Bringing Back A Hero: Return of LST 325

by Robert D. Jornlin

"Ahead I could see the storm clouds growing as the wind continued to increase. We were close to Sicily where this hero ship had made her first landing with Patton's tanks and officers on July 10, 1943. The LSTs had been hit then also by a blistering storm coming out of the southwest which lasted for several days. I could see the lightning streaking across the now very dark sky, with streaks coming straight down into the sea. Rain began to pelt our windows in the conning station and we found out the windshield wipers did not work." A true story (not a Sea Story) of 29 American Navy Veterans average age 72 finding, restoring, and attempting to sail a 58 year old WWII Landing Ship Tank back to the United States. A task never accomplished before by a military ship loaned to a foreign government. A ship that made landings at Sicily, Salerno, Italy, and Normandy, France (D-day June 6, 1944.) The story is told by Captain Robert Jornlin as it happened in the winter of 2000 -2001. Not only was the LST they found in Souda Bay Crete, Greece in terrible shape, with no fuel or batteries on board, a mutiny took place, the State Department was dead against them having a working ship and out of 72 crew that signed up only 29 were left. The odds against them getting the ship away from the pier went as high as 27 to 1 at the local bookie joint. Adding to this, the Captain could not get the LST registered as an American ship but was told they could bring it back unregistered - a pirate ship! In telling this tale, the Captain has received many standing ovations in the over 700 talks he has given all over the United States. A movie is in the planning stage. Military background or not, old or young, you will enjoy this story of Veterans who will not give up the ship!

Genres: World War II

272 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2014

Reviews

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m free!!!!!! I did like this more than I thought I would! But I don’t really understand ships other than what Below Deck has taught me…

[Zach Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a fantastic book.

Captain Robert Jornlin recalls the tale of how he and a group of ragtag 70-year-old World War II veterans brought home to America the LST-325 from Greece in 2000–2001. The whole heartfelt story seems like something straight out of a made-for-Disney movie. In 1943–1944 during WWII, USS LST-325 was an American Tank Landing Ship that fought in Italy and the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France. After the war, she ended up in Greece's navy. However, over five decades later, a group of LST Navy veterans from all America's wars—all averaging around 72 years in age—made it their mission to bring back a WWII LST to the US. And against all odds, they somehow sailed it over six thousand miles from Crete, Greece to Mobile, Alabama. Captain Jornlin did a masterful job putting this story together, and America forever owes a debt of gratitude to him and his hardworking patriot crew mates who crossed the dangerous Atlantic Ocean and brought home a "hero."

Throughout the book, Captain Jornlin mentions how many people over the years have told him he should write a book about the journey, and to them we should be thankful. It is because of those people that we have this wonderful book to cherish for all time.

[Bill Bitner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another LST book so biased. This is about LST 325 which is the LST Memorial in Evansville, Indiana. The book covers how a group of veterans, led by Captain Bob, the author, went to Souda Greece, got this 58-year-old ship working, and sailed it back across the Atlantic to the US. The adventures that took place in this were fun, even more fun when I consider the average age of the crew was close to 72.

[Dean Mundy]

I thought this book would be slog. I wanted to read it because my father served on an LST in WW2 and this one saw service then also. But I thought it would just be dull, getting-it-ready facts.

I was surprised. Maybe it was because of my interest in LSTs, but I wanted to read some every time I got the chance!

It mostly dealt with what they had to go through to get it ready to sail and there was a lot.