URGENT MESSAGE  FROM TERRY LEAHY Posted 10 May 2004     Shown at right: Terry Leahy working on LST-325's manuals in February 2002

I'm Terry Leahy, a Blue Crew Member and a Director of the USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc.  We need your help now.  Capt. Doherty has honestly spelled out our current situation which was posted Saturday (5-8-04) under the Progress Report section. Please take the time to read it. We're so fortunate to have a seaman with his background help us out. However, it is time for the rest of us to stand up again and be counted. How many of us have proudly told stories about our LST experiences, our service aboard another LST "just like this one," or our volunteer experiences aboard the 325, etc.?  Some of us who were able to give tours last summer, when we had 74,000 people come aboard, were constantly told "Thanks for serving."  I spent 3 years of active duty and 28 years in the Navy Reserve and I don't recall anyone ever thanking me before.  No one -- not that I was expecting it.  With almost every group I took on 325 tours, someone would thank me for serving.  It has been a great experience for me, and I know it has been for many, many others.  Many wives, other family members, and friends have been caught up with the project too.  My son, Mike, even enjoyed learning how to chip and paint earlier this spring. Capt. Doherty spelled out some of our key people who have knocked themselves out tirelessly to make this cruise to Boston and Alexandria a reality. They need help to make us ready for sea. Unfortunately, unless some critical things happen before we're due to get underway on May 24, we're running the chance that we may not be able to make this commitment.  These include repairing the hull, testing davits, testing generators, work on the main engines, testing the refrigeration equipment, and rebuilding a fire pump motor in addition to cleaning the ship up.  There are one or two ways I can think of where we can all help.

1.  Get to Mobile and pitch in.  I don't know any other way to put it.  In order to keep our yard costs down, we agreed to clean up the ship after the repairs were made.  Since last summer's cruise, our volunteer hours worked on the ship have dropped quite a bit, and this is probably understandable. People helped out last summer and plan to help again this summer, but we need additional help now.  That's the bad news -- the good news is that almost anyone can help.  You don't need a special talent.  In fact, you might come aboard and not find a broom to your liking.  You could probably head to a hardware store, buy the broom of your choice, use it while you're aboard, and leave it behind when you leave.  If you have engineering talent, we could sure use you too.  I hope you get the idea --- we need the help and we need it now.  If you can help out in Mobile before May 24, please contact Bill Kaupas at bkaupas@msn.com.  He'll get you aimed in the right direction.

2.  Unfortunately, all of us are not in a position to head to Mobile on such short notice or at all.  For health reasons, I find myself in this position. I've been diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a fairly rare bone cancer, and will spend most of the next 6 months or so undergoing treatment for two stem cell transplants. I know many others of us interested in the 325 have similar, or worse, health problems and don't have a chance to get to Mobile. But I've come up with a novel approach to the 325 problem -- send a check. This way we can all help out. Do you have an idea of what the estimated additional cost is going to be to just fix the hull problems found last week?  $50,000.  That's right -- 50 thousand dollars.  I realize most of us are not in a position to write a check for $50,000, so what do I do then? I know it's presumptuous for me to suggest an amount to donate, but how about this idea -- what about sending a check for the amount of money it would cost you to travel to Mobile for the number of days you'd work aboard the ship if you could?  Here's the formula:  $30/day you'd like to work if you could (approx. cost to stay at Berkeley) + your travel costs ($.35/mile if you drive).  I know, it's not fair for those of us who live further away (I live in Wisconsin), but that's life.  You can adjust the formula.  It's only an idea, but at least if I get voted off the Board next year I'll know the reason! If only a few send checks, this attempt will most likely fail.  We need a lot of people to "get onboard," and to do so fast. The LST Board and key volunteers tried to manage this dry dock period to get the most done with the resources we have available.  We prioritized the work to be done.  I for one didn't expect that we might be hit with a $50,000 important, unexpected expense discovered near the end of our time in the dock and after other repairs and alterations had been made. But I think most people who have spent time at sea can appreciate that this could happen. Please keep in mind we still have food and fuel to purchase. I can assure you that our Master, Capt. Doherty, is not taking the 325 to sea without the proper inspections and repairs being made, and we wouldn't want it any other way.  We have to provide him the resources to make this happen, or it's not going to happen. That's the situation. "But, I don't know where to send the check" you say.  Here's the answer: Make the check out to "USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc." and send it to Bruce D. Voges, Treasurer; USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc.; 7 Hemd-In Way; Oakwood, IL 61858.  [Ed. note: Donations may also be made online via credit card using PayPal, by clicking here.] Let's keep Bruce, or his wife Katie, busy filling out deposit slips this week.  Time is of the essence. The idea behind this project is that it's to be a traveling museum.  As we know, it takes money to do this.  All of the accolades and awards are nice. Many have had fun with Trivia Quizzes on our webpage. (The bow door picture recently posted was a good one!) Many stories have been told, like the man in the nursing home at our first stop on last summer's cruise who had not been out of a bed in 5 years, but told the nursing  home he wanted to get aboard the 325 even if he died trying.  Unfortunately, all of this does not pay our bills.  Sorry, that's the truth of the matter. Please help if it's at all possible.

Best regards,

     ~ Terry Leahy, Director
               USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc.