The LST 325 is docked on the North Shore through tomorrow afternoon, offering Pittsburghers the opportunity to tour an original World War II transport ship.
Captain Robert Jornlin says although many LSTs were manufactured in the Pittsburgh area, LST 325 came from Philadelphia. From there, it crossed the Atlantic to see extensive action in Europe.
Jornlin says the ship participated in General George Patton’s invasion of Sicily in July of 1943, before transporting troops, fuel and supplies to the beaches of Normandy for the Allies’ D-Day invasion on June 6th, 1944.
After being decommissioned in 1946, the ship was reactivated for a brief stint in Greenland during the Cold War. In 1964 it was loaned to the Greek government for use by the Hellenic Navy.
The line to enter the ship stretched from Heinz Field to the Carnegie Science Center, but retired steelworker Ray McClellan of Economy says it was worth the wait. He says as a veteran, seeing the ship makes him very proud.
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