MUSKEGON, Mich. – The USS LST 393 is one of two ‘landing ship tanks’ in the country, permanently docking in Muskegon.
On April 27th, the ship is celebrating its public opening of the season with a volunteer day. Dozens of people spend their time beautifying the ship by painting, repairing damage and other tasks related to the ship’s upkeep. More than 30 Scouts, both boys and girls, also spent their weekend lending a helping hand.
“It’s tedious, but it’s fun,” said Allison Threadgill, a Scout with Troop 1053. “It’s just really cool to help out and be a part of the community.”
This year, the volunteers and board are pulling out all the stops to commemorate the 75 year anniversary of D-Day. They’ll be holding special events. There will also be many new exhibits and veteran tributes. For the first time this year, you can see a Vietnam War-era river patrol boat, “PBR,” on display along with the ship.
“We’ve had World War II veterans that just break down crying because they see what is going on,” said Scott Grant, the President of the USS LST 393 Board. “A lot of them were on ships like this because they carried veterans throughout the war.”
If you’d like to see some of the new features new this year, the LST 393 will be open on the weekends. Starting on May 18th, the LST 393 will be open to the public full-time. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for students and children.
