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I’ve seen this ship before. As a matter of fact, I’ve used it’s “ships radio” to chat with a Marine Museum in California. It made me feel like I was back on the Destroyer USS Corry during my “military” service back in the late 60’s.

Several year ago, this old LST steamed from it’s “home port” in Indiana and docked a few days at the mouth of the “Little Kanawha River” (not the same a the “big” Kanawha River) as it came down the Ohio River, which is several miles North of Charleston.

You can read about it HERE

I regret that I will not be in town the week LST 325 is docking in my hometown; but I hope the “radio guys” in my valley take the time to “roam” around this historic ship. These old “flat bottomed” boats were the “worst riding ships” on the seas. When I did the same a few years ago, and mentioned that I was a “ham” to one of the crew members, I was allow access to the “radio room” and made a CW contact with a “Marine Museum” in California.

I used 20 meters to make my 20 meter CW contact from the LST at that time.

Listen for the call sign WW2LST on the CW portions of the bands this year. Morse code played a significant role on these old ships because it’s one of the simplest and most effective modes of communication in the world.

I’ll be listening for it from Calgary this year.