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The pride of Evansville, IN LST 325 is the only Navy monument capable of independent movement. LST 325 is a faithful restoration of a working "workhorse of the sea" that carried US soldiers and Marines to war during WWII and Korea. The Memorial is also a tribute to the city's contribution to the war effort which saw 167 LSTs and 34 other ships of various types produced at the local shipyards making Evansville the highest producing of all the inland shipyards.
R. Ruetter, Evansville, Indiana
Bringing Back a Hero
By Robert D. Jornlin Capt. LST 325
The twenty-nine men (later named the Gold Crew) who brought the LST back to life sailed her for forty-two days across the Mediterranean Sea and North Atlantic to the USA.
The wives, significant others, and families left behind. Although they remained at home they remained at home, they sailed every mile with us, gave us their full support, and prayed for our safety.
This book is also enthusiastically dedicated to my wife, Lois, who allowed me to do this, took care of the farm, harvested the crops, and navigated through the government farm programs while I was gone. She sold seed corn to everyone I had sold to the previous year – and sold more and just by the telephone! She was alone at home, experienced a terribly early winter in northern Illinois, and was snowbound most of December while I was with the crazy guys who were going to bring this “Hero Ship” home. When I left for Greece, I told her I would not be gone not more than six weeks! Actually, it took four months and ten days.
Captain Bob