Veterans Cross Atlantic to Bring Home an Old Hero

A rusting relic from World War II sailed into port Wednesday with a jubilant crew of elderly veterans after a monthlong transatlantic voyage that the Coast Guard had warned was too dangerous to attempt.

“Bravery is ageless,” Bill Shannon, a veteran from Fort Worth, said as the naval vessel LST-325 arrived to a celebration.

The 29-member crew, average age 72, was made up mostly of veterans from World War II and the Korean War. The 328-foot vessel, which delivered troops to Normandy during the D-day invasion, will become a museum.

“This is the greatest thing I’ve ever done in my life, but I wouldn’t do it again for all the world,” said crewman Jim Edwards of Canton, Texas. “I like to have froze.”

The crew left Greece on Nov. 17 and crossed the Mediterranean in 11 days despite two storms and equipment problems. One man suffered heart problems and left for home, dying after he arrived. The crew was at sea continuously after leaving Gibraltar on Dec. 12.

The Coast Guard had warned the crew against trying to cross the Atlantic during the stormy winter months, citing the ship’s lack of safety equipment and uncertainty about the crew’s ability to respond to emergencies.

The crew rejected the advice. Capt. Robert Jornlin of Earlville, Ill., described the voyage as fairly smooth, though there were steering problems and rough, cold weather off the Florida Keys.

The ship was built in 1942. It was decommissioned in 1946, loaned to the Greek government in 1964 and taken out of service last summer.

Crew members paid their own way to Greece and donated $2,000 to help cover expenses. The rehabilitation of the boat was extensive.

“It was just like going back in time. We were 18 again out on that ship,” said Joe Sadlier, 74, a bus driver from Ketchikan, Alaska.