RESOLUTION C-2014-1 INTRODUCED BY: BRINKERHOFF-RILEY
A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE, IN
WHEREAS, The Common Council of the City of Evansville, Indiana recognizes the historical significance of the USS LST-325, a decommissioned tank landing ship of the United Sates Navy, docked in Evansville, and the importance of its role in our local economy, as well as expresses gratitude to the USS LST Ship Memorial for its restoration and preservation efforts; and
WHEREAS, the USS LST-325 was first launched during World War II when it left the U.S. on October 27, 1942, and sailed north of Africa to assist in the invasions at Gela, Sicily and Salerno, Italy; and
WHEREAS, on June 6, 1944, the USS LST-325 was part of the largest armada in history by participating in the Normandy landings at Omaha Beach and carrying 59 vehicles, 31 officers and 408 enlisted men on its first trip. In returning to England, the ship and her crew carried 38 casualties. Over the next 9 months, the USS LST-325 made more than 40 trips across the English Channel, carrying the thousands of men and pieces of equipment needed to liberate Europe. The ship continued to run supply trips before returning to the United States in March of 1945. She was decommissioned in July of 1946, and put in the Atlantic Reserve Fleet; and
WHEREAS, the USS LST-325 was reactivated in 1951 and added to the Military Sea Transportation Service, where she was involved in constructing radar outposts along the coast of eastern Canada and Greenland, which was known as “Operation SUNAC†(Support of North Atlantic Construction in the Labrador Sea, David Strait and Baffin Bay). In 1961, the USS LST-325 was again taken out of service and became part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet; and
WHEREAS, the USS LST-325 was put into service a third time and given to the Greek Navy in 1964. The ship served under the name Syros until she was decommissioned again in December of 1999; and
WHEREAS, a nonprofit organization made up primarily of retired military personnel, the USS LST Ship Memorial, acquired the USS LST-325 in 2000. The group went to Greece, made numerous repairs to the ship and sailed her the 6,500 miles back to the United States in January of 2001. In 2003, the USS LST-325 toured the Mississippi and Ohio rivers and spent 10 days in the City of Evansville, where over 35,000 people toured the ship; and
WHEREAS, the City of Evansville has a deep connection to the USS LST-325, as the City’s riverfront during World War II was a 45-acre shipyard producing LSTs. At its peak, the Evansville Shipyard employed over 19,000 and was the largest inland producer of LSTs in the nation. 167 LSTs and 35 other vessels were built at the Evansville Shipyard; and
WHEREAS, the USS LST-325 is one of the last navigable LSTs in operation in the United States and was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on June 24, 2009. The ship has been ported in the City of Evansville since 2006 as a memorial museum to LSTs and the City’s war effort; and
WHEREAS, the USS LST-325 welcomes approximately 10,000 visitors every year to the City of Evansville and is an integral part of the community’s history and local economy; and
WHEREAS, the contract between the City of Evansville and USS LST Ship Memorial expires in 2015, and it is in the City’s best interest to secure a renewal of the agreement; and
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED:
The Common Council of the City of Evansville, Indiana hereby urges Mayor Lloyd Winnecke to make renewing the contract with USS LST Ship Memorial a top priority for the City of Evansville and resoundingly congratulates the USS LST Ship Memorial on being an outstanding member of our community and an integral part of generating tourism dollars in our local economy.
PASSED BY the Common Council of the City of Evansville, Indiana, on the 27th day of January, 2014, and signed by the President of the Common Council and attested by the City Clerk.
John E. Friend, President of the Common
Council, City of Evansville, Indiana
