The USS LST-325, a ship that has become a floating museum, will sail to Louisville Tuesday, April 18 as part of the Thunder over Louisville event. The LST-325 will be moored on the Ohio River, east of the Belle of Louisville and west of the 2nd Street Bridge.
The last of its kind still operational in the U.S., the LST (Landing Ship,Tank) will be open for tours April 19-22. Approximate hours the ship will be open for tours are Wednesday and Thursday from 9am to 5pm, Friday 9am to 7pm, and Saturday 8am to 2pm. The group suggests that visitors try to visit the ship prior to Saturday, when large crowds are expected. Cost of the tours: Under 5, free; ages 5-18, $5; adults, $10; family (minor children and their parents or guardians), $20. The main deck of the ship is accessible to those using wheelchairs.
Captain Bob Jornlin says that the group was "Very excited to be asked to participate in the event, especially with the appearance of the Blue Angels," which is scheduled for Saturday, April 22.
Visitors of all ages will enjoy touring a ship that could transport as many as 300 crew and troops, and up to 20 Sherman tanks. LSTs were home to members of all branches of the armed forces. The LST-325 was present at the D-Day invasion at Normandy, as well as the invasions of Sicily and Salerno in WWII. Volunteers have worked many thousands of hours to return the ship to its seaworthy condition, with ongoing restoration being performed when the ship is docked at its home port of Evansville, Ind.
Visitors will get a sense of what the LSTs (Landing Ship, Tank) looked like when they were in service. The ships were used to transport troops and their trucks, tanks and other equipment, and were critical to the Allied victory in WWII. The ships and their crews also served during the Viet Nam and Korean wars. The LST-325 was sailed back from Greece in January, 2001 by 29 veterans whose average age was 72. After spending several years in a temporary port in Mobile Ala., the ship was brought to its permanent home in Evansville, Ind. in October 2005, where it is open year-round for tours and reunions. More information about the ship and its history is available at ://www.LSTmemorial.org.
