By Mike Perleberg
The LST-325 was a popular attraction during its visit to Aurora in 2011. It will be docked on the Ohio River in Madison, Indiana September 11-16, 2013.
file photo
(Madison, Ind.) - A World War II-era ship that was a popular attraction when it visited Aurora two years ago is returning to southeast Indiana.
The USS LST 325 took part in the Normandy invasion, landing on Omaha beach during the famed turning point in WWII in 1944. It had been commissioned just two years earlier, one of just over 1,000 such ships built.
The ship based out of its home port in Evansville, Indiana will arrive in Madison on Wednesday, September 11. It will be open for public tours Thursday, September 12 through next Monday, September 16 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. each day at the Madison City Boat Ramp.
Tour prices are $10 for adults, $5 for ages 6-17, and ages 5 and under are free. A family ticket for two adults and two children can be bought for $20.
The LST – or Landing Ship Tank - type of transport vessel was used in both the European and Pacific theaters during the Second World War. The United States never lost an invasion once the LSTs were designed, produced, and could land the big tanks and dozens of troops right on the beach.
Unlike many of other LST’s, LST-325 survived being scrapped. It is now the last fully operational WWII LST in the United States.
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