Published: February 13, 2008 09:39 am      

Cargo ship, CUSS LST-325, to visit Clinton

CLINTON — The Clinton Convention & Visitors Bureau has announced that the USS LST 325 will visit Clinton in September. The LST (Land Ship Tank) is an amphibious vessel designed to land battle-ready tanks, troops and supplies directly onto enemy shores. These ships were useful during WW II, Korea and the Vietnam wars and belonged to all services including the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, Air Force and Merchant Marine.

Most LST's were scrapped or given to other countries. In the summer of 2000, LST-325 was saved from the scrap yard in Souda Bay, Crete, Greece, by an aging crew of 50 Navy veterans. That number dwindled to just 30 by the time they left Crete on Nov. 14 for the 6,200 mile voyage. After 13 days on the Mediterranean Sea, a stop in Gibraltar became necessary for major repairs. On Dec. 12, a crew of 29 sailed for home, arriving Jan. 10, 2001.

The men of the USS LST Ship Memorial, INC. have a mission to educate all of the role the LST played in keeping America free, and to preserve the memory of these ships and the men who served and died on them. The names of all who died while serving on LST's will be displayed on the ship.

The Memorial Board has one goal: to be able to sail the ship under its own power — up the inland rivers, and along the coasts allowing all to set foot on

her decks and to become a museum and learning tool for all ages.

The visit to Clinton is tentatively scheduled for the weekend following Labor Day. The ship will arrive in port on Thursday and be open for visitation on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. There will be a minimal charge to board the ship and there will be crew members posted within the ship to conduct tours.

The ship's length is 329 feet with a height to the top mast of 65 feet. The ship travels at 12 mph. The LST'S were built in a little over three years. One was produced every five days. There were a total of 1,005 LSTS at the end of WW II. Only 23 LSTS were lost to enemy action, a total of 46 lost for all reasons. This ship is home-ported in Evansville, Ind.

The Clinton Convention & Visitors Bureau is in charge of the logistics for docking, shuttle service, receptions and memorial services while the vessel is in Clinton. Tour times will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be an opportunity for school groups to attend the presentations. The length of the tours will be approximately 30 to 45 minutes.

For additional information regarding the visit of the LST 325, contact the Clinton Convention & Visitors Bureau at 242-5702 or e-mail jallesee@clintonia.com

To view additional information regarding this ship, visit www.LSTMEMORIAL.ORG.