[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 56 (Monday, March 27, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4671-S4672]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THE U.S.S. LST SHIP MEMORIAL
Mr. SHELBY. Mr. President, I would like to take this
opportunity to inform my colleagues about a truly outstanding group of
American veteran LST [landing ship tank] sailors that intend to sail a
50-year-old World War II LST 13,000 miles from the Far East to our
shores. Their plans are for this vessel to arrive and sail under the
Golden Gate Bridge on August 14, 1995, to commemorate the 50th
anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific and to honor the
thousands of LST sailors that served on them over the past half
century.
After a 10-day layover on the west coast the seasoned crew of 70
sailors will sail the ship to its homeport, the National D-Day Museum
in New Orleans. I say seasoned because these men sailed on LST's during
World War II when they were just 18 to 24 years old. Now, 50 years
later they will again be sailing an LST. This time the voyage will be
during the peace they fought for so nobly and that we all now enjoy.
One member of the crew is a constituent of mine, William Irwin of
Huntsville, AL. During World War II he was a decorated lieutenant who
served aboard LST 277. During the return voyage of the LST Ship
Memorial, he will again be sailing as a lieutenant (3d deck officer).
To be considered, he and other members of the crew completed 4 months
of training and were tested with Coast Guard standards; Lieutenant
Irwin's score was 100 percent. All will meet rigid physical and
professional requirements. I am enclosing a list of the proposed crew
that includes sailors from 24 States.
The crew will spend 10 days aboard the vessel checking out equipment
and preparing for the historical voyage that is planned to commence
upon its departure from the Far East on June 20, 1995. There will be
stops in the Philippines, Guam, and Kwajalein along the 13,000-mile
homeward trek. Departing the Marshall Islands, the crew intends to
proceed to the Equator and sail eastward until they cross the
international dateline. They will continue on to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii
and then will proceed to San Francisco. The voyage will require 47 days
at sea with the LST traveling at an average of 7 knots.
This project has become a reality through the combined efforts of the
U.S. LST Association, the National D-Day Museum, and the Navy that will
provide the crew and its training. The LST Ship Memorial, that will be
funded by private donations, will be the only one of its kind,
worldwide.
[[Page S4672]] It is my understanding that the LST Memorial will be
homeported 6 months of the year at the National D-Day Museum, located
on Lake Pontchartrain, LA. For the remaining 6 months it is the
intention of the organization to sail our inland waterways. The crew
will stop along the route and allow free public access for viewing, to
keep alive the memories of World War II and remind the public of the
heroism, bravery, and sacrifice of the 2 million men that served and
sailed on these gallant vessels. Plans are underway in the first year
to sail the LST inland via the Mississippi, Ohio, Illinois, and
Missouri rivers, as well as the Great Lakes, as the U.S. Navy did in
1945 and 1946. The following year the LST will sail the east coast and
the third year she will sail the along the west coast, repeating the
cycle every 3 years.
Mr. President, I would like to commend Lt. William Irwin, Chief Milan
Gunjak, president of the United States LST Association, Dr. Stephen
Abrose, founder of the National D-Day Museum, Comdr. Robert Jornlin,
vice president of the U.S.S. LST Ship Memorial, Comdr. Jack Melcher,
Sr., president of U.S.N. and project director and all their supporters
for their hard work and efforts in securing this fitting memorial to an
important naval vessel and to the sailors who served aboard LST's
during World War II.
Mr. President, I ask that a proposed list of the LST crew be printed
in the Record.
The crew list follows:
U.S.S. LST SHIP MEMORIAL CREW LIST
------------------------------------------------------------------------
LST Name Rank Assignment State
------------------------------------------------------------------------
AGC-7............ Roland Bowling... Captain Master........... CA
825.............. Robert Jornlin... Comdr. Executive officer IL
1126............. Jack Melcher Sr.. Comdr. Chief engineer... OR
(Pending)........ Francis Donovan.. Vice 1st deck officer. VA
Adml.
762.............. Douglass Vander Lt/ 1st engineer CA
Meer. Comdr. officer.
468.............. Vincent Peltier.. 1st/Lt. 2d deck officer.. FL
1126............. Keith Rader...... 1st/Lt. 2d engineer OH
officer.
277.............. William Irwin.... 2d/Lt. 3d deck officer.. AL
1150............. Gilbert Hartlove. 2d/Lt. 3d engineer VA
officer.
576.............. John Chooljian... 2d/Lt. Radio officer.... NJ
569.............. Harry Andrews.... Ensign Jr. deck officer. WI
560.............. Walter Wittholz.. Ensign Jr. engineer OH
officer.
1141............. Clayton Nickerson Chief Quartermaster.... FL
466.............. William Clarke... Chief Boatswain........ FL
734.............. Gerald Robertson. Chief Engineman........ TX
32............... Kurt Popp........ Chief Electrician...... FL
73*.............. William Reinard.. Chief Hull technician.. VA
828.............. Norval Jones..... Chief Medical MI
technician.
1149............. Milan Gunjak..... Chief Food service..... OH
525.............. Lawrence Taylor.. MM/1C Machinest........ MI
725.............. Bruce Voges...... BM/1C Boatswain........ IL
642.............. Fred Holp........ SM/1C Signalman........ CA
697.............. Jack Stephens.... SK/1C Storekeeper...... PA
1016............. Frank Conway..... EN/1C Engineman........ NJ
44............... Arther Cook...... EM/1C Electrician...... AR
880.............. John Oleska...... ET/1C Electronic- PA
technician.
220.............. Lauren Whiting... EN/1C Engineman-enc.... NY
454.............. William Gollan... QM/1C Quartermaster.... OR
1117............. Charles Witmer... EM/1C Electrician...... AZ
980.............. James Couch Sr... CK/1C Cook............. FL
792.............. Donald Shunk..... EN/2C Engineman........ PA
18............... James Bouscher... RM/2C Machinery OH
repairman.
221*............. John Kobe........ BM/2C Boatswain........ FL
834.............. Clair Ernest..... CK/2C Cook............. OH
28............... James Edwards.... EM/2C Electrician...... TX
685.............. Warren Slaughter. EN/2C Engineman........ GA
859.............. Lee Hunter....... BT/2C Boiler technician IN
40............... Jerome Machado... RM/2C Radioman......... IL
668.............. Austin Kurtz..... CK/2C Cook............. PA
17............... Oliver Poe....... SM/2C Signalman........ OK
468.............. Charles Williams HT/2C Hull technician.. GA
Sr..
929.............. William Welch.... BM/3C Boatswain........ NV
888.............. Allan DeMuth..... QM/3C Quartermaster.... CA
1078............. Robert Patterson. CK/3C Cook............. IN
876*............. Edward Whitman... EN/3C Engineman........ WY
627.............. Frank Bua........ EM/3C Electrician...... WI
574.............. Albert White..... EN/3C Engineman........ NM
722.............. Roald Zvonik..... BM/3C Boatswain........ IL
CK/3C Cook............. .....
USCG............. Don Molzahn...... SK/3C Storekeeper...... WI
USMC............. John Baltes...... RM/3C Radioman......... WI
SD/3C Steward.......... .....
................. SS/3C Special service.. .....
468.............. Fred Delano...... SN/1C Seaman........... CA
572.............. Jim Liverca...... SN/1C ......do......... IA
610.............. Hichael Nedeff... SN/1C ......do......... OH
483.............. John Calvin...... SN/1C ......do......... FL
468.............. Dick Janes....... SN/1C Seaman/BM/2C..... CA
1158............. Raymond Hacck.... SN/1C Seaman........... MI
SN/1C ......do......... .....
266.............. Edward Dyar...... SN/SS Seaman/SS........ MI
760.............. Earl Potter...... FN/1C Fireman/EN/2C.... NE
446.............. David Baird...... FN/1C Fireman.......... IL
533.............. Freeman Ballard FN/1C Fireman/EM/2C.... LA
Jr..
630.............. William Sharpe FN/1C Fireman.......... NJ
Jr..
574.............. Harold Slemmons.. FN/1C Fireman/EN/3C.... TX
1084............. Herbert Renck.... FN/1C Fireman/EN/2C.... FL
612.............. Thomas Cappetpa.. FN/1C ......do......... MI
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