LST-325 Added to Historic Register

[Quarks]

I worked with a guy who was salilor on an LST. 325 was sailed back from Greece by a vollenteer group of original WW11 crewman of LST's. He boarded at New Orleans and came up the Miss. river on 325. LST's were given away by the US after the war, to various countries. This one was as close to original as they (LST Vets group) could find. They had a deal for one in China but it fell thru. Imagine all those old farts bringing it back across the Atlantic!

The Coast Guard was very, very displeased with them for doing that.

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[Dave]

Well, I don't think the coast guard has world wide authority and by the time they got back here "the deed was done"! I do remember reading that, tho.

A funny story about the building of these ships. They were built at several places, one was in Ill., a small town along what is now Rt. 80, west of Joliet, on the Ill. River. Chicago Bridge and Iron had the contract. (They build oil storage tanks for refineries, among other things). They put the ways (proper word?) at 90degree angle to river, two sets so they could work on 2 ships at once. So the ships were constructed parrallel with the river. Now the day came when they annouced the first one completed would be launched, in all the local papers. On the day hundreds of locals gathered on the river shore opposite the ship yard.
The ship came down the ways, side ways, and created a wave you could have surfed on. The people back stepping on the other side but not fast enough. Many were swept off their feet and all got muddy but no injuries. Needless to say, if any launch was watched again, it was from a more distant location!