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This page was last updated 26 OCT 04, 1300Z |
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This page was last updated 26 OCT 04, 1300Z |
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| MORE PARTY PICS!
From Michael Smith Posted 26 October 2004 As everyone can see by the recent pictures of work aboard the ship, October is a busy month aboard the LST. It has been well-coverered, but you can never have too many LST pictures. Here are a few more. ~ Michael Smith |
Three of the instruments
for the starboard main engine
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Sheila Zelenski and Kathy
Milakovich
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Joe Milakovich with the nice-looking telegraphs |
Gary Hendrickson welding on the O3 deck |
Dave Isaac gets into
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Rick Carr sweeping up on
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LST 325's newest recruit,
head on the
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| PARTY PICS (WORK PARTY, THAT
IS ...)
From Ralph Bryant Posted 25 October 2004 These are some snapshots that I took while on the October 4 work party. As you can see, it was not all work, although a lot was accomplished. On Wednesday, October 20, the Bos'n treated us to dinner at Wintzell's in appreciation for our efforts. Thank you, Mr. Voges! ~ Ralph Bryant [Ed. note: The party continues, and the invitation still stands. Please come help if you can!] |
Ralph Bryant hard at work
on
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IN MEMORIAM, NEAL HALL FLOYD
Posted 24 October 2004 It's my sad duty to announce the passing of Neal Hall Floyd, who served as Gunner's Mate on LST-325 in World War II.
Neal Floyd is included in the 1944 LST 325 crew picture. He is second from the right, in the first row. Our deepest condolences go out to his family and friends. ~ LST-325 WebSkipper |
| "THE LIVING ROOM PICTURE"
By Kenny Adams Posted 24 October 2004 (0100Z) The WebSkipper asked that I tell some sort of story about The Adams Family, Dad, and the LST. I'll call it "The Living Room Picture." A painted picture hangs on our living room wall in our 1800-vintage four-room farmhouse. The four walls of the living room have five doors and a big window, leaving room for a TV and the wall picture. From the early 50's to the mid-60's, the couch and chairs changed location and the walls were painted a time or two, but the 18" X 18" painted picture of a gray ship with 491 painted on her forward hull remained on the wall. Doing farm work on a dairy, tobacco, and small-grain farm, there's not much time for six farm kids to watch TV, and the two-channel, black-and-white TV was normally off limits. Watching the Little Rascals and Captain Kangaroo on Saturday mornings following the morning milking chores was a privilege, and this was normally in the winter months. If there was horseplay or squabbling going on, Mom would put an end to the TV. Then there was Sunday evening -- That's The Way it Was with Walter Cronkite. This was the only time Dad watched the TV with us kids, and you did not talk, move around or make any sort of commotion. Dad never spoke of the ship, only of the crew, and they all seemed to be men to be honored. So life went on and time passed by, older brother Paul and younger brother Marvin joined the Navy, and sister Ann married a sailor. The morning after my high school graduation in 1968, with a $25 1956 Chevy, a small blue suitcase, and a list of names and addresses provided by my mother of those men who served on the gray 491 ship that hung on our living room wall, off I went. First I visited Momm 2/c Marvin Brock in Mississippi; then on to S 1/c Paul Hadley in Texas; RM 3/c Ted Manners in Oklahoma; Richard Warner in California, and later Lt. James Knox (the Skipper) in Pennsylvania. I learned of D-Day in Normandy, the 36 LST's in Southern France in August, the bombing of LST 282, and then on to the Pacific. Along with many, many stories. They all talked of one another on the 491, and how great their shipmates were. So I began to realize that these were the men who won the war and brought peace to the world. Returning home, I then took a long look at "The Living Room Picture." Asking Dad about the ship, he said they were all gone now, given away or destroyed for scrap. So it was to be. |
Marion Adams (LST 491) keeps
a
Heather, Jeremy, Anna and
Kenny Adams
Kenny and Jeremy Adams show
the tarp
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the images
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| In 1969 (24 years after the war's end), I hitched a ride to Europe
with some forty Canadian and British farmers who had fought in the war.
I wanted to see for myself and talk to the people there. In the twenty
days visiting Holland, Denmark and Germany, I spent evenings at pubs talking
with kids of my age. Talk of the war was a NO-NO. Questions
asked about the war were ignored. I learned that the Kennedy half-dollars
were treasured and most kids could not afford one. Most families
did not own a car. During this trip, I also found out that the Canadians
and the British refused to set foot upon or pay their respects at German
cemeteries, and they spoke very little of what the Americans did during
the war. They spoke of us as equipment, not as men.
Through the years, we started collecting the equipment carried on the gray ship in the picture. In 1974, Dad had a heart attack and several of the ship's crew came to the hospital to see him. Dad and his brother Max (LST 901) attended the first National LST Association meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1984, Exercise Tiger at Slapton Sands was declassified, so Dad hauled Mom across the pond to Slapton Sands, so he could make sense of his radio traffic on that April 28th, 1944, evening. They also toured the beaches of Normandy. In June 1994 (D-DAY + 50), Dad, along with us kids and some grandkids, left for England, and then on to France to see and hear of those brave men on the gray ships. Then, at last, in July 1998, an LST in Michigan. Dad and Mom left at early dawn, Anna and I left late in the afternoon, and several other family members came up the following day. An entire day was spent just trying to find someone who could get us on board a black, nasty-looking ship, well-marked, I might add, with signs of visitors being absolutely forbidden within an area of several thousand feet of the ship, and including some very tall, unfriendly-looking fences. Day Two came, and along with a friendly shipyard foreman and a few flashlights, aboard we went. For the next two hours, Dad showed us where the machine shop, electrical shop, radio shack, troop berthing, crew's quarters, and the elevator used to be during the war. He showed us where the 40's and 20's should have been, where the bow doors and ramp should have been, where the cloverleaf tie-downs used to be, where the air ventilators used to be, and tried to explain what the tank deck looked like before the ship was converted into a car transport hauler. Needless to say, we were excited, after all it was a "T" and -- as the story went -- they were going to restore it. In June of 2000, another trip was made by family and friends back to the LST in Michigan. It was brighter, cleaner, and more open, but not combat-looking. No doors, no guns, and none of the shops or quarters for troops or crew were intact. October of 2000 came along, and Dad started telling of a group of U.S. sailors in Greece who had found an LST and were making repairs to bring her back home. We watched the website, and as Mom and Dad stay in Florida in the winter, day-to-day calls were made. Dad and Mom watched the web on the LST at the local library in Homasassa, Florida. January came along with a date for the LST's arrival in Mobile. Mom and Dad, along with some friends, left for Mobile and fifteen of their family left Ohio at 9pm for an all-night drive to make a rendezvous with a gray ship. We had the honor of boarding the Great Gray LST-325 that January afternoon with our Father, and to his and our amazement, it was an LST with all her GLORY-- INTACT. After touring the ship for several hours and visiting her crew at the Adams Mark Hotel, Dad told us that it's not the 491 and that the Skipper was not Lt. James Knox, but Jornlin seemed to be a good Skipper because his men spoke well of him, and the ship was something that we -- as a family -- need to help look after so that maybe the grandkids and their grandkids can someday set foot upon her deck. Today, when we look at "The Living Room Picture" of that gray ship, Her Glory looks back at you as if to say, "I LIVE ON IN THE SOULS OF MY CREW!" To and for my Father (Marion R. Adams, RM 3/c), ~ Kenny Adams [Ed. note: LST 491 was affectionately referred to as "The Ol' Double Trouble"] |
| TWO ITEMS TODAY, 19 OCT 2004
- Search for Permanent Port
SEARCH FOR PERMANENT PORT Several cities have expressed interest in being the permanent port for the LST 325. Several board members visited three of the cities expressing the most interest: Peoria, IL; Jeffersonville, IN; and Evansville, IN, during the month of July. There have also been inquiries from: Philadelphia, PA; Green Cove Springs, FL; Mobile, AL, and Solomons, MD. The LST Ship Memorial Board had hoped a decision could have been made
by now, but the cities are still preparing proposals. There is much
to consider for all involved in this process, and the illness of Captain
Jornlin delayed the responses. It will likely be several months before
a decision is made. The ship will remain in the Chickasaw/Mobile
area this winter.
A NOTE FROM BOB OSTRANDER Bob writes, “I would like to commend the following people for their help with the restoration of the LST Memorial Ship. Restoration requires lots of money and these people are bringing it in with the mailing program. As of September 1, 2004, $9,000 has been donated with an increasing rate of $500/week. Our local volunteers have put in many hours stamping and stuffing envelopes. We also have Sea Scouts under the direction of Norm Dobson helping.” Those that helped while in Mobile: Claude Amos, Jane Bryant, John Coleman, Norm Dobson, Chuck Frawley, Paul Hannie, Marty Hanrath, Gladys Hisel, Lois Jornlin, Phil & Barbara Kotheimer, Norm’s Sea Scouts. Those involved from other cities: Ernie Andrus, Prescott, AZ; Roger Beswick, Winchester, VA; Bill & Shirley Conolly, San Antonio, TX; Jeanne Cunningham, Temple, TX; Warren Dace, Los Angeles, CA; George Fullam, Rising Sun, MD; Richard Gouker, Baltimore, MD; Jim McNamee, Elkhart, IN; Bruce Mosher, Nashville, TN; Arnie Ness, Northfield, MN; Bea Pace, Tarpon Springs, FL; Dave Phillips, Florence, SC; William Rockey, Marietta, GA; Cynthis VanDerSys, Mancelona, MI; and Richard Webb, Alpharetta, GA [Ed. Note: Special thanks to Bob Ostrander for this massive effort he has undertaken to raise money for our ship. If you'd like to help out in this project, email the WebSkipper. Whether you're able to help out financially or not, work on the ship or not, this is a terrific way to help the ship, and it takes only a little bit of your time.] |
| CAPT. JORNLIN BACK ON THE ROAD
AGAIN
Posted 17 October 2004 Our Skipper seems to be getting back into the swing of things. He will be speaking at the Loves Park, IL, Veterans Memorial on Nov. 10. He is also scheduled to appear at an Evansville forum on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Evansville's "One Book, One Community" program is featuring Mike Whicker's book "Invitation to Valhalla" this year. This is an historical fiction account of German spying activities at the Evansville Shipyard in World War II. (It has long been believed -- but never fully verified -- that there actually were such activites at the shipyard.) This account also gives a good picture of the shipyard's activities. Mike has also assembled a discussion panel to discuss World War II. It includes several people familiar to all of us: Capt. Jornlin, Linda Alvers, Tom Lonnberg, Harold Gourley and Pat Wathen. The program will be on Thursday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 pm at The Victory. More information can be found at the "Evansville Courier & Press". Additional details about "Invitation to Valhalla" can be found at Mike's website. It makes for captivating reading and can be found in many major bookstores, as well as at most online booksellers. |
| PROGRESS REPORT FROM RON MARANTO
Posted 17 October 2004 (0300Z) Once again I jumped in my truck and headed for Chickasaw to put in a couple of days' work. Bruce Voges is there so I knew I'd be in for two hard days' work. When I arrived, I found a number of gents working their you-know-whats off. Stacy Jackson was there with paint brush in hand. Now, Stacy's spent a lot of time on board. He stays for two weeks to a month sometimes. He has chipped and painted just about everywhere on the ship. To my surprise, my river shipmate, Jack Britten, was there. I was really happy to see him. He grabbed hold of the needle gun, headed for the conn and made all kinds of noises. I think he's going to be there about a month. Well, Bill Rockey couldn't see Jack working alone, so he joined in with his own needle gun. Cliff Dunaway was forward on the tank deck, also chipping rust and paint. He had accomplished quite a bit by the time I got there. Chip Lanham joined in to help Cliff. Ralph Bryant cooked up some meat sauce to go over the spaghetti. It was real good and he did not forget the garlic bread. I caught Dewey Taylor covering the 40's as John Currie jumped in the turret to help Dewey. Of course, that's not all that Dewey and John did. Voges kept them very busy, as he did all of us. Phillip Kotheimer was up on the 0-1 deck chipping the paint off the rails. Gary Hendrickson, along with his welding machine, was running from the tank deck to the main, and right on up to the 0-1 deck, welding racks and covering holes in the deck. He worked really hard. Bill Arras was there, as always. He was working on the crane. Jim Bartlett was also there. He gave us a thrill by starting up both main engines, with the help of Joe Milokavich and Dominick Perruso, and did a dock trial for about twenty minutes or so. Those engines were purring, and I could almost hear them saying, "Let's go!" Joe and Dom were very busy doing other things like plumbing and whatever else was needed in their field ... no, they didn't chip paint. We got a lot accomplished in those two days that I was there. Nobody complained, and we were all were happy (but very tired) at the end of the day. I took over the galley Thursday morning and fixed breakfast (eggs to order, bacon and sausage, with toast). For dinner, I'd brought with me some of Barbara's great red beans, and I cooked rice and green onions and Cajun sausage. After that, we sat in the wardroom and watched "Sands of Iwo Jima" with you-know-who. I got a picture of Voges watching the movie with his eyes closed. I was not very happy about leaving after spending only two days, but when you gotta go, you gotta go. All in all, Voges said he was very happy with what was accomplished. I hope I didn't forget anyone. If I did I'm very sorry. Please come help out if you can ... you'll be welcomed with open arms! ~ Ron Maranto Click on any of
the images
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Bill Rockey at work
Bill Rockey and Chip Lanham
Bruce Voges and Ralph Bryant
Chip Lanham tells Cliff Dunaway,
John Currie and Dewey Taylor
Gary Hendrickson is always
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Jack Britten hard at
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Joe Milakovich and Dominick
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John Currie and Dewey Taylor
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Phillip Kotheimer
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Ralph Bryant is good at
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Stacy Jackson is a master
at
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It's so bright, ya gotta
wear shades!
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| Two items today, 02 OCT 2004
- Bill Arras Spotlighted in the News
BILL ARRAS SPOTLIGHTED IN THE NEWS Bill Arras caught the attention of the "Mobile Register" in this Sept. 30th news item: LST-325 rode out storm at dock Bill Arras, 77, of Mobile, a volunteer caretaker for the LST-325, rode out Hurricane Ivan on board the famed World War II ship at its dock at Hooks Terminal in Chickasaw. He said the ship was not damaged. Arras, who stayed with the vessel in order to protect it as best he could, said that before the hurricane struck, "I had secured the ship with 14 lines," leaving slack in case the water rose. In violent gusts at the worst of the storm, "The ship would shudder like a car in a cross-wind on a highway," he said. "I stayed just to make sure that everything went as I planned." Arras said he could hear the loud roar of Ivan's winds but felt safe inside the ship at the peak of the hurricane. Arras said that for safety reasons, before Ivan's winds became threatening, the captain and four crew members of a smaller vessel docked nearby joined him aboard the LST-325. LSTs -- short for "landing ship, tank" -- were used during World War II to land troops, tanks and equipment onto beaches. The LST-325 took part in the Normandy invasion of Nazi-held France and is now a traveling museum ship. Bill also sent along these "before and after" pictures.
Fair winds! ~ 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! |
|
The Story of LST-325 by Dave Bronson |
|
Landing Ship Tank by Michael Smith |
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All contents of this website are Copyright © 2001-2004
The
USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc.
All Rights Reserved. Please email the WebSkipper
with comments, corrections or suggestions.
