The LST-325 — the last fully operational WWII Landing Ship Tank (LST) in the country — will be docking in English Park this weekend. Visitors will be able to board and experience the ship firsthand with guided tours that cover its operational history and significance.
The vessel’s interior is open for exploration, featuring interactive exhibits and an onboard gift shop offering memorabilia and historical artifacts.
The LST-325 was launched in 1942 and commissioned the next year.
On June 6, 1944, LST-325 was part of the largest armada in history by participating in the Normandy Landings at Omaha Beach. Between June 1944 and the end of April 1945, the ship made 43 round trips between England and France. It was initially decommissioned on July 2, 1946.
The ship was reactivated in 1951 for service in Military Sea Transport Service arctic operations. In 1961 LST-325 was again taken out of service and became part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet.
LST-325 was again reactivated in 1963 and transferred to Greece in May 1964. It served in the Greek Navy until December 1999 when it was decommissioned for the third time. In 2000, the ship was acquired by The USS Ship Memorial, Inc., and sailed back across the Atlantic for the final time, arriving in Mobile, Alabama on January 10, 2001.
LST-325 has become a museum and memorial ship to the men who served their country aboard LSTs. It is now docked in Evansville for 11 months of the year and cruises under its own power to visit other cities at the end of each summer. The ship was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2009.
“People should want to come see this simply because it’s a living piece of history,” said Ken Rupp, Cruise Director of the LST Memorial 325. “It’s more than appropriate to have this ship dock in several places this year due to the fact that it was used during D-Day and the 80th anniversary of that event has just recently happened, so it’s a super special time.”
The ship will be open for tours on 12-7 p.m. on August 2 and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on August 3. Tickets for onboard tours will cost $7 for children aged 6-17 and $15 for adults. Children 5 and under are admitted free.
For more information or to book a tour, visit lstmemorial.org/.
