[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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