11-033 Garand Picture of the Day

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../26G2236-1.jpg

Coast Guardsmen line the rails to give a hand to G.I. Joes coming up over the side of a coast guard-manned assualt transport for last-minute invasion maneuvers somewhere off the coast of England. Helmeted and carrying fighting equipment, the American invaders are on their way to practice amphibious landding in preparation for the invasion of Hitler's Fortress Europe. Coast Guardsmen manned these landing craft in the battle drills and in the D-Day assualts.

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"Elsie," the boys call the LCIs -- those staunch landing craft that carry them through invasion waters to enemy coasts. "Elsie" wears a barrage balloon in her hair to keep enemy strafing planes from diving too close. Here, a typical group of G.I. Joes wait on the decks of a Coast Guard "Elsie" heading for the shores of France.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/15/1015032607.jpg


USS LCI(L)-326 off loading 90th Infantry Division troops into LCVPs for their run into the beach at Normandy, on D-day, 6 June 1944.

LCI-1 Class Landing Craft Infantry (Large):
Laid down (date unknown) at Brown Shipbuilding Corp, Houston, TX.
Launched (date unknown)
Commissioned USS LCI(L)-326, 31 October 1942, at Orange, TX., LT Samuel W. Allison, USCGR in command
Succeeding Commanding Officer:
LTjg. James Jones, USCGR - 15 September 1944 - 7 May 1946
During World War II USS LCI(L)-326 was first assigned to the Europe-Africa-Middle East Theater, LCI Flotilla 4 / 10, Capt. M. E. Imlay, USCG in command and subsequently was reassigned to the Asiatic=Pacific Theater and participated in the following campiagns:

Europe-Africa-Middle East Campaign
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign
Campaigns and Dates Campaign and Dates
North African occupation
Tunisian operations, 1 June to 9 July 1943 Okinawa Gunto operation
Assault and occupation of Okinawa Gunto, 29 May to 30 June 1945
Sicilian occupation, 9 July 1943
Salerno landings, 9 September 1943
Invasion of Normandy, 6 to 25 June 1944



Following World War II USS LCI(L)-326 proceeded to Sasebo via Nagasaki, Japan and was assigned to C.T.G. 55.2 at Nagoya for Navy Occupation Service from 2 September to 27 November 1945
Decommissioned, 7 May 1946, at New Orleans, LA.
Struck from the Naval Register in 1946
Final Disposition, sold, 13 December 1946, fate unknown
USS LCI(L)-325 five battle stars for World War II service

Ok I have to ask, why are there two men with big wooden signs on there backs?