Latest news with #LST393
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
81 years later, LST 393 pays tribute to ‘humongous effort' of D-Day
MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — The USS LST 393 Veterans Museum in Muskegon is paying tribute to the lives lost in the D-Day Invasion. The museum hopes to help visitors better appreciate the scale of the D-Day invasion and its importance. 'D-Day was one of the most anticipated events of World War II. All of the Allied nations knew it was coming, but they didn't know exactly when and exactly where,' John Stephenson, a museum board member, said. 'It took a world to defeat the enemies of freedom and that's what they did. It was a humongous effort.' Muskegon event to commemorate D-Day with ship tours, reenactment The offensive began 81 years ago Friday in Normandy, France. The LST 393 was one of many ships in the waters off Omaha Beach and served a crucial role. It landed on the third day of the invasion, June 9, 1944. 'An LST like this one, LST 393, they built 1,051 of these in three years during the war. LST means Landing Ship Tank. To its sailors, it meant 'large slow target.' But it was designed and very successfully performed the job of bringing heavy equipment,' Stephenson said. 'D-Day was supposed to happen in May, but they held it back a month because they didn't have enough LSTs.' Twenty-eight tanks were loaded through giant doors on the bow of the flat-bottom ship. 'It could carry anything. Trucks, bulldozers, artillery, you name it, to a defended shore,' Stephenson said. The LST 393 served for many years after the war as a car freighter. Only two similar LSTs remain in a military configuration. D-Day veterans return to Normandy for 81st anniversary The museum is planning a variety of events to mark the 81st anniversary, including a screening of the D-Day episode of the Band of Brothers mini-series inside the ship at 8 p.m. Friday. On Saturday, an event will honor Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient James McCloughan. World War II reenactors will demonstrate tactics used. 'Historic airplanes will attack the ship and the reenactors will defend it,' Stephenson said. A flyover is planned as part of Air Raid Muskegon around 12:45 p.m. 'We want people to remember, and we want people to experience a little bit what went on during D-Day,' Stephenson said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Muskegon event to commemorate D-Day with ship tours, reenactment
MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — A ship that was at Omaha Beach on D-Day will be the backdrop for an event to commemorate the anniversary of the invasion of Normandy. The USS LST 393, built during WWII, is one of only two remaining landing ship tanks out of more than 1,000. The ship is now located on the Muskegon waterfront and is the only one that the public can tour from top to bottom. 'LST 393 was born, launched on Veteran's Day 1942 and fought very hard during WWII,' said John Stephenson, one of the board of directors for the USS LST 393 Veterans Museum. 'She was in three invasions: Sicily, Italy and she was in the Normandy invasion, D-Day. In 1945, she was sent back to the United States to be overhauled and she was going to be in the invasion of Japan. Fortunately, after the bombs were dropped, there was no invasion of Japan and she was put in the mothball fleet.' Stephenson said the ship was then found by Muskegon commercial docking group West Michigan Dock and Market, and served as a freighter carrying new cars between Michigan and Wisconsin for 25 years. On June 6 and 7, the will host the 11th community-wide remembrance of the sacrifices made during the invasion of Normandy and throughout World War II. 'Air Raid Muskegon' will feature ship tours, a free film screening on the ship's deck, 'Andrews Sisters Tribute' singers, WWII reenactors representing military personnel you would have found on D-Day in 1944, food trucks and more. 'During the event we commemorate the service of the soldiers and the sailors and the airmen who fought hard to free Europe and us from the grip of Nazi domination,' Stephenson said. On Saturday, Medal of Honor recipient will give the keynote address and be on hand to greet the crowds. Proceeds from ship tours, which will be discounted to $10 per person Saturday, will benefit the museum, which is a nonprofit run almost exclusively by volunteers. 'We are not just a museum about war, we are a museum to serve veterans,' Stephenson said. 'Every dollar goes back into the ship. The rest of the money goes to veteran organizations that really need our help.' You can find the full schedule of events for 'Air Raid Muskegon' . Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
