Historic Warship USS LST-325 Making Three Ports of Call in Massachusetts
This decorated veteran of the D-Day and Italian invasions is making three ports of call in Massachusetts in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. She will escort the USS Constitution on a harbor turnaround and will be open to the public for tours.
Buzzard’s Bay, Mass. (PRWEB) June 1, 2005 -- USS LST-325, a World War II
amphibious vessel known as a “Landing Ship, Tank,” will pull into port Friday
evening at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy as part of its East Coast
Commemoration Tour. The ship will later join the USS Constitution and the WWII
destroyer USS Cassin Young (DD-793) at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston on
June 8, followed by a final stop at Gloucester, Mass. on June 20. She recently
spent the Memorial Day weekend at Alexandria, Va., attracting many
visitors.
This proud veteran warship participated in the invasions of
Sicily and Salerno, and made 44 round-trips between England and Normandy during
and following the D-Day invasion. Later in 1944, she participated in the rescue
of over 700 American troops from the torpedoed transport ship Empire Javelin,
for which she was awarded the Bronze Star. USS LST-325 earned two battle stars
during her World War II service.
The ship attracted national attention in
January 2001 when a crew of 28 veterans, whose average age was 72 years old,
brought her home to the U.S. from Greece. They braved a 6,500-mile voyage
through the wintertime Mediterranean and the North Atlantic to bring the ship,
built in 1942, home to the U.S. as a memorial.
Public tours will be
conducted each day while in port, except when involved in special events. Hours
are from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., and the admission is $10.00 for visitors 18
and older, $5.00 for children over five and a special family rate of $20.00.
The planned events include a harbor turnaround with the USS Constitution
on June 11 and participation in the Department of Defense Tribute to World War
II Veterans on June 18. On Sunday, June 19, the ship and her crew will honor the
U.S. Coast Guard Combat Veterans. They manned 351 vessels during World War II,
including 76 LST’s.
The ship and crew’s mission is to increase public
awareness of the role and history of the LST in World War II, Korea and Viet
Nam, as well as to provide a memorial to those that sailed, fought and died on
them. The 328-foot vessels were designed specifically to land directly on enemy
shores with mission-ready tanks, troops and supplies, which were unloaded
through hinged doors and a ramp at the bow of the ship. Up to twenty Sherman
tanks could be carried, along with many tons of other vehicles, supplies and
equipment.
The current crewmembers hail from 23 states, most of them
being U.S. Navy veterans who served on our country’s LST’s at various times
since 1942. They are bringing this ship to several ports of call in
Massachusetts, so that those of us who appreciate the service of our veterans
can board and explore the only operational LST museum ship in existence. Winston
Churchill said that the LST saved two empires. President Eisenhower noted that
the war in Europe could not have been won without the LST.
Not all of the
crewmembers are veterans. A few of them are serving in memory of their fathers
who sailed on LST’s. They have learned the skills of their fathers from willing
tutors who enjoy sharing with the younger generation, in the hope that they will
keep alive the memory of these ships and the crews who sailed
them.
Further information is available on the ship’s website at www.LSTMemorial.org. (The ship’s itinerary can be found on the
“Voyage 2005 Information” page.) USS LST-325 is owned and operated by The USS
LST Ship Memorial, Inc., a non-profit corporation.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/6/prweb246457.htm