Progress Report Update
Posted June 13, 2009
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Kenny Adams backing George Caddick's jeep onto the ship. Kenny has almost reached his backing up goal. Eddie Scott( G.I. Jr. Mint) participating in the D-Day event.




Kenny and crew getting DUKW ready for a swim. The LCVP and passengers out for a ride. Ed Duncan bringing his mule aboard the "T".



G.I. Jr. Mint checking to see if enemy is sneaking up on him. Jr. is feeling pretty safe at the present time. Ron Bezouska watching over troop loading in the LCVP.



Ron Bezouska, Ron Wolfgang and Kenny Adams ensuring troops have life jackets on. John Mills (Gunny) checking out G.I. Jr. as Gale Howe looks on. Glenn Morrison waiting for a tour group to show up.



Bob Cerling talking to one of many visitors. A LST welcome to new tour guide John Engstrom. What can you say about Chris Donahue and all those unpaid tabs?



Wally Larsen and Ed Duncan preparing for the plane attack. Bob Cerling continuing to share LST history while strolling the deck. Ron Bezouska watches as things go as planned all day long.



John Smearman is part of the crew of the LCVP. Thomas Titzer (I am LST 325 author) and Captain Jornlin visit in the Gift Shop.. John Mills (Gunny) and his continued smile.



Garry Hisel takes a minute from his busy schedule to visit with his wifes grand daughters and daughter and son-in-law. Does any one recognize Kenny without his hat?. Perry Ballinger is so excited about his Museum Ship Radio Day.



By the smiles on the faces it has been a successful day. Jerry Howe is trying to get Kenny out of the way so he can go home. Eddie Scott( G.I. Jr. Mint)looks tired while Chris is ready for a game of tennis.



Jim Scott and his son Eddie, a great opportunity for a father son to volunteer for a worth while cause.


Progress Report Update
D-Day Activities June 6 and 7, 2009 (continued)
Posted June 10, 2009
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Progress Report Update
D-Day Activities June 6 and 7, 2009
Posted June 09, 2009
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Progress Report Update
Posted April 15, 2009
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Picture received from Emmit Rest of LST 327 showing mine damage. Picture received from Emmit Rest of LST 327 in Falmouth. Picture received from Emmit Rest of LST 818.


Picture received from Emmit Rest of LST 818 on the beach in Okinawa in 1945. Picture received from Emmit Rest of LST 818 Motor Macs. Tom Price recently visited and worked to repair a door as one of his projects.


Jeremiah Fulton receiveing his much deserved 80 hour name badge from the Captain. Wally has taken Jeremiah under his wing to teach him to weld. Here they are plotting their next move. Perry Ballinger and Bob Pointer work to repair the radio antenna broken during the ice storm.


Nick reinstalling the light covers. LST 325 on Mississippi River trip 2008 going through a swinging bridge. Nick working on the elevator brake.


Jerry Howe, Jeremiah Fulton and George Louden working on the elevator brake preparing for work week. New mattresses going on board to keep everyone comfortable on the upcoming Paducah trip. Jim and Nick trying to figure out how much of the cargo hatch to uncover to allow the mattresses to be sent below.


Jim Scott used one of the rainy cold days to clean out the First Aid/storage room. This is the fruit of his labor. Jerry Howe and Wally Larsen supervises Kenny Adams, Captain Jornlin, Ed Duncan and Nick Jochim working on the LCVP.


Charlie Lawrence starting a tour of Ivey Tech students. It sure was good to see Charlie back on board sharing the history with people. Charlie answered one of the many questions asked by this very interested goup.
Progress Report Update
Posted March 15, 2009
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We would like to welcome Angie Cutteridge to the LST 325 family! Angie has accepted the job of office manager, and as you can see she is settling in and tackling the task. Chris returns to the gift shop after a tour which included Tyler, the young man in the camo shirt was celebrating his birthday and told his parents he wanted to visit the ship to celebrate. Tyler's dad helps him choose some merchandise from the gift shop for his birthday.


Charlie Straeffer had his family bring down to visit the ship this week. Charlie said that he hopes to return and give more tours. Perry Ballinger stopped his activities to visit with Charlie and his family. Ken Frank was in town to escape some of the snow in New Jersey. Not only did he give tours but also helped with other tasks around the ship.


Bob Barbier is presented his Excellence Award by Ray Rappold. Harry Zillion is presented his Excellence Award by Ray Rappold. Ray Studer is presented his Excellence Award by Ray Rappold.


Harry Zillion, Ray Studer, and Bob Barbier stopped just long enough for us to catch them in a picture all at one time. Chris Donahue on a recent warm day was caught with a broom sweeping the deck. Chris was startled to find that someone had caught him with a broom sweeping.


Jim Warner recently spent a few days at the ship giving tours and checking all fire safety equipment. Jim is caught in the gift shop with some kids that he gave a tour to and as you can see the little girl has something important to share with him. Some of the marines plus two, THe marines show up on Monday and make the paint chips fly, at least when it is warm enough that the needle guns do not freeze up. Front Row l to r: Gus a new volunteer, and Butch 'Pap'. Back row l to r: Tom Kick, Daniel Landis, Former Congressman Roger Zion, a veteran of WWII, Joe Filipizak, and John Mills.


Kenny checks the barge compressor to ensure it is ready to run without problems on Monday for the Marines. Jim Scott one our newer tour guides enjoys the stroll to the "T" with some of our first school group this year. Joe Filipizak another of our new tour guides takes on some of the 3rd grade students.


Kenny Adams takes a group of school kids on the grand tour as Angie looks on. Even Garry got the opportunity to try his hand as a tour guide with the school kids. On a sunny windy day Anna Adams was able to catch this beautiful picture of the flags on the fantail..


Progress Report Update
Posted February 22, 2009
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LST 325 Crew Members pay respect to a War Hero

The fate of LSM 45 is close at hand, the ship has been closed to visitors for the past several months, but thanks to Colonel George Ayers (on the right in the right picture above) and Retired U.S. Merchant Marine Fred 'Seaman Lehman'(on the left in the right picture above) 7 LST 325 crew members were granted permission to board the LSM.

LSM 45 (Landing Ship Medium) is presumably the last of the 550 LSM's built during WW 11. With a length of 203 feet and a beam of 34 feet, they weighed in at 520 tons, and supported a crew of 54 along with 4 Officers.

Similarities' exists between the LST 325 in that it came back home from a long stay in Greece following the end of WW 11.

Unlike the 325 that sailed home, the LSM was towed to the U.S. and Ported in Omaha, Nebraska, Painting and repairs were made in Omaha for several years, photos will show she looked pristeen in her original dress colors, but putting the ship back to sea seemed out of the question for those at the helm.

Although thousands of tours and numbers of ceremonies were held on her deck in Omaha, the Lonely LSM sit life less, with out the heart beat of breathing engines and the vibration of her screws through out the ship.

The LSM ownership was transferred to "Museum of the Marine" at Camp Lejuene, a non profit organization in North Carolina, in 2004 where once again she under went paint and restoration, with talk of a new Museum and the LSM being center stage.

The bulk heads below deck are lined with rows and rows of walnut plaque's with 100s and 100's of names of those individuals that have given of there time and money to restore and save the LSM. There is evidence on every deck, in every compartment, from the galley to the engine room that many hours of restoration has taken place by dedicated workers.

But, the only meetings today are to determine if the ships fate will be a reef off the coast or sold as scrap.

So from this day forward, future generations will only have the pictures and stories of those 550 small little ships that so proudly served this country in a time of need.

A web link for more information: http://www.omahariverfront.com/articles2004/20040307_lsm45.htm


LST 325 crewmembers and their host.

Progress Report Update
Posted January 29, 2009
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This progress report is to share some of the wintery weather Evasnville has experienced over the past couple of days. These pictures were taken on our way to the ship Wednesday morning. Starting with some side streets off Cherry Street, then onto Waterworks Road, and then to LST Drive, and of course ending on the ship.












Progress Report Update
Posted January 17, 2009
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Once again we are beginning the report with a needle gun. And you can expect to see more. With the onset of bad weather most of the work has moved indoors in general and officers country in particular. Bob is working on a bulkhead just outside officers country and next to the galley. Dave receives his "E" pin denoting 300 hours of volunteer work. With few exceptions Dave and Harry make the trip to the ship from Illinois every Tuesday and Wednesday. They are a major asset to the ship. A double award presentation was made today when man and wife were honored. Myrth received her 80 hour pin and Walley was presented with his 300 hour "E" pin. They also make a considerable trek to the ship coming from Tell City. Sorry Dave but Walley's partner is prettier than the one that rides with you.


One other award was made today. Nick was presented with a new monogramed shirt and crew cap. Thanks for the good work, Nick. Here we have a couple of jolly ol elves working hard to get us in the Christmas spirit. Ray and Pete hang the big wreath above the pilot house in hopes that Saint Nick will soon be there. Some of the tour guides and the Reitz High School senior project boys finished winterizing the port LCVP. The cover is not the easiest thing to install.


The finished product will help keep some of the weather out of the boat this winter. Honest folks, this is not Casper the Ghost. This is a Marine with a grinder. The cold weather has even driven our Marines inside. Larry is grinding paint off the bulkhead in the officers country main passageway. And, yes they did sweep up the mess. Now you might think that this is just cardboard left laying around on the deck. But it isn't. These are cut out to size for the placement of the transformers and air compressor in the old boiler room. If you saw this room earlier you would not recognize it now.


I know that April is a long way off but the guys are already preparing for the work that will be done. Here Matt is moving shore power cable out of the way. Dennis, his son Steve and David with the assistance of Ray(out of photo) are moving the large fuel lines from the port bulkhead in preparation for work week. Dennis and Steve have created a mountain of tie downs that were stacked along the port bulkhead. Every bit of this work that can be done now will give work week people a real leg up on the work to be done then.


Ron, Pete, Ray and Dave work on removing the plate from the tank deck just above the Aux. Engine Room. The steel plate will be replaced with clear Lexan so that tours can have a brief glimpse of this area. Pete cleans the area around the deck opening prior to installing the Lexan . After the Lexan has been installed Dennis and Ray drill one final matching hole to hold it in place. You will notice the yellow safety chains, these are not to keep people from falling through. They are to keep folks from walking on the plastic. It's strong enough to drive a car across.


This is the visitor's view of the Aux. Engine Room through the Lexan. If you should be in the Aux Engine Room this is the view looking up. This has really been received well by everyone on the ship. It is a great addition to our tour route. Just arrived in the gift shop. A model LST and a model LCVP. Bill looks them over. And by the way Bill, thanks for the great lunch you provided for us today. What a guy!


And last, but by no means least are custom made parts for our needle guns. This is without a doubt the most used tool on the ship and we need parts on a regular basis. D. Churchwell came aboard on one of the river trips and ultimately he and a friend came down from up North to volunteer for a week. When Ray explained to him that we needed parts D said, "No problem", and proceeded to make us some. They are also coming back for work week. It's great to have friends like D and his buddy.... Ray cuts stock to be bent and welded to the tank deck bulkhead for the storage of refueling hoses. Walley uses a hydraulic press to bend the hose supports. This job was made a lot easier by the use of Ron's tools and trailer. These facilities have been a major help to our maintenance guys.


After the brackets have been cut and bent they are welded to the bulkhead. This is a much nicer presentation than the hoses in the aft section of the tank deck. They will look great after they have been cleaned and the bulkheads painted. Walley continues to weld hose brackets to the bulkhead. This job is almost complete. The aft guns have been covered for the winter.


Matt, a Reitz senior is refinishing one of our photo display boards on the tank deck. When completed they will enhance our tours. Ad our chief engineer stopped by to do some more work in the engine room. This is another before picture. This is the bulkhead outside the showers in officers country. As the Marines needle guned it, it started coming apart. We'll have the after photo later, maybe.....


Ron and Ray use the Grove to lift a welder off the tank deck. The welder is going in for repair. Ray watches as the welder is lifted to the main deck. The access hole is one of the old vents that the fan has been removed from. Not good grammer but you get the point. Pete is continuing to remove old wiring that is no longer in use. Note the clean bulkhead that the Monday Marines have chipped.


The only problem with the Marines is that they will occasionally leave their trade mark for all to see. They have promised to remove it before new paint is applied. This is a visitors eye view of the Aux. Engine Room from the tank deck. The Lexan panel on the deck really looks great. Ad and Ray discuss safety improvements being made on the main switchboard. Pete mans a swab around the sewage treatment center. This is an acquired skill for an old Air Force Sgt.


Ray gets assistance from a couple of our Monday Marines. They are making improvements to the onboard sewage treatment system. We just cannot say enough good things about our Monday Marines. They show up every Monday and without fanfare go to work and they really get the work done. They are transforming officers country. Another example of Marine work. This hands and knees work is hard on any one but they just keep plugging away.


Progress Report Update
Posted January 4, 2009
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Our senior tour guide, Charlie, has been laid up in the hospital but was able to get out to the Christmas dinner at the Log Inn. Sure was good to see you Charlie. And that E pin really looks good on you. Over 240 years of experience is shown here. Charlie, Ken and Bing. These guys are the epitome of a tour guide. Always ready to take another group. Ron and Boats present Clara with her eighty hour badge. Clara is now our youngest volunteer. Congratulations Clara.


Boats made an emotional statement to the dinner attendees. He was very gracious to the Evansville volunteers and his words were accepted with great pride by all those present. Ron read a letter from board president Terry thanking everyone for all the effort put out on behalf of the ship. Thank you Terry and Boats for the kind words. It was great to see Doug at the dinner. He has been under the weather as well. He says he feeling a little better and we hope that by spring he'll be able to join us back on the ship.


What a great idea. This is a capped passthrough from the main deck to the tank deck. It can be used for welding leads, hoses, and for the Veterans Day breakfast it was used for the TV stations cables. This is one of Ron's ideas and it works great. Ed explains the finer points of refinishing a flood light. This one looks 100% better now that it's ready to be remounted. Ed and Pete mount the flood light on the rail. Now if we can keep Pete from needle gunning the thing we may get some use out of it.


It's not an easy thing to break one of our air chisels but with enough use it can be done. Walley prepares to weld this one back together. Gee, it's great to see a young man enjoying his work. Check out that smile on Josh's face. We finally got Gene the plumber out of the scullery and back to doing the work he excels at. This water conditioning unit will be up and running in no time.


We have Reitz High School students on class projects working on the ship nearly every week. David is dogging down the ramp for the winter. Matt, also a Reitz senior dogs down the other side of the ramp. David (yes there are two) lends a hand cleaning a passageway. He is another Reitz senior. Thanks guys, your efforts are appreciated.


Nick keeps a sharp eye as he moves the scissor lift. This is another piece of equipment that we would really miss if it were gone. Walley grinds out a rust spot that is leaking. This is preparation for welding on a plate. Fred and Ray chase down an antifreeze leak on the grove. She may leak but she looks good in haze gray.


Mr Ridenour recently toured the ship with members of his family. He was a Fire Controlman on LST 871 and 1087. Ron and members of the Board discuss the restoration of the after crews quarters.