Historic WWII Ship to leave Omaha

March 7, 2004

Historic WWII Ship to leave Omaha

By REGIS NEUROHR

historic Omaha riverfront fixture, located at Missouri river mile marker 618.5 since November 23rd 1998, will begin making its way this spring from it's Freedom Park mooring, to a new home at the Marine Corps Museum of the Carolinas in Jacksonville, North


	The historic WWII LSM-45 will be moved from Freedom Park this spring to a new home in Jacksonville, NC.

Carolina. The LSM-45 (Landing Ship Medium), is a World War II-era troop and supply landing ship, the last of it's type in the United States still configured for its original purpose.

The Amphibious Ship Museum, comprised of former military members who served on LSMs during World War II and the Korean War, was unhappy with the maintenance and upkeep of the LSM-45 at Freedom Park and began looking for a new home. Museum representatives contacted Headquarters Marine Corps' historical branch, which put them


	This is a boater's view of the LSM-45's bow. Quite a few boating collisions have taken place, mostly at night when boaters are floating or leaving the Anchor Inn cove.

in touch with the Marine Corps Museum of the Carolinas. The Amphibious Ship Museum will give up rights to the ship and its artifacts to the Marine Corps Museum of the Carolinas once the ship anchors at Mile Hammock Bay.

On December 11, 2003 the State Department granting approval for the moving of the LSM-45. The tow downriver will commence sometime around late April when river channel depth is sufficient for safe navigation. Once the historic ship is dry docked behind the museum, it will be open to the public and the ship's deck will be filled with equipment used during World War II.

History

The LSM-45 was built by Brown Shipyard in Houston, Texas, and commissioned on July 28, 1944. Launching occurred on June 30, 1944. There were 494 of these ships constructed, the first

The LSM-45 in San Francisco Bay, 1946. Coit tower can be seen on Telegraph Hill in background.

one was commissioned on April 14, 1944.

Typically, an LSM had a crew of 54 enlisted men and five officers. The LSM's were utilized for wartime duty only in the Pacific. They were first utilized in combat duty when General MacArthur made his historic return to the Philippines in October of 1944. They were then deployed during all subsequent island invasions in the Pacific. The LSM-45 was used to shuttle supplies, ammunition and equipment ashore just after the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.

The LSM-45 was decommissioned on March 27, 1947. On November 3, 1958, she was transferred to the Greek Navy and re-named the “Ipopliarkhos Grigoropoulos", and re-designated L-161.

Voyage to Omaha

In 1998, LSM-45 (Shown as registered as as Greek Navy L-161) undergoes pre-voyage outfitting in the Hellenic Naval Base at Skaramanga, Greece.

In early 1998, the Amphibious Museum of the Americas (AMA) found the former USS LSM 45 in Greece, half sunk. The AMA raised and restored the Ship and had it towed back to America. A press release stated, "We have found USS LSM 45 in the Grecian Isles and she is being returned to the United States to be placed in the National Naval Museum at Freedom Park,
Omaha, Nebraska, right on the Missouri River." Getting the LSM-45 ready for towing to New Orleans took a month in a Greek repair yard.

In August 1998, the ship came under full control of the USS LSM-LSMR Association, made up of former shipmates who served on LSMs and similar ships from 1944 to 1970.

Intermarine of New Orleans LA., volunteered its services to the Landing Ship, Medium (LSM)

States-bound LSM-45 was towed 7,000 miles from Greece to New Orleans by the Russion Tug, 'OST'. (Sep. 1998)

Association of America and committed to deliver the WWII amphibious landing ship over 7000 miles, from Greece to Omaha, Nebraska.

The LSM departed Hellenic Naval Base, Skaramanga, Greece on September 9 1998 under tow of the chartered Russian tug, OST. After a stop at Tenarife, in the Canary Islands for fuel, the tug made way across the Atlantic Ocean heading directly west on course 270 at a speed of 7.2 knots. Rounding the Florida keys, the OST and her tow then headed up through the Gulf and arrived at the Port of New Orleans on October 20th.

Intermarine assumed the responsibility as agents for the LSM Association and Freedom Park, managing all registration and berthing efforts upon the LSM's port of entry arrival. Additional port services were arranged with gracious vendors and many volunteers who donated their services.

A Blaske Marine towboat brought the LSM-45 up the Missouri river from St. Louis to Freedom Park, arriving Nov. 23, 1998.

These include Seagull Marine, Crescent River Port Pilots Association and Morrill Drydock and Repair. While in New Orleans the LSM-45 was berthed at Morrill Drydock and Repair on the Harvey Canal.

The timing of the tow from New Orleans to the nation's hearthland at Omaha Nebraska was the next big hurdle primarily because the Missouri river was closing to navigation traffic around mid-November. Barge and tow Operators are usually busy getting their equipment out of the rivers before the winter freeze.

Towing from New Orleans, up the Mississippi river to St. Louis, was made possible by American Commercial Barge Lines. Blaske Marine then provided the AMA a dedicated towboat to push the LSM-45 up the Missouri river from St. Louis to a permanent riverfront berth at Freedom Park, arriving on Monday November 23, 1998.