The World War II ship USS LST-325 will complete a six-day exhibition at Riverbluff Park in Ashland City on Tuesday, Oct. 6, after drawing large crowds to tour the last fully operational landing ship from the war.
Ashland City Mayor Gerald Greer welcomed the ship at an opening ceremony Oct. 1 and thanked the USS LST Ship Memorial, the town, Cheatham County Chamber of Commerce and other agencies and sponsors that brought the vessel to the park. The Cheatham County Central High School Band performed at the ceremony, and after the National Anthem, the ship fired its onboard anti-aircraft cannons, followed by a flyover.
The LST-325 was built in 1942 and is 328 feet long and 50 feet wide. It held 20 Sherman tanks along with its crew and served in World War II at the beaches of Normandy and the invasions of Sicily and Salerno.
After the war, the U.S. military loaned LST ships across the globe, and the LST-325 was stationed in Crete, Greece. In the 1990s, the LST Association began exploring ways to bring the ship back to the United States. A crew of World War II veterans traveled to Crete in 2000 and revived the ship. It took a Congressional act to bring the ship back home.
The ship continues to sail the nation’s rivers to share the history of these vessels and those who served on them. The year’s cruise schedule included a stop in Hendersonville before the Ashland City exhibition. When the ship departs Oct. 7, it will be on display in Clarksville, Oct. 8-12 at McGregor Park & Cumberland Riverwalk…