Notes from the Captain
Posted 16 November 2005
Posted 16 November 2005
Dear LST fans,
This is the first update since arriving in Evansville Oct. 3. It has been a busy month and a half for Lois and me. Evansville is proving to be a great place for the LST 325. We have averaged over 100 visitors per day since our arrival. The volunteers have been coming out in great numbers also. The visitors have come from as far away as Germany, Canada, and the far western states. The ship is open six days a week now from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 5:00 p.m. Sundays.
Because of people coming on board, a lot of maintenance has not been done. However we have painted most of the port side of the ship and some of the fire stations on the main deck, winches have been put on the barge, and the ship is now tied down with steel cables. Thanks to Butch Vaughn and Haskell Davis who welded the winches and to Kenny Adams and Bruce Voges for getting this job done! The ramp which was not constructed at the correct height for unknown reasons was raised on Monday, November 14, by volunteers and it looks great. We have our LCVP's back and have gotten bids to sandblast, paint them, and make some small repairs. The movie company has agreed to pay for the work on the LCVP's.
We took #1 LCVP out one week ago with a lot of VIP's on board and one very special rider - a Ranger from WWII that was wounded at Omaha Beach, Floyd Whicker, father of Mike Whicker. Mike and his wife, Sandy, are now in charge of the ship, office, and day to day operations and are doing an outstanding job!
Most of the office furniture and equipment was donated by United Fidelity Bank, thanks to Jack Cunningham who served on the LST Committee and is on the board of the bank. The Courier Press newspaper is leasing a golf cart for our use which is very helpful for transporting handicapped individuals. Channel 25 in Henderson, KY, gave us a new TV and VCR for the gift shop to show our preview tapes to the visitors. The Baja Restaurant, located adjacent to the LST, is donating the boarding passes and Anna Lee Wilson (of Baja and TLC restaurants in Evansville) and Ed Witte donated the display fixtures for our gift shop.
We have survived the tornado that hit the Evansville area on Sunday, November 6. The LST we now know can survive both hurricane and tornado. On Halloween the LST also made the news with a ghost search aboard ship by WTVW. Now we are supposed to have three ghosts - one called Corky, Jonathan, and another man with a gray hat that told the psychic that he was there for four hours. The Courier Press is going to put a ghost cam on the ship. Ernie Andrus' wife lost her earring on the ship two years ago and found it on the chair in the gift shop on October 15. Believe it or not!
Bob Jornlin, Capt. LST 325
This is the first update since arriving in Evansville Oct. 3. It has been a busy month and a half for Lois and me. Evansville is proving to be a great place for the LST 325. We have averaged over 100 visitors per day since our arrival. The volunteers have been coming out in great numbers also. The visitors have come from as far away as Germany, Canada, and the far western states. The ship is open six days a week now from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and noon to 5:00 p.m. Sundays.
Because of people coming on board, a lot of maintenance has not been done. However we have painted most of the port side of the ship and some of the fire stations on the main deck, winches have been put on the barge, and the ship is now tied down with steel cables. Thanks to Butch Vaughn and Haskell Davis who welded the winches and to Kenny Adams and Bruce Voges for getting this job done! The ramp which was not constructed at the correct height for unknown reasons was raised on Monday, November 14, by volunteers and it looks great. We have our LCVP's back and have gotten bids to sandblast, paint them, and make some small repairs. The movie company has agreed to pay for the work on the LCVP's.
We took #1 LCVP out one week ago with a lot of VIP's on board and one very special rider - a Ranger from WWII that was wounded at Omaha Beach, Floyd Whicker, father of Mike Whicker. Mike and his wife, Sandy, are now in charge of the ship, office, and day to day operations and are doing an outstanding job!
Most of the office furniture and equipment was donated by United Fidelity Bank, thanks to Jack Cunningham who served on the LST Committee and is on the board of the bank. The Courier Press newspaper is leasing a golf cart for our use which is very helpful for transporting handicapped individuals. Channel 25 in Henderson, KY, gave us a new TV and VCR for the gift shop to show our preview tapes to the visitors. The Baja Restaurant, located adjacent to the LST, is donating the boarding passes and Anna Lee Wilson (of Baja and TLC restaurants in Evansville) and Ed Witte donated the display fixtures for our gift shop.
We have survived the tornado that hit the Evansville area on Sunday, November 6. The LST we now know can survive both hurricane and tornado. On Halloween the LST also made the news with a ghost search aboard ship by WTVW. Now we are supposed to have three ghosts - one called Corky, Jonathan, and another man with a gray hat that told the psychic that he was there for four hours. The Courier Press is going to put a ghost cam on the ship. Ernie Andrus' wife lost her earring on the ship two years ago and found it on the chair in the gift shop on October 15. Believe it or not!
Bob Jornlin, Capt. LST 325
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