For this Independence Day weekend we decided to visit the USS LST 325 Memorial in Evansville, Indiana.
The USS LST 325 is the only operational LST in the United States. The
LST's were built specifically for use during World War II and their use
was limited to delivering troops, along with their artillery by water.
After World War II they were no longer needed and were not preserved.
The
LST 325 has a very unique story to it, as several World War II veterans
went to Greece to bring this ship back to the USA to make a memorial
out of it. This story is told in a History channel documentary which is
played in the gift shop before your tour starts, so be sure to arrive
early.
Tours run every hour on the hour and each tour lasts about an hour.
The
cost for the tour is $10 for adults, $5 for ages 5-17, and under age 5
is free. There is also a donation box to donate to the memorial if you
so wish.
Tours
start in a small gift shop. You can also purchase beverages in the
gift shop that you can take with you on the tour. Temperatures inside
of the ship can reach over 100 degrees on hot days so a drink might be
something you want to consider taking.
The
tour takes you through all decks of the ship. You will be doing a lot
of walking and there are several staircases. It's nothing to strenuous
but something you might want to be aware of. Strollers are not allowed
on the tour.
The LST 325 participated in D-Day and has two places where it was fired
upon. This ramp that the troops exited onto the beach through may well
have been the last sight for many boys. For me it was an excellent
reminder of how our freedom isn't free.
he
memorial has several items from World War II displayed. While this
jeep may not have been in World War II however it's claim to fame is
that it was used in the first Mash movie. 
Our family really enjoyed the tour and would highly recommend it if you are in the area.
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