Indiana Based WW II Ship Joins Historic List
By AP – Tuesday Jul. 07, 2009 – West Kentucky Star
The National Park Service granted the designation to the LST-325, which it says is one of the few surviving American vessels to go ashore on D-Day in 1944. The ship has been permanently moored at Evansville since 2005.
Ship commander Robert Jornlin tells the Evansville Courier & Press that while several American battleships are on the National Register, the LST-325 is unique because it is still a working ship.
The LST-325 will be included in the Military Vehicle Preservation Association’s convention in Evansville next month, after which it will travel to Jeffersonville for an American Legion convention.
You can visit the dedicated webpage for the LST-325 here: http://www.lstmemorial.org/.
The LST-325 was launched on 27 October 1942 and commissioned on 1 February 1943, with Lieutenant Ira Ehrensall the commanding officer. On February 17, during her shakedown cruise, Lt. Ehrensall was transferred to the USS LST-391 and Ensign Clifford E. Mosier replaced him. Mosier would remain the ship’s commanding officer until June 1945.
LST-325 – DUCK I Exercise, Slapton Sands, January 1944
On 5 June 1944 LST-325 sailed from Falmouth, England carrying elements of the 5th Special Engineer Brigade. LST-325 was part of Force “B”, the back-up force for the troops going ashore at Omaha Beach on 6 June. On 7 June they anchored off Omaha Beach and unloaded the men and vehicles onto DUKW’s and LCM’s.
Author Bio: World War II researcher and historian working to preserve history and educate future generations. A student of Military History working to author and collect as much data as possible on the WWII time period. 
