Welcome Aboard
USS LST 996
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Welcome Aboard |
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This website is dedicated
in honor of the Officer’s & Crewmen who served aboard the USS LST 996 and the  two battle
stars that they received during their World War II Service. My deep
appreciation to my father,
Martin
Greaser for inspiring me, and to Ed Wasmer & Al Hunter who served with my father
during World War II & provided a vast amount of the information you will find here.
Enjoy your visit aboard!! |
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Upcoming LST 996 Reunion -
May '04
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LST 996 Reunion Info & Pics |
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Happy 55th Anniversary to LST 996!! |
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US LST Memorial/Museum Ship LST 325 |  |
Background: LST stands for Landing Ship Tank and it was the workhorse of World War II. I have also read they joked about LST standing for large slow target since her maximum speed (earlier ones) was 11 knots. In any event, only 26 of the 1051 LSTs built during the war were lost to enemy action or weather during their service. Be sure to stop in the "Special Memories" section below for video clips of the Amphibious Forces at Normandy on D-Day and the Memorial there now.
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Ship History: LST 996 was laid down on 27 March 1944 at the
Boston Navy Yard and launched on 2 May 1944. She was
sponsored by Mrs. Ursula A. Hall and commissioned on 23
May 1944, with
Ensign
Charles A. Leach, Jr., USNR in command.
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LST Configuration: LST’s were built with just about everything you needed aboard, this one even turned an Ammo storage room into a darkroom. The depicts all the different areas aboard an LST. There is also a link to show you a typical weekly menu from aboard an LST! |
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Crewmen: This is nearly a complete list of crewmen aboard LST 996. It was generously provided by Al Hunter and Ed Wasmer. If you have a relative/friend that was aboard, please Email Me with his info. |
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Ship’s Log: The ship’s log was received from Al Hunter. Our thanks to Al for making it available. It meant a great deal to me to see where my father traveled throughout the war, and the battles they were involved in. | ||
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Photo Memories: Here you’ll find a collection of photo memories of the LST crew members during WW2. My father is Martin Greaser, and it is out of my love for him I decided to put together a "Home Port" with the cherished memories from him and his friends aboard USS LST 996. | ||
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Classy Dudes! A "Now & Then" type area. This is a collection of how some of these handsome sailors now look. If you have a father that was aboard this LST and you’d like to donate a copy of his photo to add here, please Email me with the information or pictures. | ||
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Crewmen’s Letters: If
you have any letters you would like to donate for this area, please Email me a copy to include in this area. Or, you can
mail letters to me and I will return them after scanning the info. Email me for my address
if you would like to snail mail them. |
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Crewmen’s Bio's: Ever wonder what may have happened to some of your shipmates after the war? Did they marry, have children, go to school for degrees? Well, this area is devoted to their Biographies. | ||
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The Final Rollcall: A tribute to those that have passed on. If you have a family member from the LST 996 that has passed away, please feel free to contribute some special memories to this area. | ||
Special
Memories/Articles:
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Mail/Email Addresses of Crew Members: This is a list of those with known addresses/phone numbers that you can correspond with or call. Please feel free to drop them a note, or call them....maybe they will have some memories to share. |
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LST Ship Index:
For those interested, Al Hunter has an index, by LST Ship Number, which references
all articles (or mention) of a particular LST in "The Scuttlebutt" Newspaper
issued by the LST Association. If you are interested in obtaining a reference list for your LST please write to Al (his snail mail address is listed
in Address link above). |
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Links to Other LST Sites: This includes some other known LST sites, along with the USS LST Association. |
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Cold War Certificate: If you have any Military or Civilian experience between 1 Sep 1945, and 26 Dec 1991, then you are eligible for a Cold War Certificate! Applications are being accepted beginning 5 April 1999. Visit this link for more information on how to obtain your certificate! | ||
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 LT. David L. Hodges: I wanted to do something special for our site, so we have adopted a Navy
POW/MIA. He served aboard the USS Oriskany (CVA 34) when his Skyhawk (VA 164 Ghost
Rider) was shot down 7 Oct 1967 in Vietnam. Please help bring him, or his remains
home. Special note: Just recently Lt. Hodges' remains
were found & identified...he is now coming home to rest! |
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Join other Shipmates: at the reunion on Labor Day in Buffalo, NY. Or, join the LST Association and get your copy of the Scuttlebutt! | ||
AWARD |
INFORMATION |
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Comments from Laura Slayton Phillips You have a FANTASTIC SITE! So informative I will bring my students here! Made me SMILE *HUG* Editor's Note: I was MOST IMPRESSED by the efforts of Laura Slayton Phillips & students at West Lincoln-Broadwell School. They have a site that will touch your heart! You will be happy to know there are kids that care about our vets and are doing something to give back and show their appreciation. Kudos to Laura, the other teachers & the students for their WONDERFUL efforts!! (Click on Award to visit their site) |
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Comments from Ben Ciolczynski I was very impressed by all the hard work you have put into the site and have to congratulate you on a wonderful achievement in web site design. I would like to extend my congratulations on producing a very informative and resourceful web site dedicated to the Officers and Crewmen of the LST 996. An excellent addition to the web, one that you should be very proud of. Large Slow Target, not the greatest place to spend a holiday cruising .....:-) ..... enclosed is our Award of Excellence for your site. |
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The song playing below is Anchors Aweigh. To learn more about this song and it's origin, go here to visit the site. If you do not have Crescendo, click on the "Crescendo Now" button below to download a free copy. |
