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Muscoda native among crew of LST 325
Muscoda Native
LST 325 will be docked in LaCrosse and Dubuque, Ia over the next few weeks. Courtesy of USS LST Ship Memorial

A Word War II ship that is headed to our area has a Muscoda tie.

Ken Olson, a native of the Muscoda area and a 1965 Muscoda High School graduate, who was also a Navy Commission Officer in the Vietna, War and a crew member of the LST 325. 

A World War II ship is heading up the Mississippi River with a scheduled stop and stay in Dubuque, Iowa. It can be visited in Dubuque from Sept. 7 to 12. It will be in the Port of Dubuque. During it’s time, the ship will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. The cost is $15 for adults, $7.50 for child ages 6 to 17 and free from children 5 and younger. Children will have to be carried as there is no accommodations for strollers.

LST 325, built in 1942, was a transport vessel, bringing up to 20 Sherman tanks and other heavy equipment to fighting troops. It is the only one remaining in the country, and is bound to appeal to history junkies and maritime buffs.

The LST-325 is the last remaining fully functioning LST in the country. She served in the U.S. Navy during WWII, with the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) in arctic operations in the 1950’s, and with the Greek Navy from 1964 until 2000. She was then brought back to the United States by a small, dedicated group of veterans during a harrowing month-long journey in the winter of 2000/01. 

LST stands for Landing Ship, Tank. These amphibious vessels were designed to land battle-ready tanks, troops, and supplies directly onto enemy shores. Ships of this type proved to be enormously useful during times of both war and peace. Today this ship is owned and operated by the 501c(3) non-profit USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc. and she tours the country to educate visitors to the role of the LST in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

The ship is permanently docked and open for tours in Evansville, Indiana. But once a year, crews take the LST 325 out for a cruise. The ship plies waters such as the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and has docked in places such as Nashville, Tennessee, Vicksburg, Mississippi, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.