Evansville Planning Welcome Home for LST 325

Mayor Lloyd Winnecke will proclaim Monday, September 23, 2013, as “LST 325 Homecoming Day” in Evansville, and the barge where the Landing Ship Tank (LST) docks most of the year will be repainted this week in preparation for the return of Evansville’s warship from an annual fundraising cruise.

Mayor Lloyd Winnecke, representatives from the Convention & Visitors Bureau and local media will board the ship in Owensboro Monday morning for the final leg of the journey. The LST 325 will leave Owensboro at 8am for the 4-1/2 hour return trip to Evansville.

A welcome home ceremony is being planned to greet the LST 325 and her crew when she arrives at the LST dock early Monday afternoon. The Convention & Visitors Bureau is encouraging the local boating community to form a flotilla near the twin bridges to escort the ship back to her home port. The LST 325 will make a pass-by in front of Dress Plaza prior to docking. This pass-by is expected between noon and 1 p.m. A limited quantity of American flags we be distributed to the public in attendance to salute our most hallowed war veterans as she passes.

Mayor Winnecke also encourages the public to attend the official welcome home ceremony at the LST dock. The ceremony will begin at approximately 1:30 p.m. Details of the program and other activities planned to celebrate the ship’s return will be released later this week.

Visit the LST Memorial website and click the link highlighted in red to follow the LST 325 on her voyage.