LST project going at full speed

October 03, 2007
By Robert C. Burns
Muskegon Chronicle

Caretakers of the World War II tank-landing ship on Muskegon Lake have had a breakthrough year in their efforts to establish a floating naval and military museum on board.

In fact, just about everything that Dan Weikel, president of the LST-393 Preservation Association, said would happen, has happened.

In terms of projects completed and visitors logged, he said, "It's been a great year -- great for us and great for the downtown."

Generating the most interest was probably the opening of the ship's massive bow doors, which on July 24 swung outward for the first time since the war ended and it was converted into the carferry Highway 16 in 1948.

That event was followed, less than a month later, by the lowering of the ramp over which tanks and men poured out in the D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.

That was probably this ship's biggest claim to fame -- that and the fact that it is one of only two LSTs still afloat of the more than 1,100 the Navy built for the war.

There were at least a couple reasons for opening up the bow of the ship this way. For one, LST veterans universally agree that that is how the ship should be displayed. And for another, this will become the permanent and properly dramatic entrance to the ship for visitors as they go aboard for tours, reunions and other events.

Weikel and his restoration officer, Patrick Harker, have since sealed off the large opening into the ship's tank deck with a glass wall, accessible through a pair of glass doors.

This week, Weikel & Co. finished the third and final piece of the project -- a walkway leading from the dock onto a platform attached to the lowest point of the ramp, which visitors will then be able to walk up and go aboard.

The entrance will be further enhanced by the old-fashioned chipping and repainting of the interior of the doors, and touching up of the long-faded numerals "393" above the opening.

A gift shop was added this year, as well as a "Homefront" display depicting wartime life. It is the first of several military service displays to be added to the ship's tank deck.

With regular tours over for the year, Weikel reported some hefty gains on the tourism front, which he and his board see as evidence that word about the ship, its history and its ongoing restoration is getting out.

Based on signings in the ship's visitors log, people came from 245 communities in Michigan, compared to 84 in 2006. They came from 44 states, up from 28 last year, and from 11 countries (three last year).

"And these are just the people who signed the book," Weikel said. "Half of them never sign."

Assuming that half the visitors sign in, and that each visitor who signed or would have signed represents two visitors, Weikel estimated the total number of visitors for the year at about 5,760.

"That is about double what we had last year," he said.

Earlier in the summer, the ship's curators installed a new shore water supply system. It led to the city's fire marshal allowing overnight visitors to stay on board. That is potentially a valuable fundraising tool, adding to the ship's seven-day-a-week tours and other fundraising events like the Friday night "Movies on Deck." Even those did better this year, averaging 80 moviegoers per night, compared to about 40 last year.

Still to come is an education and research center to be set up in former crew's quarters at the far aft end of the LST.

Weikel credits the Community Foundation for Muskegon County for jump-starting the year's restoration efforts with a $7,000 grant. On top of that, the group cleared about $12,000 in a large auction. Several large money donations augmented the LST's other fundraising operations.

As of today, the onboard "Wall of Honor" tribute to military veterans has more than 50 photographs on it, while the "Walk of Honor" contains more than 100 bricks.

The ship's various projects also involved the work of 38 volunteers, each of whom donated 90 hours of their time on average.

© 2007 Muskegon Chronicle. Used with permission