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This page was last updated: 26 NOV 01, 1830Z |
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This page was last updated: 26 NOV 01, 1830Z |
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The ship's hours are currently Mon.-Fri. from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. The ship's telephone number is 251-402-1225, which can take messages when unattended. Please limit your calls to normal business hours, and please don't call just to chew the rag or to ask how things are going. Our crew are working very hard on board, and frivolous calls can only divert them from that work. It's most certainly appropriate to call for visits or to volunteer for work.
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Capt. Bob Jornlin  |
The WebSkipper |
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Capt. Bob Jornlin Dated 26 NOV 01 |
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| God bless our veterans! God bless our military! God bless
America! The LST 325 sailing crew was honored in Charlotte, NC, and
Mobile, AL, over the Veterans Day weekend. Charlotte presented us
with an award for Special Achievement which is a trophy of an eagle with
wings spread on a mahogany base. Beautiful! In Mobile the crew
was given the Patriots of the Year award, each receiving individual medallions.
We also received a marble plaque for the ship which is engraved Patriot
of the Year Award.
We regretfully say goodbye to Mr. Earl Stone who has faithfully given service to the ship since we arrived in Mobile. Earl was committed to our project but needs a rest. He and the Blue Crew got it ready to show for the convention and we thank them all for their efforts. Gary Lyon is planning on staying in Mobile for four months as contact person in charge for now. The cell phone number for the ship is 251-402-1225 if you need to reach someone there. The ship will be open from 10:00 am - 3:00 pm daily Monday through Friday, but could be open other times if necessary by contacting Gary first. The Welding Society/Union are planning to install the sewage system the last week of November. The Marine Engine School will pick up the LCVP engines and will overhaul them when the new class starts around the first of the year. We have had a company donate four new air conditioning units of the heat pump type and we are planning to install the first one in officers' country and the second one in crew's quarters. The volunteers are removing the old A/C units as I write this update. We have had a lot of great volunteers and would welcome more. We have had offers for parts for the main engines and even had two complete used engines offered to us. We will evaluate how to proceed with these offers. We are contacting some major companies for support as we desperately need corporate sponsorship. We continue talking with the USS Battleship Commission about docking there, but nothing decided yet as issues need to be resolved. We are making progress and continue to strive for an operational LST that all of you will be proud to board. On behalf of the crew of LST 325, we wish you and yours a very happy holiday season. We plan to be home with our families this year! We hope the same for you. ~ Bob Jornlin, Captain LST 325
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Dated 26 NOV 01 |
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I've fallen behind in my duties once again. Once I announced my return, I got hit with numerous emails, reports, photos, etc., and I'm now swamped. My shoulder still only allows me one or two hours a day at the keyboard. Also, my daughter was here for an extended Thanksgiving break from school. I'm sure people are wondering why I've been sitting on those emails and postings. I assure you that they're coming soon.
Our condolences and best wishes are extended to Mrs. Burke and the entire family. |
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The WebSkipper |
Michael Smith  |
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Dated 17 NOV 01 |
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| I've been unable to update the website for something over a month now
due to shoulder surgery in October. Just three days ago, I attempted
two-handed typing again and it's coming along well, so I'm now going to
try to get back on top of things. It will take a while to clear up
the backlog, and it's simply not possible to take care of everything all
at once. I'll need to pace myself and see how things go.
The top story is that Mr. Earl Stone has now gone on "inactive" status. He's had a grueling 10 months, and he now needs to rest a bit and attend to his own personal and business concerns. He's still here to help us, but LST 325 needs to go on his back burner for a while. It would be impossible to describe Mr. Stone's achievements, hard work and dedication to this project. Likewise, it would be impossible to adequately thank him for his service. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that he has our deep and heart-felt gratitude. Thanks, Mr. Stone. I wish I could give you a medal or six! Following below, Michael Smith has pictures and a story from the banquet held for Mr. Stone on Nov. 2. In light of Mr. Stone's "semi-retirement," it would be greatly appreciated if people DO NOT use his email address or telephone for matters regarding the ship. Our "official contact" will now be the ship's telephone at 251-402-1225. Messages may be left when the phone is unattended. As always, please use this line ONLY for arranging for volunteer work, visits and other important matters. When people call simply to chew the rag or to "see how things are going," it only serves to take our hard-working volunteers away from their more important duties. Other big news which is probably "old" to most of you by now: LST 325 was the star of the U.S. LST Association's convention in Mobile in September, and she had her recommissioning ceremony on Sept. 21. By all accounts it was a wonderful and enjoyable event. In commemoration, I quit smoking the same day ... so far, so good, and I'd appreciate your prayers and support! I hope to post pictures and reports from the convention and recommissioning ceremony in the near future. Also, most of you probably already know that "The Return of LST-325" aired on The History Channel on Veterans Day (Nov. 11) and again yesterday. Linda Alvers did a wonderful job on this documentary, and it's received a widespread and favorable response. In fact, we've "found" two more original 325 crewmembers as a result! Copies of this documentary are available through The History Channel (888-423-1212), and videos of the recommissioning ceremony are available through Linda Alvers' company, National Audio Video (800-373-2952). I will post more complete ordering and pricing information within the next couple of days. (As I said, there's only so much I'm able to do today!). Also, don't forget that Gold Crewmember Ron Maranto has a comprehensive two-tape video of the voyage available for sale. He can be contacted at ronmaranto@yahoo.com. Sales of all these items help the ship too! We'll also be making available for sale the special commemorative covers from the recommissioning ceremony. These are beautiful full-color cacheted covers (envelopes) with a special postmark from the post office, commemorating the recommissioning of the ship. Only limited quantities are available, and they are prized collectors' items. Once again, I'll post more information on that within the next couple of days. I'm sorry to make you wait even longer for more information, but the amount of time I can spend typing and working on the website in one session is limited. At any rate, it's terrific to "be back," and I look forward to once again getting the website ship-shape and up-to-date. |
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Dated 17 NOV 01 Shown at right:
Newly-engaged Naomi Friedman and Michael Smith |
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On 2 November the Blue Crew gathered at the LST 325 for a very important day. This gathering, the largest Blue Crew gathering I have ever seen, was not to tackle some heavy lifting or other shipboard activity. It was to recognize Mr. Earl Stone and give the Blue Crew and their families a chance to rest and socialize. The Blue Crew feasted on fried fish and fixin's, as people took turns reminiscing about the past ten months aboard the 325. Mr. Stone received a card and gift from his fellow Blue Crew personnel and shared some of his thoughts and experiences from the past year. For me personally, this was a great opportunity to meet other volunteers again and some for the first time. After the fish fry many of the Blue Crew took the opportunity to show their loved ones where they had spent so much of their time. For some family members, it was the first time they had seen the ship. On 12 November Mr. Stone stepped down as head of the Blue Crew. Although he will no longer be at the ship on a daily basis, he does plan to continue his work with the 325. For those of you that have followed my reports since February, you may remember my girlfriend Naomi who has spent many hours with me aboard the 325. I am happy to let everyone know we recently became engaged! |
Blue Crew Skipper Earl Stone
A proud LST 325 shows the hard work
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Calvin Ellison |
Paul Hannie |
The Blue Crew enjoys some delightful fried fish
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Gary Lyon |
A few of the Blue Crew enjoy visiting and
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W. C. Smith |
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! |
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Legend: 
with pictures
Gold
Crew
Blue Crew
Archives (click here for complete index to archives) :
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All contents of this website are Copyright © 2001 by The
USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc.
All Rights Reserved. Please email the WebSkipper
with comments, corrections or suggestions.
Robert
L. ("Stoney") Burke of LST 736
