 3856 IH 

To exempt a historic amphibious landing ship from inspection requirements under title 46, United States Code. 

Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

To exempt a historic amphibious landing ship from inspection requirements under title 46, United States Code. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

(a) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the vessel described in subsection (c) shall not be subject to inspection requirements under chapter 33 of title 46, United States Code, except that the vessel shall be subject to Coast Guard permitting requirements under section 3302(i)(3) of such title.

(b) TERMINATION OF EXEMPTION- The exemption provided under subsection (a) shall terminate if the vessel is conveyed to any person other than a non-profit entity organized for the purpose of operating the vessel as a memorial to merchant mariners.

(c) DESCRIPTION OF VESSEL - The exemption provided under subsection (a) shall apply to the following vessel : The LST-325, owned by USS LST Ship Memorial, Incorporated, located in Mobile, Alabama.

First off, MANY THANKS to all those who responded to our urgent call for emails and faxes this past weekend.  Just from the scuttlebutt I've been hearing, the response to this call was amazingly enthusiastic.  I'm going to try to get some solid numbers on this response, as that information could prove useful in the event that we need to do something similar in the future.  What a show of unity when the call came!

 

A Visit from Bob & Bernie Alferi Being stuck out here in the Rockies, I often have feelings of being exiled from the ship and her crews.  That isolation was broken this past weekend by a visit from Blue Crew member Bob Alferi and his wonderful wife Bernie.  Passing through Salt Lake City, they interrupted their travel for an enjoyable visit and breakfast with me.  It was terrific to have an opportunity to finally meet you, Bob and Bernie! I first became aware of Mr. Alferi a couple of years ago when I received a copy of his authoritative work Compendium on the LST.  This is a heretofore unpublished -- and extensive -- reference on LST's that has been photocopied and passed hand-to-hand over the past few years (with the author's permission and encouragement).  I'm still amazed by the sheer quantity of valuable information contained in this thesis.  Now I'm taking advantage of this lead-in to share it with you!  Keep reading ...

Bob & Bernie Alferi pop in on WebSkipper Jim Anderson

Mr. Alferi has recently put his work onto a CD-ROM which contains three books:  Compendium on the LST; LST Data Handbook; and Mechanic Handbook for LST's (the latter two are original contemporary works painstakingly transcribed by Mr. Alferi into this format).  This CD-ROM will eventually be produced in quantity and made available for sale.  In the meanwhile, you can get your own copy here and now FOR FREE!  (However, we  encourage a $10 donation through the Donation page -- please include a note that it's for "The Alferi Files.") 

The files are very large, so I can make them available for a short time only.  I will leave them posted until I either need the space for something else, or my Internet provider starts sending me hate mail, whichever happens first.  Either way, I can make no guarantees how long they'll remain posted, so be sure to get them ASAP.

There are three files available in ZIP format (click on the filename to download):

COMPDOC.ZIP    1,997,718 bytes     Text in Microsoft WORD format (DOC files)

COMPWPS.ZIP    1,764,237 bytes     Text in Microsoft WORKS format (WPS files)

COMPPIX.ZIP*   7,246,114 bytes     Included illustrations

* The original CDROM contains illustrations in both BMP and TIFF formats.  To conserve valuable storage space, only the TIFF's are included in this file.

You will only need two of these files: the COMPPIX file and the text file for the word processor of your choice, either COMPDOC for Microsoft WORD, or COMPWPS for Microsoft WORKS.  Once you've downloaded and unzipped your files (I strongly recommend that you create a dedicated subdirectory for these files and/or burn the unZIPped files onto a CD), simply open the INTRO file, which will you provide you with complete information on viewing and/or printing the books.

Thanks, Bob, for sharing your wonderful labor of love!

Along a similar vein, Blue Crew member Michael Smith has his own labor of love in progress.  He is using Mr. Alferi's Compendium on the LST as the basis for his new website An Inside Look: Landing Ship Tank.  Dr. Smith amply illustrates this work-in-progress with detailed photographs taken on board LST 325 during the past year and a half while serving on the Blue Crew.  You should know his name well by now, as he provides us with frequent and terrific reports on progress aboard the ship.

Don't fail to bookmark that website as you'll want to visit often.  It's frequently revised and updated, with new material being posted as his time permits.

Thanks, Michael, for all your wonderful service to LST 325 and to the LST community at large!

Fred Chapman and Bob Wilder, two of our Radio Room volunteers, report that they've located a piece of radio equipment sorely needed on the ship.  All their jargon is Greek to me personally, but I'll pass on what I've got.  It's an "SCR-508 set which consists of a restored FT 237 rack/shockmount [it seems that good shockmounts are very hard to find], one BC-604 transmitter, two BC-603 receivers and an original manual with supplement."  All of this is available through a reputable and reliable source who we've done business with in the past, and is reported to be in very good condition.  This equipment will cost us $500, which they note is "a very good price."

If you're able to help with this particular request, please send email to the WebSkipper.  We'll be happy to mount a brass plaque with your donation specifics!

My best regards to all,

       ~ Your WebSkipper

Your Email Support Is Needed THIS WEEKEND!

A legislative meeting regarding allocation of certain government funds is scheduled for this upcoming Monday, 09 SEP 02.  On the table will be a proposal for funds for LST 325.  This effort is being spearheaded by Alabama's Senator Shelby and Congressman Callahan, and they need to show popular -- and nationwide -- support for this proposal.

You are VERY STRONGLY urged to lend your support to this effort -- IMMEDIATELY -- over the weekend, in time for this scheduled meeting.  This can only be accomplished via email or fax, as there's simply no time for regular mail.  Please see the sample letter below.

The following was received from USS LST Ship Memorial Secretary Bill Kaupas:

Dear Shipmates:

USS LST-325 needs your help.  USS LST-325 is seeking government earmarked funds to help in the restoration of the ship.  The Honorable U.S. Senator Richard Shelby and the U.S. Congressman Sonny Callahan of the Great State of Alabama have provided considerable support and leadership in this important endeavor.

We need you to express our appreciation to them and encourage them to continue their efforts to earmark funds for the restoration of USS LST-325.  Please fax or email them both a letter today ... see the sample letter. 

Best regards, 

Bill Kaupas
Secretary, USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc. 

---

Sample Letter

The Honorable Senator Richard Shelby
State of Alabama
Fax: (202) 224-3416
Email: senator@shelby.senate.gov

The Honorable Congressman Sonny Callahan
Mobile, Alabama
Fax: (202) 225-0562
Email: via www.house.gov/callahan

To The Honorable _____________:

I am an LST sailor who served aboard LST-_____ in the ___ (location/theater) ___ during __ (time period) ___.  (TELL THEM AS MUCH ABOUT YOURSELF AS YOU WOULD LIKE ... THEY ARE INTERESTED IN YOUR NAVY EXPERIENCES, RANK/RATE, AND LST STORIES).

Please accept my deepest appreciation for your efforts on our behalf.  I would like to express my continued support for your efforts, and encourage you to pressure forward with your leadership to earmark funds for the restoration of USS LST-325.

USS LST-325's mission is to educate all to the role the LST played to keep America free, and to preserve the memory of these ships and the men who served and died on them.  Your help is vital to this mission.

Again, thank you so much and please continue your efforts for USS LST-325.

Sincerely,

Your Name
LST- _____

---

PLEASE DO THIS NOW, WHILE YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT IT!  Monday will be here before you know it.

As always, thanks for your ongoing support.

There have been a multitude of requests for copies of Capt. Kevin Schumacher's remarks made at the LST Memorial Service on 01 SEP 02.  We are pleased to now make his talk available here:

We gather today to remember and honor the men who served our nation during WWII, Korea and Vietnam ... you and your fallen shipmates as crews on LSTs ... men of the US Navy and the US Coast Guard.

Today we honor this service ... and from this service let us learn anew what it means to serve ... a meaning marked by three words ... Courage, Commitment and Compassion.

With this renewed understanding let us rededicate ourselves to service ... service to country ... and service to others.

My connection to the history of the LST service.

A few months back I sat across the table at lunch from Chief Warrant Officer Joe Crogan, USCG (retired), who told me of his service on LST 205, a WWII Coast Guard-manned LST (incidentally, built here in the Midwest at Seneca, Illinois).  This is an important historical note for us today as we observe this gathering of the US LST Association here in the Heartland of America ... the location where so many of the LSTs were built.
 

Joe told me how, on the morning of May 21st, 1944, he had borrowed a set of whites to go on liberty, and while ashore he would learn of the explosion which ripped through 6 LSTs moored in West Loch, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, loading for the invasion of Saipan.  He told in detail how the LSTs were fully loaded with ammunition and how cans of gasoline lined the decks. And he went on, and as he spoke I sensed Joe's pride in service and learned of the important work of the LSTs. This story made me recall my tour of duty in Honolulu, when I saw the hulk of LST 69, a Coast Guard-manned LST damaged beyond repair on that day in May 1944.  That hulk stands as a testimony to the Courage, Commitment and Compassion of the LST crews.

The remains of LST 69 at West Loch. Photo by Ray Stein (LST 840)

Courage Commitment and Compassion of the LST crews. 

We remember and honor the service of the LSTs and their crews in WWII, in Korea and in Vietnam.  But we especially honor our shipmates ... lost in war and those no longer with us.  And in a larger sense we honor all the men who served on the LSTs and their service to country.

The service of the LST is summed up in these 3 words: Courage, Commitment and Compassion.

Body - Courage Commitment and Compassion

Courage and Commitment

The first two words we will look at are Courage and Commitment.

To achieve a goal, to succeed in battle, to win a war ... the importance of Courage and  Commitment are obvious.  And I will recount briefly the history of the LSTs and their service in WWII.  A history in just two short paragraphs ... that tells of the Courage and Commitment of your crews.  This section comes from your Association website:

"One of the least known and least appreciated type of the fighting ships of the war were the LST's.  While the letters stood for Landing Ship Tank, they were generally referred to by those in the amphibious branch of the Navy as Large Slow Targets.  With a top speed of 11 knots they had no ability to dodge the incoming fire, whether it be from torpedoes, aerial bombardment, or shore batteries.  However, this was no deterrent to the crews of the LST's.  Their mission was to bring tanks, trucks, and military personnel right up to the invasion beaches and to sit there while their precious cargo was unloaded.  From the European theater to the Japanese coastline, LST's were a vital part of almost every invasion made by US forces."  Courage and committment

In all, 1051 LST's were built during WW II.  Twenty-five were lost due to enemy action, another 13 were lost because of weather, accidents, or other causes. 

Roughly 265,000 men manned the LST's during the war.  Another 2,000,000 soldiers, sailors, and marines were transported to the invasion beaches in LST's ... the legacy of the LST continued on with Korea and into Vietnam. 

The LSTs were not the glamour ships ... but the essential backbone to success ... delivering the men, equipment and supplies ... a history of service ... a history of courage and commitment.

But I want to focus on the last of the three words ... Compassion.  This seems the most out of place and the most inconsistent with the other two.  Courage and Commitment, yes, but how does Compassion fit in?

A Story

Bob Butler lost his legs in a 1965 land mine explosion in Vietnam.  He returned home a war hero.

Twenty years later, he proved once again that heroism comes from the heart ... compassion.

Bob Butler was working in his garage in a small town in Arizona on a hot summer day when he heard a woman's screams coming from a nearby house.  He began rolling his wheelchair toward the house, but the dense shrubbery wouldn't allow him access to the back door.  So he dropped from his wheelchair and started to crawl through the dirt and bushes.

"I had to get there," he says.  "It didn't matter how much it hurt."

When Bob Butler pulled himself up to the edge of the pool by his arms, there was three-year-old Stephanie Hanes lying at the bottom.  She had been born without arms and had fallen in the water and couldn't swim.

Her mother stood shocked, screaming.  Bob Butler dove to the bottom of the pool and brought little Stephanie up to the deck.  Her face was blue, she had no pulse and was not breathing.  Butler immediately went to work performing CPR to revive her.  Helplessly, the mother sobbed.

As Butler continued with his CPR, he calmly reassured her. 

"Don't worry," he said.  "I was her arms to get out of the pool.  It'll be okay.  I am now her lungs.  Together we can make it."

Seconds later the little girl coughed, regained consciousness, and began to cry.  As they hugged and rejoiced together the mother asked Butler how he knew it would be okay.

"The truth is, I didn't know,"  he told her. 

"But when my legs were blown off in the war, I was all alone in a field.  No one was there to help except a little Vietnamese girl.  As she struggled to drag me into her village, she whispered in broken English,  'It okay.  You can live.  I be your legs.  Together we make it.'

" Her kind words brought hope to my soul and I wanted to do the same for Stephanie."

Courage and commitment brought Bob on his hands through the brush and to bring little Stephanie to the water's edge.   But only Bob would reach out ... reach out in selfless service to a stranger ... motivated by Compassion.

Your and your crewmates showed compassion three ways:  1) love of country; 2) love of service; and 3) the special bond between crew members forged in the field of adversity ... and that bond lives on here today.

For you LST sailors and your shipmates no longer with us ... you demonstrate, like Bob Butler ... that courage comes from the heart ... that courage comes from compassion. 

One of your members, a daughter of one of the LST crew who fought in WWII, shared this about her father:  "I remember my father telling me that he still could hear the wounded asking for water these many years later ... he told how hard it had been to be on watch and unable to go to the aid of the wounded ... but when he was off watch he and all the LST crewmen would help the medics tend the soldiers.

Compassion comes from the heart. 

In closing ... Thank you for our freedom!

However, to only recognize your compassion and selfless service is not enough.

To you here today and to your shipmates we as a nation owe you a debt of gratitude.  Gratitude for your service.

I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Marvin Perrett at the D-Day Museum in New Orleans.  He was a Boatswain's Mate Second Class at the invasion of Iwo Jima.  Recently, speaking before a class at the Naval Academy Preparatory School, he spoke on the importance of their service to their country.  At the conclusion a young recruit came up and, noting Marvin was at Iwo Jima, said "My grandfather was killed on Iwo Jima.  I  never had the opportunity to thank him for my freedom.  Mr. Perrett, may I shake your hand and, through you in a way, thank him?"

In the words of that young recruit ... thank you for our freedom ... and to those not here ... we thank them through you. 

In closing we recount the courage, the commitment and the compassion of the LSTs and your crews:

In the South Pacific an LST sailor went ashore to pick up the wounded.  As he bent over one of the wounded soldiers, the wounded soldier whispered, "You know, when you were bringing us here we joked about you not really being ships.  You were just big Beach Turtles.  But as we lay here in pain waiting for you to come, we decided we finally knew the real truth.  You weren't Beach Turtles.  You were Beach Angels; our Beach Angels.  This story spread until the Large Slow Target gained a new nickname ... Beach Angels. 

Today we honor the Beach Angels ... Your Courage ... your Commitment ... but most importantly, your Compassion ... it inspires us to be better Americans.

God bless you and God bless America.

Capt. Kevin Schumacher, USCG
Commanding Officer, ISC St. Louis

Update from Michael Smith

This was the first trip Naomi and I have made to the ship in over a month!

Since our last trip, painting of the ship has progressed.  With a few more volunteers, the whole ship will look like some of the accompanying pictures.  Today there were three people making great progress with the needle guns.  They were Anthony D’Lima, Brandi Criscione and Merton Lake.  Anthony and Brandi are two of the newest Blue Crew members; I was really glad to meet them.  With a few more young people like Anthony and Brandi helping and learning from our mentors, we’ll keep this ship going for years to come.  Chipping has also started in a small area in the aft portion of the tank deck. 

Also, on the tank deck, I was able to inspect the new sewage treatment plant that was recently donated by EVAC.  This plant will replace a smaller one donated previously.  Mr. Don Chapman and Mr. & Mrs. James Edwards were also aboard.  Besides working hard on the 325, today they also spent some time making the Coke machine work.  Between those guys and Naomi, the machine didn’t have a choice but to function properly. 

The Ellison’s were also aboard keeping busy as always.  We had the honor of being piped off the ship by Mr. Ellison.  It was really a pleasure for us. 

     ~ Michael Smith

Order yours now by sending $15 plus $1.25 S&H to:

Better yet ... get additional copies for presents!  (Christmas isn't that far away ...).  Also, keep an eye on the Ship's Store.  There will be some exciting new items appearing within the next month.

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: 

Archives:

Archive for August 2002:

• 31 AUG 02 - Request from Bob Wilder
• 30 AUG 02 - Update from CTR1 Raymond Trendle
• 21 AUG 02 - Update from Michael Smith
• 19 AUG 02 - Update from Ron Maranto
• 17 AUG 02 - Update from Vance Barnes
• 16 AUG 02 - Note from Vince Collier
• 14 AUG 02 - News Release from EVAC
• 13 AUG 02 - Reunion Announcement from Frank Owsley (LST 898)
• 07 AUG 02 - Membership Meeting Change
• 07 AUG 02 - Capt. Jornlin's Progress Report for July
• 07 AUG 02 - CTR1 Ray Trendle's After Action Report for 03 AUG
• 07 AUG 02 - SFC Douglas K. Gerringer's Pictures from 03 AUG
• 07 AUG 02 - Note from Walt McBride & Jennings Hoke
• 04 AUG 02 - Congratulations to Michael & Naomi!
• 01 AUG 02 - Update from Ron Maranto

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