The USS LST-325 arrived in Marietta on Thursday and will remain there through Sunday. The ship served during the Normandy landings in World War II and during the Cold War. (Courtesy photo)
A couple in Wheeling, West Virginia, toured the USS LST 325 last week. The ship is en route to Marietta and will be docked on the Ohio River levee and available for tours starting Thursday. (Courtesy photo)
People look at the USS LST 325, which was built in 1942 and served in World War II, the Cold War and the Greek Navy. (Courtesy photo)
A ship that served in the Normandy landings during World War II is coming to Marietta on Thursday.
The company will bring the USS Landing Ship Tank (LST) 325 to the Ohio River levees in Marietta on Thursday as part of its annual cruise, said Corey Burdett, museum operations coordinator for LST Ship Memorial Co.
Burdett said LST 325 came to Marietta about nine or 10 years ago on an LST Ship Memorial cruise and returned Thursday and is scheduled to stay through Sunday.
Burdette said the group runs trips that make three or four stops each year and has previously sailed up the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. This year’s trip kicked off in Pittsburgh on Aug. 30, cruising to Wheeling and Marietta. The ship is scheduled to return to its home port in Evansville, Indiana, on Sept. 18.
Tours of the ship will run Thursday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Participants will be able to wander the ship at their own pace and view exhibits about the ship’s history. Burdett said there will be volunteers on board to answer questions and show visitors around the ship’s various locations.
LST 325 is 320 feet long, 50 feet wide and 65 feet tall from base to top of communications tower, he said.
“The United States built 1,051 LSTs during World War II…LSTs were called the Navy’s capital ships because they could carry a variety of things.” Burdett said.
He said they brought tanks, trucks, amphibious trucks and even trains and planes.
Burdett called the LST “Unsung Heroes of World War II”
Burdett said the LSTs have flat bottoms that allow them to land directly on land and also have bow doors and ramps so vehicles can be unloaded from the ship.
LST 325 “It was built in Philadelphia in 1942.” Burdett said, and it “It played a big role on D-Day.”
He said the tanks crossed the English Channel 40 times, transporting wounded to Britain and supplies, and also helped in the invasions of Salerno, Italy and Sicily.
The ship was decommissioned in 1946 and then recommissioned for the Long Range Early Warning Line project, an early warning radar detection system during the Cold War, Burdett said.
He said the ship was decommissioned in 1961, and then the Greek Navy needed more ships, so it contracted with the United States to use the ship. The ship served in the Greek Navy from 1964 to 1999, he said.
After the contract expired, a group called the LST Association brought LST 325 back to the U.S. after a two-month journey covering about 6,000 miles, Burdett said.
Sharing history with the public is a top priority for LST Ship Memorial, Inc., which acquired LST 325 as a museum in 2005.
“We’re doing two things: sharing (information) for future generations and helping people reconnect with the past.” Burdett said.
The LST 325 is “Finally fully functional” He said the vessels are World War II-equipped vessels currently in U.S. service, and there have been no changes to the vessels’ functions or the addition of any modern features.
While there are several LSTs operating overseas, only the LST 325 operates in the United States, he said.
Burdett said LST 325 and the tour will be a great opportunity for people whose relatives served on or built LSTs. “Walking on the deck of history is like walking a mile in their (relatives’) footsteps.” He said.
According to Burdett, LST 325 is something special.
“The fact that it’s a living, breathing thing… that’s what makes it special.” He said.
According to Deanna Clark, executive director of the Marietta-Washington County Convention and Visitors Bureau, events like the boat tours that come to Marietta are economic boosters and draw more people to the city.
“We expect several thousand people to come to Marietta.” Clark said that during the four days the ship was docked in town,
She said when tourists come to Marietta, they eat at restaurants, stay in hotels and visit other attractions in town.
“This is great for our city.” She said LST 325 was coming to town.
She said visiting the ship is a great way to honor veterans and it’s also great for students because it provides a hands-on learning opportunity.
Clark said the CVB will host a dedication ceremony for LST 325 on Thursday at 9 a.m. The ceremony will include a color guard presentation and a three-round salvo in memory of veterans who lost their lives aboard the ship, according to a CVB Facebook post.
According to the post, Mayor Joshua Schlicher will give a welcoming address and the captain of LST 325 will give a special talk about the ship’s history.
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