[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 17]
[House]
[Pages 24361-24362]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                         USS LST MEMORIAL, INC.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, this is a story about a World War II 
LST that is coming home. She is one of the last of her kind. She has 
seen a lot in her time. And now, at about 65 years of age, she is about 
to take on one of the biggest challenges of her entire lifetime.
  She was there on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Time and again, the gallant LST 
325 returned to Omaha Beach, through murderous gunfire, to unload more 
men and more equipment to replenish the high casualty and death rate 
being suffered. She was repaired, and she survived.
  At the close of World War II, she was transferred for service to 
Greece and her name was changed to Syros. After years of good service 
to Greece, Syros was no longer needed.
  About 3 years ago, my constituent, James Edwards of Canton, Texas, 
contacted me with a request for assistance in the retransfer of the LST 
from Greece to the United States LST Ship Memorial, Inc., a nonprofit 
organization whose membership consists of former Navy service members, 
mostly World War II type guys. I understand the feelings, as I fall in 
that category, too.
  The members of this organization had a dream and a goal that never 
died. They planned, dreamed, and worked for years to own their own LST. 
They had a vision of using the ship for educational purposes.

                              {time}  1915

  They wanted young people to tour the ship and experience the value of 
such a trip in helping to win the war and to honor the work it had 
done. They wanted young Navy midshipmen to train on her, and they 
wanted Americans of all ages to climb aboard and visit her and even 
sail on her. Therefore, the LST had to be a movable museum, one that 
could sail around the waters of the United States and even up the 
rivers, docking at cities along the way to welcome visitors aboard. 
That was a tall order, but a worthy cause.
  After learning of this noble plan, I introduced legislation to secure 
the transfer from Greece, and I want to thank my colleagues who 
supported this effort and helped pass it. I think it should be noticed 
that the legislation never required one Federal dollar. Unique in 
itself, the Memorial Association has been raising money and saving 
funds for years, waiting for that day when they could bring a ``live'' 
LST back home.
  Mr. Speaker, the good news is that the veterans have been in Greece 
for 3 months, at their own expense, renovating the ship in preparation 
for the journey back home. She is equipped with the newest radar, 
repainted and made safe and livable for this historic trip. LST 325 
will be sailed home by these veterans, most of whom are veterans of 
World War II and many of them who are retired. The average age is 
reported to be at 74 years young.
  Recently, the men took LST 325 for a 5-hour shakedown. They cruised 
around Crete, and she performed perfectly. The report came back to me 
that the veterans said how wonderful to feel the salt air in their 
faces again, and I heard that there were some tears of joy mixed in. 
These men are being cheered and supported by current Navy personnel 
stationed in Crete and by members of the Hellenic Navy. I am pleased to 
tell my colleagues that our Ambassador to Greece, Nicholas Burns, and 
officials of our American Embassy, have done much to make all of this 
good news possible, and I am sure my colleagues will join me in being 
appreciative of their assistance.
  Finally, having planned very well and believing they had all loose 
ends tied up, these veterans discovered that their source for food was 
not going to be available. Neither was their source for fuel. That was 
the bad news. How

[[Page 24362]]

were they going to get the LST back home?
  This story is fraught with heroes. This epic, this ongoing saga of 40 
courageous World War II veterans giving of their hearts to bring the 
LST 325 home, found another big heart and that is the heart of Mike 
McAdams, a vice president of British Petroleum, a fellow Texan and 
former staffer of mine, who went to other officials of BP with the 
story of this little band of veterans, so full of bravery and 
determination and so in need of fuel.
  Mr. Speaker, the good news is that British Petroleum has donated over 
40,000 gallons of fuel to the men and the memorial ship, enough to 
bring LST 325 back home to America. They are ecstatic and grateful and 
so am I.
  The corporate leaders of British Petroleum have shown a 
responsibility to share which cuts across all generations in a salute 
to those who have given so much and served so proudly. Mr. Speaker, I 
say: thank you, Mike Mc Adams and thank you British Petroleum.
  The transfer of documents will take place in Athens momentarily and 
the LST 325 will be on her way. The plan is to stop in Rota, Spain, 
taking the southern route home. She is expected in Fort Lauderdale 
sometime around Thanksgiving, as she travels only 7\1/2\ knots an hour. 
I hope to be there when she arrives. What a celebration that will be.
  When the men, these veterans, come home, they will have realized a 
dream of many years and a vision for a memorial that will honor all 
veterans who have put their lives in harm's way. Many of their 
shipmates lost their lives during the amphibious assaults, and the LST 
memorial will honor these men who sail this ship today in the memory of 
all who have gone before them.
  Mr. Speaker, as we approach the end of the 106th Congress, I am 
honored to pay tribute to the veterans of the LST and all those who 
helped make this dream come true. I hope that my colleagues will join 
me in wishing them well and say a prayer for their safe journey back 
home.

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