The public is invited to the riverfront this afternoon to see a bit of history. One of the last remaining USS LST ships that was used in World War II’s Battle of Normandy will be passing by Owensboro today at roughly 4 p.m., and crewmen will fire their bow 40mm AA gun in salute of the city as they pass.
The local VFW Post 696 Honor Guard will also join in firing a 21-gun salute to the LST-325.
Assistant Secretary Chris Donahue said that while they won’t be stopping in Owensboro on their trip down the river, the USS LST 235 offers a unique opportunity to see one of the last standing ships in its original condition.
They set off for their annual cruise on the Ohio River this morning from Evansville and will make multiple stop on the way to Charleston, West Virginia.
Donahue said typically when they have the showings, they have around 33,000 people go through the ship — which is approximately three times the amount they receive while docked in Evansville.
“I’ve been here 15 years … but really the exciting part is pulling into the cities where there’s all kinds of people, hundreds or thousands of people out there to see this thing. In Evansville, we’re used to this ship, but (in other cities) it’s a novel thing,” Donahue said.
According to Donahue, the ship was commissioned on Feb. 1, 1943, and was sent to D-Day on Normandy on June 6, 1944, where it was at Omaha Beach, France. Along with that, the ship was used for the invasion of Solerno, Italy; was used by General George Patton’s army; and had 2 years of service in the Arctic circle.
