WWII LST 325 Setting Sail on a New Mission
LST 325 is now almost ready for its 2005 East Coast tour. It will be visiting Alexandria, VA and different ports in Massachusetts, including participating in a harbor turnaround with the USS Constitution.
(PRWEB) April 13, 2005 -- Many will recall the brave men who sailed aboard
LST 325 from Crete in November 2000, arriving in Mobile, Alabama on January 10,
2001. There were twenty-eight crewmembers who were either veterans of World War
II or the Korean War and one photographer that made the entire voyage.
In
2003, LST 325 visited cities along the Mississippi and Ohio River, going as far
as Jeffersonville, Indiana. Unfortunately, in 2004, LST 325 was unable to make
an East Coast tour because of unforeseen events that impacted its schedule to
enter dry-dock for repairs.
But LST 325 is now almost ready for its 2005
East Coast tour. It will leave Mobile on May 17, 2005 and arrive in Alexandria,
Virginia on May 26, 2005. Leaving Alexandria on May 30, 2005, it will sail to
Massachusetts, staying in different ports until it heads home on June 22, 2005.
On June 11, she will accompany the venerable USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”)
on a harbor turnaround at the Charlestown Navy Yard. On June 18, she will
participate in a Tribute to World War II Veterans sponsored by the U.S.
Department of Defense (this is also the 60th Anniversary of the Battle of
Okinawa).
LST 325 was built at the Philadelphia Navy Yard and
participated in the invasions of Sicily, Salerno, and Normandy. It is the only
operational museum ship of its type.
As a result of not being able to
make the East Coast trip in 2004, The USS LST Ship Memorial, which owns LST 325,
did not receive the revenues that were anticipated to cover the costs of
restoration and preparation. However, expenses have continued to be incurred for
repairs and equipment, along with fuel for its successful sea trial.
If
you or a relative served aboard an LST or you believe in preserving this
important part of our history, please make a tax-deductible donation to the USS
LST Ship Memorial. No donation is too small. Donations can be sent
to:
The USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc.
c/o American Savings Bank
P.O.
Box 627
Danville, IL 61834
You can also make an online donation using
a credit card by going to the website www.lstmemorial.org. A
schedule of the 2005 Voyage is posted on the website.
Kathleen Thomas is
author of the book, “Don’t Call Me Rosie, the Women who Welded the LSTs and the
Men who Sailed on Them.”
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