USS LST SHIP MEMORIAL, INC.
Captain, LST 325
December 10, 2002
Great News for LST 325!
I have just learned that our bill for exemption from Coast Guard inspection requirements under Chapter 33 of Title 46, United States Code, has now passed the House and the Senate, and has been signed into law by the President. We are now under the same exemptions as the Liberty and Victory Ships, the SS Red Oak Victory and SS American Victory.
I want to personally thank Congressman TOM DAVIS of Virginia for introducing this bill for all of us and the LST 325. He did this on March 5, 2002, and has stayed with it until it passed just a short time ago. I also thank each and every Congressman and Senator that has helped us get this bill passed. We can now keep our "Historic Ship" for all generations to see and enjoy. I also want to thank Mr. SEAN CONNAUGHTON, our Marine Attorney, for all of his help in writing this bill and for the thousands of other things he has done for the LST 325 from Greece until now. Certainly not least, I want to extend thanks to all those who heeded our call for letters of support.
History will repeat itself next summer, when LST 325 will be the second
LST to return up the rivers to where they were built. It has not been done
since 1945 when LST 512, under US Navy Command, sailed up the
Mississippi, Illinois, and Ohio Rivers to raise money and support for the War
effort. They had 50,000 people come aboard and look at an LST! I
anticipate that we will break that record, and break it by a substantial margin.
I personally know of LST 325 supporters who are going to travel in excess of 300
miles to see this great ship that "truly Won the War."
The LST 325, and USS LST SHIP MEMORIAL, INC. will continue to work with
the U.S. COAST GUARD in Mobile, AL, on all safety concerns and suggestions
necessary to bring our ship up to their requirements, and we welcome their help.
We want to do everything that is possible in preparation for our summer trip up
the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Towards this end many things have been
done to make the ship safe for visitors and crew. We have now an emergency
generator, the ladders to the tank deck and O1 levels have been widened and made
with less slope, a new PA system is going to be installed so all could be warned
or made aware of a situation if a problem arose. New life lines on the
main deck and O1 level are almost done. We have new fire hoses and CO2
fire extinguishers. The LST Crew will be trained by a professional fire
fighting school before we leave on the summer trip. A great deal of
electrical work has been done, gas-tight globes installed, and switches
replaced. It is our goal to have all of the electrical wiring fixed or
replaced to CG standards. We had a Professional Marine inspection done on
the ballast tanks and they all passed. The steering system has
been completely overhauled, and many more things have been done.
Thanks again Congressman Tom Davis of VA, Speaker Hastert of IL, and to all who had a part in helping the LST Ship Memorial reach this important goal.
~ Bob Jornlin, President
USS LST SHIP MEMORIAL, INC.
Captain, LST 325
November 29, 2002 New information from www.lstmemorial.org by Jim Anderson
| Progress Report from Dominick Perruso with Jim McCandrew
& Corbin FowkesDated 28 November 2002 Report of installation of sewage system and installation of new PVC plastic soil lines This past summer Jim McCandrew phoned me and had mentioned that he would be going to Mobile for the month of November to be OD, relieving Bailey Wrinkle. Jim wanted to know if I would be able to make a trip to my brother-in-law's home in Winter Springs, FL, and he would pick me up there. He had also contacted Corbin Fowkes and would be picking him up too. I accepted, as I have been unable to get to Mobile on the 325 because of two back operations. I checked with my wife Dottie and my surgeon, and received OK's from the both of them. I left my wife and dog Mingy at Winter Spring, FL. Jim McCandrew and Corbin Fowkes arrived on Oct. 29, and we had to use my van as we did not have enough room in his vehicle. We arrived in Mobile on Oct. 30. After staying at a motel overnight, we went to the Brookley Center to register and then we went to Hook's Terminal and went aboard the 325. Bailey Wrinkle was OD for the month of October. Jim and I left Bailey Wrinkle and Corbin Fowkes together, as Corbin would be OD and tour guide for the month of November, and there was a lot that Corbin would have to know about. Also, Bruce Voges was on board along with his daughter and son in-law and two friends. They were doing the welding on the new rails on the port side, doing a great job. Bruce was busy as usual, cleaning up and painting. Then Jim and I went below to assess what work had to be done. Before going below we were introduced to Bill Arras. Bill went down to the tank deck with us and pointed out the soil lines that were leaking and would have to be replaced. The main line overhead from the officers' head was leaking. I said to him that it was not leaking on our trip home because Al White had a clothes line strung from port to starboard bulkheads. He said, "Well, it's leaking now" and I said, "OK, we will replace it," which we did. We also replaced a section of the soil line from the capped head as well as other soil lines. We also separated the gray water and black water installed isolation valves in line, so in the event we have to discharge overboard it will be no problem from time to time. Bill Arras and I discussed what and where different lines and equipment should be located. Without going any further, I want to mention what a great help Bill Arras has been to me and LST 325, as a Blue Crew member, he is a great asset and the knowledge that this man has is remarkable. I have met many intelligent men in my time, but I must mention that Bill ranks on the top of the list. On Nov. 1 and 2, I went aboard at 0700. Corbin was OD, and Jim and I went below to go to work. The first thing was to remove the effective soil line from the officers' head. This is all overhead work, so we had a scaffold on wheels with planks. Without this our job would have been a lot more difficult. There are so many people and organizations that have come to our aid, and some get missed along the way, but I want to give a special thanks to Harold Slemmons. It was mentioned to him by Gary Lyon that we needed a scaffold, and on his return to the 325 he delivered it. There is another member of the Blue Crew who stands out. He is always there when you need him, Dan Toole. We just mentioned to him what we needed aong the lines of welding, and it would be done. We all became great friends. Dan has spent countless hours working aboard LST 325, and I understand he sold his home and moved to Mobile in order to be closer to the ship. Dan had removed the aft stairway on the starboard side, as we had to install new surge and holding tanks, along with the new ORCA sewage treatment system. We had a working party come aboard from the Navy SB. They reinstalled the stairway and bolted it to flanges. This was to give us access to our surge tank. They also did other welding, like welding 3" pipe through the starboard bulkhead. This was where we screwed flanges to connect to discharge overboard. They also welded a 1-1/2" coupling in a 4" fire line overhead, where we installed a valve to continue the line to the ORCA treatment system. This system requires a minimum of 40 psi during operation. I understand that when this is discharged overboard it is drinkable (do I have any volunteers?). Jim and I continued to remove defective soil pipe and replace it with PVC Schedule 40 plastic pipe. We worked seven days a week. We did take a day off on Nov. 11 to give tribute to Capt. Hal Pierce. He was to be presented the Veteran of the Year Award. Present were Dominick Perruso, Jim McCandrew, Corbin Fowkes, Gary & Gayle Lyon, Ron & Barbara Maranto, Harold & Maxine Slemmons, Joe & Drucilla Milakovich, Jim Bartlett and Bill Arras. It was a great tribute to Hal Pierce. On Nov. 12, Dan Toole completed the stairway he had to prefabricate with hand rails. He also welded the surge tank and the ORCA unit to the tank deck. We still have a lot of piping work to do, but I think we are on schedule and will be done before the end of the month. I mentioned that there are many companies and individuals that have to be thanked for their contributions, including many supply houses in the Mobile area. And certainly not to be overlooked is ENVIROVAC INC., especially Shirley Fredericks, Sales Manager for marine systems. We have been in contact both by phone and by E-mail. I requested manuals for the ORCA system to prepare me for the installation. She immediately sent them out via UPS, and I had the manuals before I left Pennsylvania. Shirley Fredericks had briefed me on the operation and said to contact her if I had any problems. When I reviewed the drawings, I found a change I thought should be made. I contacted her by E-mail and gave her my E-mail address and phone number here in Florida. I do not believe how fast she responded. I do not think the ink had dried on printer when the phone rang. Shirley Frederick was on the line with her engineer on another phone, and we discussed the problem, and they said they would get an updated drawing to me. I gave her a fax number and two hours later I had the drawing. The other person I want to thank is Gary Lyon. He and Gayle came aboard early this year. He was a great help in securing supplies that we needed, and he was always there to give a helping hand. Gary was completing the wiring for the ORCA unit. He and Bill Arras will have to contact authorized representatives from ORCA to check the unit out and perform tests to the satisfaction of Coast Guard. There is a usually a charge for this, but not to us. Shirley Fredericks stated that they feel like they are a part of the ship, and would help in whatever way they could. On Nov. 22, We worked a half-day, cleaned up our tools and said our "Au so longs." We are leaving at 0500 tomorrow. MISSION COMPLETED! ~ Dominick R. Perruso (Pop) |
Click on any of the images for enlargements Photos
courtesy of
A formidable task force:
Dominick Perruso
Some of the
Another view of the
Dominick Perruso
And some more of
Along with one last shot
And a final one
EVAC's ORCA unit on the tank |
November 20, 2002 This is from the web site www.lstmemorial.org by Jin Anderson
[Ed. note: The first three paragraphs below are the same as in the 16 OCT 02 report. Following that is all-new material.]The Annual Meeting of the LST Ship Memorial membership was held the at Starved Rock Lodge, Utica, IL, on October 4, 2002. A quorum was present either by proxy or in person and the following directors were elected: James EdwardsInformation and questions were addressed concerning the River trip for 2003 and progress being made on the ship. Mr. Dave Baird introduced some literature on the Guernsey and Jersey Islands near England and asked that if the ship does sail to Normandy in 2004, to consider visiting these islands. Following the membership meeting, the Board of Directors Meeting was
held. Election of officers for the coming year:
A Project Coordinator for the ship was discussed to assure continuity in the restoration efforts and see that all projects meet Coast Guard requirements. Since that meeting, Bill Arras, a long time Blue Crew volunteer on the ship, has accepted this position. He has total control over the projects being done, scheduling of work, and personnel working on the ship. We received word of a donor for a Public Address system and are in the process of finding the right unit to fit our needs. Specifics concerning the River Trip including itinerary, requirements for crew, and uniforms were discussed. A committee to select the crew was appointed. Other news: General Motors has agreed to furnish the parts to repair the main engines. Stewart-Stevenson has agreed to repair and provide the labor for the engines at no cost to us. Work is to begin around the first of December on the engines. We are grateful for their support. We have an emergency generator, 140KW with only 600 hours on the engine, thanks to George Katakis, of Toledo, OH. He attended an auction and, after some quick phone calls, managed to bid successfully on our behalf. George is also making arrangements with Ron Spoerl to transport the generator to Mobile. The Marine Sanitation system is being installed by Dominick Perruso and his crew. The aft 1/3 of the tank deck has been pressure washed, primed, and painted thanks to Mr. Voges and his crew. They also worked on the lifelines. Work on the port side ladder to the O1 level was done by Dan Toole. It has been widened and lengthened. Jim McCandrew and Corbin Fowkes are at the ship for the month of November. Gary and Gayle Lyon are in Mobile now and will be working on the ship from December through March. On a sad note, we have learned of the passing of Blue Crew member Dewey Hardy, on November 3rd. The LST 325 played a significant role in his life these past two years until his health declined. Memorials for Dewey were given to the ship, so we send our thanks as well as our sincere sympathy to his family. As you know, Mike and Linda Gunjak went to Hawaii for the October 5th Decommissioning Ceremony for the USS Frederick, LST 1184, the last active LST in the Navy. Upon their return, they sent the LST Ship Memorial an American flag that was flown on the USS Frederick on October 3, 2002, two color photographs of the ship, the Frederick's "Welcome Aboard" pamphlet, and an official program from the Decommissioning Ceremony. We thank them for these memorable contributions for our museum. Captain Hal Pierce, who helped us find Mobile as a port, was given Veteran of the Year Award in Mobile. He has worked endlessly for the LST 325 as well as for veteran's causes for many years. We congratulate him on this well-deserved recognition. Several of the crew attended the ceremony on Veteran's Day to honor Hal. A meeting with the Coast Guard is scheduled for December 9th to firm up the plans and requirements needed for the River Trip in 2003. The River Cruise will be an historic event as a WWII LST has not traveled up the Mississippi since 1945, when LST 512 made the trip. It was crewed by the Navy to encourage the sale of War Bonds to support military efforts in WWII. It had a full complement of men and Marines on board. German and Japanese memorabilia were displayed, including a mockup of the Burma jungle with Japanese snipers in the trees. I was 8 years old then, and had an opportunity to tour the LST 512 in Ottawa. It was impressive. I think LST 325 will be just as impressive as it pulls into the nine scheduled stops for this trip. I have people from northern Illinois that say they will come to see it and they are over 200 miles from the closest ports. This will be a great event for all LST veterans and for all the 1051 LST's built in WWII. The University of Illinois marketing class has volunteered to promote our River Trip as a learning exercise. Bruce Voges has been instrumental in coordinating that effort. Probably the most difficult task ahead is selecting a crew for the trip. We can take only 40 men, limited by our requirements and physical facilities. The committee will select crew based on abilities, physical capabilities, and those who have staunchly supported and helped with this project from the beginning. We are concerned that everyone will want to be involved and that is just not possible. We wish we could take everyone, but we cannot. There will be other trips planned. Perhaps at some time we can schedule short passenger cruises out of Mobile, but there are many more requirements for passenger ships. We frankly do not have the funds at this point to make that happen. On a personal note, I have found the ship so time-consuming that I have decided to quit farming after this year in order to be able to devote more time to the LST 325. I can't tell you the number of hours our crew and other volunteers have contributed to making this restoration possible. I have had the opportunity to give several talks in the past month in Michigan, Tennessee, and several Illinois cities. Others are doing the same. I want to continue to thank all those who have contributed time and money to the restoration. You must come and see this grand old lady coming up the river, not to mention the grand old men who will be manning her! ~ Bob Jornlin |
IN MEMORIAM, DEWEY HARDY Dated 18 November 2002 We regret to announce the passing of dedicated Blue Crew member Dewey Hardy on November 3, as a result of lung disease. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, who have graciously requested that memorials go to LST 325. |
| Progress Report from Ron Maranto Dated 14 November 2002
WHAT A DAY! I just arrived home from Mobile's Veterans Day Award Ceremony. General Wesley K. Clark, USA, was awarded Patriot of the Year, and Captain Hal Pierce was awarded Veteran of the Year. Gold Crew that attended the celebration were Gary and Gayle Lyon, Joe and Drucilla Milakovich, Harold and Maxine Slemmons, Ron and Barbara Maranto, Dominick Perruso, Jim McCandrew, Corbin Fowkes, and Jim Bartlett, along with Bill Arras of the Blue Crew. Gen. Clark served as the Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, from 10 July 1997 through 3 May 2000. He was also the Commander in Chief of the U.S. European Command. He gave a lengthy talk, but held our attention the whole time. Capt. Pierce, of course, is our earthly savior. Had it not been for him, we would probably still be anchored 12 miles out. He gave a SHORT appreciation address to those who were involved in nominating him for the award. Monday morning Gary, Gayle, Barbara and I went to our favorite place for breakfast, The Royal Street Cafe. Kevin McCabe is the owner of the cafe and has always given the 325 crew special attention. Not to forget his waitress Lakeeta (sp?), who always greets us with hugs when we arrive and when we leave. Kevin has dedicated a wall in his cafe to pictures of the 325 crew and ship. Perruso, McCandrew, and Fowkes are on duty this month. They are working on the sewage system. I didn't have time to go aboard to take pictures of their progress this trip, but I'm sure I'll have lots to show next trip. I couldn't do much because it rained the whole time. I would like to extend an apology to two very dedicated Blue Crew members. Charlie and Jean Marking arrived in Mobile on Oct. 6th and worked on the ship until they left on Nov. 2nd. When they came aboard they said there was a lot of progress made since they were last here in Feb. Jean went to work helping Pearl in the wardroom selling merchandise, and keeping the officers country and galley in ship-shape. Charlie met Bill Arras for the first time and Bill put him to work right on the spot, along with Matt Mattoon lowering the centrifuge unit into the aux engine room and setting it into place. Charlie also made new gaskets for all the flanges and connected all the piping to the unit. His next project was high on the priority list, getting the air compressors lowered into the main engine room, mounting and running them. Charlie and Larry Johnson cleaned the mounting platforms and Vance Barnes did the painting. Walter Isham and Charlie removed the reduction gear cooling and lube pumps, and then hoisted them out to the tank deck to be overhauled. They also cleaned and painted the mounting base before the installation of the rebuilt ones. Then Charlie also cleaned the fire pump mounting in the main engine room. The rebuilt pump will be installed after the mounting gets painted. His next job was in the aux engine room disassembling the fire pump to be overhauled. And with all that, he conducted numerous tours. The largest groups were on Sat. and Sun. Well, Charlie and Jean, I would say you did a very full month of October! Thank you for a job well done. Their parting words as they left for their Indiana home were, "WE'LL BE BACK," and they will be most welcome. ~ Ron Maranto
Click on any of the images for enlargements |
Veteran of the Year Capt.
Harold & Maxine Slemmons
As do Ron & Barbara
Maranto
Listening to remarks are (l.
to r.)
Kevin and Lakeeta at The Royal |
New information and your help please read carefully and notify the people that will help with the ship. Thanks
Contact Request from Capt. Bob Jornlin Dated 13 September 2002 You may recall that a few months ago we asked for your support when House Bill H.R. 3856 [text at right] was introduced and then subsequently sent to the Transportation Committee. Efforts are now being made to have this bill attached to the Transportation Appropriations Bill, and your contact support is needed once again. We very much need the assistance of Speaker J. Dennis Hastert [R-IL/14] in doing so, and we ask that you contact him to request that help. The Speaker's fax number is (202) 225-0697, and the telephone number for his Washington DC office is (202) 225-2976. Click here to email him. We also urge you to contact your own Representative and request support for H.R. 3856. Faxes and telephone calls are best, but emails are also helpful. If you need help finding your Representative, you can visit the website for the House of Representatives. If you don't know who your Representative is, that information can be found by entering your ZIP code into the search engine. Full contact information for your Representative is available on that website as well. Please note that this bill is currently before the House of Representatives, so we're not asking you to contact your Senators ... yet. These things take a long time to run the course. This one still has a ways to go yet, but it's important to note that it is now at a crucial crossroad. I thank you, the 325 thanks you. ~ Bob Jornlin, CO LST 325 |
To exempt a historic amphibious landing ship from
inspection requirements under title 46, United States Code.
(Introduced in House)
HR 3856 IH 107th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 3856 To exempt a historic amphibious landing ship from inspection requirements under title 46, United States Code. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 5, 2002 Mr. TOM DAVIS of Virginia introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To exempt a historic amphibious landing ship from inspection requirements under title 46, United States Code. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,SECTION 1. EXEMPTION FROM INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS. (a) IN GENERAL- Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the vessel described in subsection (c) shall not be subject to inspection requirements under chapter 33 of title 46, United States Code, except that the vessel shall be subject to Coast Guard permitting requirements under section 3302(i)(3) of such title. |
We had a very nice reunion and the LST-325 was well represented by some of the crew. It needs your help to make this venture a reality. Please help them. We know it will happen it just needs your help. Thanks
August 7, 2002
This is an update from the LST-325 courtesy of Jim Anderson, Webmaster
| Membership Meeting
Change
To avoid conflicts and to enable more people to attend, The USS
LST Ship Memorial's Membership Meeting has been changed to Fri., 30 AUG
at 3 p.m. Once again, this is open to everyone and anyone
interested in LST 325's progress and future. We hope you'll be
able to attend!
Capt. Jornlin's Lois and I have been in charge of the ship for July, except for week two when Rocky and Dianne Hill filled in for us. It has been very hot and humid here with rain almost every day. The number of volunteers and visitors has fallen off due to the heat. The "old reliables" are still there almost every day, but we did give Cal and Pearl Ellison a couple of well-deserved weeks off while we took the duty. Work is continuing on the superstructure, the doghouses just in front of officers' country, and the cloverleaves. Vance Barnes, Dean Stewart and Lee Hunter worked hard on the inside of the cloverleaves, probably for the first time in 60 years. They are now cleaned out and freshly painted. Dan Toole and Chief John Kinney worked on welding a steel plate over the helicopter grate. It was leaking water into the tank deck and was also not original to the ship. It was also a walking hazard on the main deck. Steel is aboard for new ladders aft and portside to the O1 level, and also to finish the lifelines started by the Voges Family on the main deck and O1 level. A new septic system has been donated by ENVIROVAC, INC., of Rockford, IL. This system will be able to handle 72 persons. This has been one of the top priorities since our return that will finally get done thanks to ENVIROVAC, INC. and MRS. SHIRLEY FREDERICK. The evaporator room has all of the junk removed, thanks to Matt Matoon. Bill Arras, Chuck Frawley, Larry Johnson, Martin Hanrath and Harold Childress have also been a great help this month. We really feel the loss of W. C. Smith on the Blue Crew. He was so dedicated to our project. We did have the opportunity to visit with his wife and she is doing well. The trip up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers is being planned for next summer with visits to St. Louis on July 4th and Evansville, IN on the 12th of July. Other cities will be announced. We have much to do to make this happen! The ship needs volunteers, especially electricians, engine men and welders. A lot of excitement is being generated all along the rivers. I also believe that a lot of LST sailors will want to be in one of the cities or on the banks of the river to see the LST go by. This cruise was last accomplished by the U.S. Navy in late 1945 with the LST 512 and has not been done since. It will be an historic occasion you should not miss. Motel rooms may be difficult to find as we anticipate a potential drawing of 14 million people. Can you think of anyone who would not want to see this great warship up close and personal? We plan a crew of approximately 50 for the cruise with half manning the ship underway, and the rest helping with tours in the ports of call. Mr. Bill Kaupas is setting up the requirements to be part of the crew. This information will be available soon. Those who have worked on the ship (and it will be mandatory to have worked at least two weeks before the cruise) will be given preference. Health and physical abilities must be considered and a fee will be required for food and supplies. Details will be available as soon as they are finalized. Meanwhile, your support and continued interest are essential to our success. ~ Capt. Bob Jornlin |
| On Sat., 03 AUG, a joint-services task force
arrived at LST 325 for a day of hard work. The organizer was CTR1
(SW) Raymond J. Trendle. His after action report follows. It
was accompanied by several pictures, and our first-ever SOUND file of
work aboard the ship -- look and listen, it's the next best thing to
actually being there, and it will make you want to come down and be a
part of this! Here's CTR1 Trendle's report:
FROM: CTR1 (SW) Raymond J Trendle, MARS Officer, NTTC CORRY
STATION SUBJ: LST-325 AFTER ACTION REPORT (03 AUG 2002) Service members and MARS personnel mustered in the parking lot in front of the NMT building at 0800. Departure time was at 0830. A total of 22 military personnel and one DOD civilian from NAS Pensacola were mustered. Army personnel were in uniform, used one 16-passenger van; other personnel used their POVs with a total of 6 vehicles in the caravan. Arrival and departure times are recorded on the vessels deck log. It was commented that it was the first time since Korea that active duty Army had been onboard. Arrival time at LST-325 was at 0935 local time. Personnel were then divided into working parties. The following is a break down of those working parties: Alpha Working Party - Radio Room: POC: CTR1 (SW) Raymond J Trendle Bravo Working Party - Prep for painting, Starboard
superstructure: POC: CTM1 Michael J George Charlie Working Party - Cleaning of Well Deck: POC: Drill Sergeant, SFC Douglas Gerringer Original plan for Alpha working party was to rig fan wires, inventory equipment, make operational one modern HF station, One 2 meter station and place any of the World War II equipment back in operation. Mr. Robert Wilder was the contact for this room. The rigging of fan wires was cancelled under recommendation that it was not known if the main mast was going to remain. Speculation is that the forward main mast will be removed to allow access up the Mississippi River. The current mast does not allow clearance under some bridges in the Mississippi. So, one wire was rigged on the after mast. The modern HF station was installed and operationally checked on a frequency of 14.300 MHz on the maritime network with the callsign WW2LST, issued to it from the FCC. The 2-meter radio was not found onboard. Inventory of equipment was completed and turned over to Mr. Robert Wilder. Equipment was shifted and placed in the correct positions according to a diagram provided by Mr. Wilder. Bravo working party worked with needle guns and chipping hammers in preparations for painting the forward starboard side superstructure. Navy and Army personnel switched off on this job between morning and afternoon shifts due to the heat. Ship's point of contact for this job was Mr. Donald Chapman. Personnel were issued hearing protection, eye protection, needle guns and chipping hammers. Army personnel cleared approximately 500 to 1,000 pounds of excess material from the Lower Vehicle Deck where the bow doors are located. Personnel loaded a bin that was placed down in the hold, it was then craned over the side and further unloaded by Army personnel by the provided metal disposal dumpster. A retired Coast Guardsman was point of contact for this job. (He later commented at chow that he really didn't want to say anything to start a fight but he was the only representation from the Coast Guard and it was unusual for Army and Navy to be eating chow together without some ribbing.) STOP SHIPS WORK, SUPPER FOR THE CREW was passed at 1304 with Army personnel providing a personal grill, hot dogs, hamburgers, sausage, buns, sodas and condiments. All were fed by 1440 and COMMENCE SHIPS WORK was passed. Our crews as well as the LST's crew were all fed. Army personnel switched out with Navy personnel on the chipping hammers and needle guns as Navy personnel then started sweepers on the residue left from this operation. I was called to the ship's office and given a box of LOAs from the Ship's Captain and I passed that box to our Executive Officer for endorsement this afternoon. The names on those LOAs are for those individuals who made the previous visit. CTM1 (SW) Bennett and myself have made two visits to the vessel. I organized personnel while CTM1 (SW) Bennett placed personnel into working parties. All were extremely impressed with the condition of the ship and students were extremely motivated to take part on a ship and given their first experience with maintaining a ship and have asked when we plan on a return visit. Army also posed the same question as to who would be taking over the visits to assist on the vessel. At the time of this writing it is not know if there will be a return visit. CTM1 (SW) Bennett, CTM1 (SW) M George, SFC D Gerringer met for a short while on the pier discussing this issue but did not resolve it. Both CTM1 (SW) Bennett and myself transfer in SEPT and NOV respectively. Very Respectfully Submitted, ~ Raymond J Trendle Jr. |
CTR1 Raymond Trendle's After Action Report for 03 AUGUST
Click on any
Army personnel hard at work
Army personnel mustered on
The 03 AUG joint services task
Bill Duke from Pensacola, FL Click on any And click on the
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[Ed. note: Our sincere thanks to all those who participated in this day of work on the 325. We hope you enjoyed your experience, and we hope even more that we'll be seeing you again!]
Note from Walt McBride
& Jennings Hoke
Thanks for your progress reports - we get them weekly and appreciate them very much. The photos are wonderful. We will try to get down there again after the HOT weather goes away. I'll bet that LST is an oven about now. God Bless all that serve on there these miserable days. We're too old to subject our old bodies to the heat right now. ~ Walt McBride |
July 25, 2002 Information provided from the webmaster www.lstmemorial.org please check out for further information. They do need your help. Thanks Linda
| Progress Report from Rocky Hill
Dated 24 JULY 2002 Dianne and Rocky Hill were honored over the 4th of July weekend to
be able to conduct a tour of the LST 325 for one of their sons' family,
consisting of Kevin and Barbara Hill and their children Evan and
Heather. It was an extra bonus for us to help Mobile celebrate its
300th Anniversary with the tall ships arriving on the 4th. What a
beautiful sight. Restoration Update July 5 through July 14 Jim Bartlett and Rocky Hill served as O. D. during this period of time. What a sad time, W. C. Smith of the Blue Crew was a very good friend and a dedicated person to the cause right up to the end. Our condolences to his family. His last project which he did at home was the beautiful combination picnic table and benches which had been picked up by Bruce Voges and brought aboard a few days back. The working crew installed a brass plate on this table honoring W. C.'s commitment to the restoration of this gallant old lady. Many of the mornings were started by cleaning standing water from the night-before storms off of the decks, before we could continue our topside jobs. The jobs worked on consisted of the following. Cleaning the years' accumulations of rust, dirt, and paint from the main deck vehicle tie-down cloverleaves, and undercoating with rust preventive, then red lead. Next will be the final coat of epoxy paint. It will then match the rest of the beautiful main deck paint job done by Bruce Voges and his crew. Finished painting the hand rails on the new ladders going down to the tank deck. Chipped paint and rewelded grid rods, plus cut off all four stanchions on corners of helicopter pad that is located on the main deck, in preparation for welding a solid plate over this area. To get to some of the problem areas that needed needle-gunning on the first deck, we had to cut the lower 40-mm spare barrel storage box loose and move it back out of the way. Needle-gunned many bad areas and temporarily epoxy-patched holes in preparation of installing steel plate patches over these areas. Also removed the large galley blower from the first deck and sent it out for repairs. Removed bad galley blower fan wiring from fan location to the control panel in the galley in preparation of installing new wiring. Several stumbling places on deck in crews quarters were removed. Continued cleaning and work in the evaporator room. Inspection made of ballast, lubrication oil, fuel oil, and fresh water storage tanks by a marine surveyor and Jim Bartlett in accordance with current Coast Guard concerns. A bad storm was brewing out in the Gulf of Mexico while we were down in Mobile and it created some concern for us, so Jim Bartlett contacted Slade Hooks and he came aboard with his crew and helped us tighten up some lines and double up others so the ship would be more secure in the event the storm did come ashore in our location. Thanks, Slade and your efficient crew, for your help. We have been so fortunate to have the many people that have become involved with our project by donating parts, tools, and equipment. Two of these while we were there were a Mr. Charles Kirksey, owner of Metro Fasteners, who filled an order placed by Larry Johnson for bronze bolts for the benches. When Larry went to pick them up Mr. Kirksey said, "No charge." We were also given two lengths of new air hose by Mr. Rene Barre of Shipyard Supply. Many thanks to all of you that help us in so many ways. John Kinney from the Naval Reserve came aboard to arrange for a group of reservists and another group of Sea Bees to come aboard with work parties. Plus the Chief came back aboard for two days and did some welding for us. Dianne Hill was elated with the new computers. She spent many hours using them to do correspondence for the U.S. Ship Memorial Inc. while we were there. Dianne and I were overjoyed at seeing and working with many of our old Blue and Gold Crew members while in Mobile. The aforementioned jobs plus tours were done by our many friends. Skipper Bob Jornlin and his wife Lois, Harold Slemmons, Ed Strobel, Jim Bartlett, Chuck Frawley, Vance Barnes, Cal and Pearl Ellison, Bill Arras, Matt Matoon, Roe Karstetter, Larry Johnson, Martin Hanrath, Bob Ostrander, and of course we enjoyed very much our treasured visits with Paul Hannie. We have two new Blue Crew members Dean Stewart from Champaign Illinois and Gil Largent from Decatur Illinois, who did a great job for us. Lee Hunter is a new member working towards his Blue Crew classification. Welcome aboard, gentlemen. We are always glad to have any and all the help that we can get to refurbish this wonderful old girl. You don't need to be a skilled craftsman or technician. We brought this ship home for all to enjoy and you just can't believe what people that have worked on her have told me about the satisfaction they get from even chipping rust and paint. Many of them want to come back when they can. It gives me great satisfaction to work alongside these very dedicated people including family and friends of former LST crew members. THINK about it, and better still, COME DOWN and HELP US! Find out for yourself how it enhances your life to be a part of this historical ship's rebirth. Dianne and I thank all of you once again, ~ Rocky Hill |
Click on any of the photos to enlarge
Roe Karstetter
Vance Barnes
Chuck Frawley
Chuck Frawley Click on any of the |
Preparing to install the
memorial |
Dianne Hill |
Roe Karstetter |
July 4, 2002
| Progress Report from Capt. Jornlin
Dated 03 JULY 2002
[The following has been transcribed from a telephone conversation with Capt. Jornlin. The yeoman on the receiving end is hardly the world's greatest stenographer, and oftentimes cannot even read his own scribbles. Any errors, omissions, etc. may be blamed upon him.] |
Lois and Bob Jornlin |
| ** NOTE: THE SHIP WILL BE CLOSED 04 JULY **
On Friday, June 28, Lois and I headed toward Mobile along with Ed Strobel and Gil Largent, a friend and electrician from Decatur, IL. We arrived at the ship on Saturday, where we attended a board meeting. That meeting was held in Slade Hooks' office, so as to take advantage of his air conditioning and other office amenities. The entire board was present, along with the new Coast Guard CO, Steven B. Hardy. We discussed with him our plans for 2003, and he apprised us of current Coast Guard concerns, including having a marine surveyor inspect the tanks and a 3-foot-long crack in the hull. Other items which will need to be addressed are the steering, engines, radar, etc. Overall it was agreed that our intended trip is most feasible. The board meeting lasted about five hours, with a break for lunch. Many items were discussed, some requiring decisions and others merely discussion. Also currently with us (besides the board and those mentioned earlier) are Harold Slemmons, Rocky Hill, Vance Barnes, Cal & Pearl Ellison, Dean Stewart, Bill Harris, Chuck Frawley and Larry Johnson. We're currently working on some of the electrical systems and fixtures, cleaning out decades worth of build-up inside the cloverleaves and, as always, the never-ending job of chipping paint. I was pleasantly surprised at the immense amount of work performed during Bruce Voges' watch (June), in particular the beautiful paint job on the main deck and the terrific new side rails. I'd known of his projects, of course, but the results of this work are really something to see. Many thanks to all who helped on these projects. Work is always ongoing, and we're always glad to welcome volunteers. Keep coming ... we need you! The ship will be closed on July 4. The City of Mobile is celebrating its 300th anniversary, and many tall ships will be here for the occasion. It should be quite a sight. One such ship brought our own voyage to mind. It made a 57-day trip from Hawaii! Lois and I, along with Jim Bartlett, have been invited to be present at the occasion's headquarters in the Convention Center, where we anticipate making some commentary from time to time. Ever-generous Slade Hooks has invited the rest of our crew to ride on an awning-covered barge to get prime views of the tall ships and the festivities. One question that has come up a few times concerns the Hellenic sun symbol toward the bow of the ship. This is a symbol that has very deep and special meaning for the Greeks, and they requested several times that it not be removed. They told us that it would keep us safe during our voyage, and I don't see how we can possibly argue with that! And there's no question but that we owe the Greeks a huge debt of gratitude. Some of us have made a little fun about how the Greeks did this, that or the other thing, but hopefully that's all just in fun while we recognize that not all people do things the exact same way. And, just like us, I'm sure that they were often in the position of having to do the best job possible with the materials and resources at hand. The bottom line is that they kept this ship alive, they facilitated transferring the ship to us, and they gave us an enormous amount of help in getting her ready to make the voyage. That voyage would simply not have been possible without their enthusiastic support. To our many wonderful Greek friends, Efharisto poli! Best wishes to all as we celebrate our country's 226th birthday! ~ Bob J |
June 20, 2002-- Courtesy of webmaster at www.lstmemorial.org
| Progress Report from John Calvin
The following is a synopsis of the daily log kept by John Calvin during his month aboard the LST 325 (May 2002): 1 May - Arrived from Florida around 2 PM at Brookley, got settled and went on to the ship and started to understand the routine of keeping books and what work has to be done. 2 May - Made a couple of tours explaining what the LST 325 is all about. Then I brought a couple pieces of radio equipment up to the radio room. I also made some trips around town for parts. 6 May - Several different LST groups that are having their reunions in Mobile came aboard and toured the ship. We also had Navy Reserve men that have been called back to active duty come aboard and help out. They are helping with many odd jobs and will be with us for two weeks before they have to report to their units for active duty. 10 May - There were several jobs started today. We started conditioning the crane for painting. The wood that was on the bench in front of the tank deck blowers was dismantled to prepare for replacement. The Navy men were working on the tank deck securing excess equipment in the right compartments. There were also two large tours. 14 May - Three or four tour groups topside. Down in the shaft alley a couple of bearings were repacked and inspected. 17 May - A very large group of LST men from the 808 made an appearance today. We were short of tour guides so we broke them down into smaller groups and got the job done. We also did a lot of work cleaning the evaporator room. The Greeks put a lot of junk down there; we brought it up to the tank deck, then out to the dumpster. 18 & 19 May - The Navy Reserve group from Mobile came aboard this weekend to give us a hand. They were very helpful in many ways. This was their duty weekend so they sent about 12 men over to the ship to give us a hand. They helped us do what jobs had to be done. Some worked on the new ladders that we are installing to get to the upper decks. This required welding and cutting the old equipment away from the area. They also worked in the tank deck lifting and storing equipment in the proper lockers. The very heavy old shore power cable was removed from the tank deck and placed on the land next to the ship. 22 May - This is Bill Arras’ last day before he leaves for vacation. He finished all the pumps and motors for the engine room that he has been working on. Ad Mumford has been aboard all this week and has been working on different projects. Work continues on the new ladders to the upper decks. Ad has also been checking most of the ballast tanks to see if they are dry and working on the manhole covers that provide access to the tanks. 23 May - Carroll H. St. Aubin has been here this week and has been doing odd jobs in different areas. He is from California. Ad’s work on the tanks continues and some water was pumped off the ship. 24 May - Mike and Linda Gunjak visited the ship and were very impressed with the progress that the men and women have done since it was returned to the States. 30 May - Rained most of the day, one group came aboard for a tour of the ship. Members of the crew went down to the Memorial Day ceremonies at the Battleship Alabama to represent the 325. 31 May - Bruce Voges arrived today to relieve me of my duties. I briefed him on the jobs finished, in progress, and yet to be started. I would like to thank all of the Blue Crew for all their efforts that they put into the ship each day. Without them we would not be able to achieve so much. ~ John Calvin [Ed note: We're in need of volunteers on the ship. Now that school's out, how about packing up the kids and heading for the ship to help out? Give them a call on the ship to let them know you're coming ... 251-452-3255. It will be an experience the entire family will cherish!] |
| Update from Bruce Voges
Dated 13 JUNE 2002 The first week of June one fellow from Bement, Illinois, one from Royal, Illinois, plus Dewey Taylor and Bruce Voges painted the main deck from bow to brow. This week a lady from Paxton, Illinois, is helping to paint the main deck, and two fellows from Florida are using needle guns to chip paint off the main deck vents. On Monday, June 10th, I gave a talk to 400 Tin Can sailors at a convention in Mobile, and was presented with a generous check for the ship. Tuesday and Wednesday, the sailors and their wives came to take tours of the ship. Plans are to begin building and refurbishing the lifelines next Monday, when two more fellows from Illinois come down. ~ Bruce Voges |
Bruce Voges |
May 1, 2002
| Progress Report
from Capt. Jornlin Dated 1 MAY 02 |
 |
CAPTAIN'S CORNER
If you have a computer and can get to our web page, you will find a more
detailed report then I am about to give you. Many of you do not have
computer access, so this may be all new to you. For others, some of this
will be repetitious. www.lstmemorial.org
for those that have a computer.
Joe Milakovich has been in charge of the LST 325 during the month of April
after Gary & Gayle Lyon left. John Calvin will be coming to the ship for the
month of May. Many thanks to Joe who has done a great job. We also thank
Pearl and Calvin Ellison who have done a wonderful job with the day to day
paperwork and activities. They are a remarkable couple who have been so
generous in giving their time since January of 2001! Michael Smith (has
become Dr. Smith and is continuing his studies in post graduate
work, he has done fantastic job getting reports and pictures to our webmaster, Jim Anderson.
One of the most important changes is our new phone system - now with phones
in the captain's office, ward room, and computer room. The new phone
number
is 251-452-3255 for the ship. Please use this number now and delete
the old
number. We have two computers donated to the ship, one of which is a laptop.
They are soon to be delivered and will be very helpful for record keeping.
Steel has now been ordered for the starboard side forward ladder to the main
deck. Tank deck ladders are now installed and are a great asset for
visitors
and crew alike. This meets a Coast Guard requirement for two accesses to the
tan
deck. Cargo boxes which cover the sewage system which are W.W.II vintage
look-alikes are in place.
A pickup truck has been donated to the ship by Steve Cox of Kone Elevator
and Escalator Company of Moline. James Edwards worked on getting us the
insurance needed. The truck will be useful in hauling equipment.
$7500.00
was donated for an emergency generator by Kenneth and Velma Chadwick of LST
46, Santa Barbara, CA. Raymond J. Trendle, Jr. CTR1 (SW), who is an
instructor from the NTTC Corry Station, Pensacola, FL, with his crew of
active duty personnel have worked miracles on the radio room. He is
attempting to gain access to the crypto room which has been locked. Thanks
to Vince Collier who constructed the crane on the main deck. It is very
useful in taking things out of the tank deck and off the pier. Special thanks
to Vern Richardson of Wilmington, CA, who donated motors, pumps, steering
system components, etc., for our ship. Bravo Zulu to these people and all the
great volunteers who have made remarkable progress on our ship.
Back in the Midwest, I have been to Evansville, IN, to meet with Mike Whicker
and his committee twice in the last month. We met with Congressman John
Hastettler and with Russell Lloyd, Jr., mayor of Evansville, who are both
supportive of getting the LST 325 to Evansville for a visit. This entire
committee which includes historians, members of the propeller club, tourism
and marine specialists, etc., are working hard to get the LST 325 up the
Mississippi and Ohio Rivers in 2003 for visits to their city and others. I
am in the process of setting up an itinerary for such a trip for the summer
of 2003. We cannot possibly make both the Ohio and Illinois Rivers in one
summer allowing time for stops along the way. This trip alone is 4000
miles.
The bridges on the Ohio are higher and would not require cutting off the
conn but we would have to hinge the mast. The Illinois River bridges are
much shorter getting to Seneca. We will have to delay that trip until
another year - probably 2005 as we hope to go to the East Coast in 2004.
Normandy for the 60th Anniversary of D-Day is still also being considered in
2004. I know this schedule will make some people unhappy and I'm sorry
about
that, but a lot of factors have to be considered. Removing the conn before
going into the Atlantic again is not an option we wish to take.
The board voted to send either Honorary Crew Certificates or Certificates of
Appreciation to those that were instrumental in getting the ship returned to
the United States and/or continue to help us. We hope we have not missed
any
deserving person (there have been so many) as we greatly appreciate the help
given us. The list would be endless! This will be a continuing
process.
Anna Koepp has been doing an outstanding job with memberships, etc. She
will
have a report in our next newsletter. She has worked with VFW in IL and
they
are taking us on as a project of the year 2002-3. We are again very
grateful. Anna also was instrumental in obtaining the donation of the
emergency generator and the equipment in CA. She has set up a database and
is working on fundraising.
Mr. Terry Leahy of Beloit, WI, has compiled a list of all the manufacturers
of equipment on the LST's, locating some 60 plus companies still in business.
He is planning to contact these businesses for equipment and/or support.
Thank you Terry.
I have been giving several talks since returning home from the last ship
visit in March. It is amazing the interest and support we experience along
the way. One of the great joys is the people we meet. I look forward
to
attending the Ohio State LST Convention on May 17-18 in Columbus. There
are
many things happening on a daily basis that I have not covered, but I hope I
have at least hit the high spots.
Bob Jornlin
For those that want more detailed information please contact
the ship at the new mailing address. LST-325 91 Hardwood Lane
Chickasaw, Al. 36611 or the web site www.lstmemorial.org.
New phone number is as follows. 251-452-3255. Hope that
helps. Linda
March 22, 2002
| Progress Report
from Capt. Jornlin Dated 22 MAR 02 |
|
Captain's Report on LST 325
Lois and I just returned from a "working"
vacation of one full month. We went
directly down to Mobile to see the ship. Mardi Gras was just finishing up. We
were invited by Mr. Slade Hooks and his wife Tricia to get an inside look at how
parades and floats are set up. All the work and planning and expense that goes
into this is tremendous! We and Gary & Gayle Lyon were also invited to the
reception that is held after the parade which was very enjoyable.
Next we were at the ship to host the Evansville, IN. TV
station. They did a program live from the ship. They spent most of the day
getting pictures and interviews with the volunteers and visitors that were
aboard. A LST Ship Memorial, Inc. Board meeting was held on Saturday and many
things were discussed. I was unable to attend, as the Flu Bug caught up to me,
and I was down and out for three days. The wife caught it a couple of days
later, and as she was recovering, we decided to take off for Florida to get to a
warmer climate. We spent two weeks on Sanibel Island by Ft. Myers. The weather
was not much better. It rained several days, was windy and cool. We made the
best of it and had a good time in spite of the weather.
We stopped back at the ship on the way home, and this time we did a lot of looking and inspecting of all the work that Mr. Gary Lyon (with the help of a lot of great volunteers from just about everywhere) are getting done. Electrical, plumbing, work on the steering system, refrigeration system, painting and cleaning are some of the things being accomplished every working day. Mr. Jim Bartlett and I toured the ship from one end to the other making a list of things that still need to be done. This list is quite long but is necessary. As volunteers show up to work, whoever is in charge at the time can assign them a job -hopefully one to their liking. The sewage system is basically in, and the Adams' family was working on getting the fresh water system working. Material has been purchased to widen and lengthen the ladders to the tank deck for better accessibility for visitors. This will be done by the Navy reserve unit in Mobile. The Reserve has offered to come aboard one weekend a month, and one member has asked to do his two weeks of active duty on the ship.
We also have a bill before Congress to exempt LST 325
from some of the Coast Guard rules, the same as the Liberty Ships now have. This
Bill was introduced by Congressman Tom Davis of Virginia.
We need everyone to write their Congressperson and ask for support of
this bill. I thank Congressman
Davis for all of his work on this for us, and our attorney, Mr. Sean Connaughton, who helped draft the bill. He
has been a great help in all of our legal matters; advised me from Souda, Crete
all the way across the Atlantic, got us into Nassau, and made all the
arrangements for arriving in Mobile, including Hook's Terminal. I try to give
credit to everyone that works and helps with the 325.
Mr. Connaughton, has been exceptional in his efforts to help us.
Rocky Hill and his wife have been at the ship for the last month. Dianne Hill did all of the Certificates we gave to Blue Crew volunteers and Honorary Crew members. This involved some one hundred certificates and was a big job. I thank her for allowing us to use her expertise on computers. Great job!!!
More certificates are being considered as we have more people that have given time and talent to the LST that are truly worthy of recognition. When we left, Richard Meyer and Hike Nedeff were there to help as well as many other Blue Crew members. Calvin and Pearl Ellison, who are dedicated Blue Crew members since day one, will handle the daily visitor and guide responsibilities. This will keep continuity after Gary and Gayle Lyon leave. Speaking of that, we all owe Gary & Gayle a huge thank you for their guidance and devotion to the project these last four months. They will leave early in April and Joe Milakovich will be coming for the month of April. We also want to thank Bill Arras who has done some minor miracles on the refrigeration unit and the hydraulic steering system. He is now planning on cataloguing spare parts which will help immensely.
Work on the ship is progressing well. People that have returned back since the 325 first arrived in Mobile can't believe the difference. Most of the sailing crew continue to give talks and raise money for the ship. We are amazed by the number of volunteers who have worked on the ship and hope this continues. Electricians and engineers are especially needed.
We now have an official address for the ship. It is:
LST 325 Ship Memorial
91 Hardwood Lane
Chickasaw, AL 36611
We will also soon have a new phone number for the ship. It has not been activated as of this writing, but we have been promised a cell phone by SunCom who is affiliated with AT&T. They will also pay both local and long distance bills for us. We are most grateful to them and will let you know the new number as soon as we know it. The old number will still work for a time until we can let everyone know. Up to now, Carl Black, who was the ship's agent when we arrived in Mobile and has done numerous jobs for us, has been paying our cell phone bills. We thank him very much for his contributions to our Memorial and appreciate his friendship and help. We also thank Pat Downing and staff of the Brookley Center who have made available very reasonable housing while crew and volunteers work on the ship.
We continue to be indebted to Captain Hal Pierce of
Mobile who seems to work endlessly on our behalf.
Our prayers are with his wife, Dee, who is battling cancer but
thankfully seems to be doing well.
Will attempt to keep you updated when possible.
Bob Jornlin
January 18, 2002
| Progress Report
from Capt. Jornlin Dated 18 JAN 02 |
|
| Plans are and still remain making the ship operational. A lot of
work is being done by the sailing crew and volunteers that continue to
go to Mobile to work on the 325. The American Welding Society has
started putting in the septic system. It is by no means an easy
job. We greatly appreciate their efforts. A lot of material
and junk that had accumulated on the tank deck has been removed.
Don Chapman has fixed the controllers on the forward elevator.
Other electricians are soon to arrive to continue work on the electrical
system.
Jim Bartlett has just returned from a one-day trip to CA to a Merchant Vessel Machinery Replacement Company which has too many parts to mention, including a steering system and two late model main engines for LST's complete with clutches and reduction gears. These parts have been offered to the LST 325 with our only expense being delivery costs to the ship. Jim reports that this is a gold mine for us and most everything there is in good shape considering the age of 55 years but "new." Our dilemma is what to do with these parts until they are needed. We have a main engine repair company coming in to give us an analysis of what we need to repair the main engines. This has been put off until Feb. when Mr. Bartlett can be on the ship. A new brochure, 3000 copies, has been designed and donated for the LST 325 fundraising efforts by Letterkraft Printers, Inc. of Peru, IL. It is exceptionally done. Radio equipment for the "Jackson Carter Radio Room" has been found and shipping arranged. We thank all those who have worked on this project. There are many! Plans for the ship are to get it operational and running. The timing depends on our fundraising efforts. Anna Koepp is working hard on this and on our membership drive, which is growing very fast. Annual memberships were the number one thing for fundraising recommended by the John Brown Liberty Ship in Baltimore, MD. That has been most successful for them and they are a class act. We hope to be like them someday. There is a rumor that this same John Brown would like to go with us to Normandy in 2004 as a convoy of two WWII ships to the 60 Anniversary celebration. We don't feel that we can have the ship operational in 2002 unless we can raise one million dollars quickly. We are solvent as the USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc. but have expenses every day. Thus far donations exceed expenses. The documentary exposure has brought us more donations, materials, and volunteer labor. Ron Maranto's tapes have sold well also and they give an inside look at all the problems we encountered over the nearly 6 months time it took to get the ship home. We will continue to stay in the Mobile area and have tentatively made plans to go to Evansville, IN, in 2003. I feel our first priority is to get this ship back to the places where they were built. As much as we would like to be in St. Louis for the LST convention in late August, we can't do it unless a miracle happens or someone wins the lottery for the ship! For those who say the ship will never run again, talk to my crew, but speak very loudly. They can't understand "no" or "can't do!" Special thanks to Gary and Gayle Lyon who have been in charge of the ship these past few months. They are doing a great job! Finally, THE USS LST SHIP MEMORIAL has bestowed the honor of
"Honorary" Crew Members to the following persons: Capt.
Hal Pierce, Howard Ross, Sean Connaughton and Ambassador Nick Burns.
These men have aided and helped in the Memorial's goal of acquiring and
restoring a working LST. More persons are being considered.
[Ed. note: These names will be added to the Crewmembers page after
my return from a weekend road trip.] |
(standing,
third
