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USS LST-325: A Floating Legacy of World War II In Cape

Updated: 5 days ago

The USS LST-325, a 2,366-ton historic WWII landing ship, epitomized the "Large Slow Targets" that revolutionized amphibious warfare during World War 2. Launched in 1942, she crossed the Atlantic in March 1943 as part of the first U.S. Navy LST convoy to Europe.


Her defining moment came on June 6, 1944, during the Normandy Invasion at Omaha Beach, where she joined the largest armada in history. Over the next nine months, LST-325 made over 40 English Channel crossings, transporting thousands of soldiers and vehicles crucial to the liberation of Europe. 


Historian Ken Rupp gives a great tour of the USS LST-325 ship
Historian Ken Rupp gives a great tour of the ship.

In 1964, LST-325 transferred to Greece as RHS Syros (L-144), serving the Hellenic Navy until 1999. Acquired in 2000 by the USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc., a nonprofit of retired military veterans, she was sailed home across the Atlantic by a 29-member volunteer crew, arriving in Mobile, Alabama, on January 10, 2001. Now permanently docked in Evansville, Indiana—LST-325 operates as a museum ship, the only WWII-configured LST afloat and navigable in U.S. waters. Annual cruises with all volunteer crews made up of history buffs keep her seaworthy, ensuring her story endures. LST-325 will be docked at Cape and open for tours from September 25 to September 29.


A gray ship marked "325" sails under a large bridge against a partly cloudy sky. An American flag flies at the bow.

USS LST-325—Landing Ship Tank—nicknamed the "Mule" for its stubborn reliability...
Ships on a beach with open ramps and soldiers unloading. Trucks on sand. Overcast sky with two balloons. "US 325" visible on a ship.
LST-325 made over 40 English Channel crossings, transporting thousands of soldiers and vehicles crucial to the liberation of Europe. 
Landing ship US 325 on a beach with soldiers and tanks disembarking. Overcast sky, sand, and military activity create a tense mood.
June 6, 1944, during the Normandy Invasion at Omaha Beach, she joined the largest armada in history.
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Ship's bridge interior with steering wheel, portholes, and instruments. Green floor, red light, and clipboard create a vintage navigational setting.

Deck of a navy ship marked "LST 325" with colorful flags above. Calm river on the left, trees in the distance, and a clear blue sky.
The scale of the ship is amazing.

A living relic of World War II grit: the USS LST-325—Landing Ship Tank—nicknamed the "Mule" for its stubborn reliability—will draw crowds from across southeast Missouri. At 328 feet long, with her flat-bottomed hull scarred by decades of service, the LST 325 stands as a time capsule, her bow doors open as an invitation to step back into 1944. 


We were so lucky to get a personal tour of the ship with historian Ken Rupp. Like all the crew members on board the vessel, he has a great passion for the history of the LST and the people who served and sacrificed during WW2.


Man in red shirt speaking, inside an industrial setting with maps and displays. The space is brightly lit, with gray metal structures.

The inside of the ship no longer holds tanks, but makes a great musuem.
Vintage Uncle Sam poster on a wall with text "We Need You" and "Help Wanted" for USS LST Ship Memorial. A rag is draped over it.


Navy veteran in a blue and yellow shirt speaks to another man on a ship deck. Metal structures and sunlight create a bright setting.
The crew is made up by an all-volenteer force of veterns and engineers out to preserve history.

Gray ship hull with large white numbers "325" outlined in black. Sunlight casts shadows, highlighting the ship's textured surface.
When you stand on the deck of this solid metal ship, you can feel the unforgiving fragility of life those young men faced in WW 2.
A gray naval ship docked by a river, ramp open. A person stands near the entrance. Clear sky with contrails and trees in the background.
Harold Luhr, a Cape Girardeau native and World War 2 veteran who spent time on an LST during the war. 

Cape Girardeau has a special connection to LSTs and WW2: Mr. Harold Luhr, a Cape Girardeau native and World War 2 veteran who spent time on an LST during the war. We've been told, but are unable to verify, that Harold Luhr had served as a young gunner's mate aboard an LST sister ship in the Pacific Theater. In 1944, off the hellish atolls of the Marianas, his vessel was attacked. Shrapnel tore the deck; mates fell screaming into the ocean. Luhr, manning a .50-caliber, felt the ship tilt as a direct hit flooded the engine room. With water rising, the ship listing, the Captain beached her hard on that coral shelf. Ramps went down, boys scrambled out and made it to safety, and were later rescued by a different LST.


Narrow bunk beds in a dimly lit ship cabin with green walls and floor. Chains secure bedding. Light bulb overhead illuminates space.
Everything on the ship is hard as a rock and unforgiving.
Industrial kitchen with metal trays and lids, a paper labeled "Blueprints for Cooking" is visible. A cup sits nearby, and a person is working in the background.
Battleship bridge with flags against a clear sky. Gray metal structures and a lion emblem visible. Tents shade parts of the deck.

Gun turret and lifeboat marked 325-3 on a ship deck above calm water, with a clear blue sky and distant tree-lined shore.


Two horseback riders in a scenic landscape. "Find Your Place in this World." Text: Swinford Realty LLC, contact info, Denny Ward, REALTOR.

Grey naval ship with a small boat labeled "St 325-1" on deck. Clear blue sky, colorful signal flags. Calm and sunny.


Gray naval ship with guns and an American flag, under a clear blue sky. The ship is stationary with no visible crew.

Man in a red shirt gesturing, standing inside a vintage ship's cabin with round windows and brass equipment. Text on shirt: "Ken." Mood is informative.

Ken and LST -325 will soon be in Cape.

LST-325 will be docked at Cape Riverfront with daily self-guided tours from 9 5 September 25 through September 29. Explore the ship's decks, see the original equipment and learn about how the crew lived, and hear the incredible stories of the brave sailors who served during World War II—an unforgettable, family-friendly event celebrating American history right here in Cape Girardeau! More details at: visitcape.com/event/uss-lst-ship-memorial-inc-lst-325/



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