Ken Olson of Mendota stands near the LST 325. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
“Bringing Home a Hero” Mendota native crews a true battle hero Story by Brandon LaChance It wasn’t his stint with the Navy during the Vietnam War. It wasn’t his love for water or being on a ship. Ken Olson wanted to join the LST 325 because of a book, “Bringing Home a Hero.” “The ship was on loan to the Greek Navy. Greece had parked the ship and was going to scrap it,” Olson recalled from his reading.
“There was a group in the United States that wanted to bring ships back and make museums out of them. They went over there and picked one ship out of three of them because they thought it was in the best shape. “They took some parts off of one of the other ones and got it running. With a lot of luck, they were able to bring it back. I read the book, and that’s what got me interested
in being a part of the LST 325, a true battle hero.” LST stands for Landing Ship Tank, which was conceptualized by Winston Churchill when he sketched it on a napkin. The tank is designed to go to shore, open the door, and lower a ramp for tanks and other military vehicles to leave the ship. The LST 325 was used during D-Day (June See HERO page 10
A NewsTribune Publication | Illinois Valley Boomers | June 2022 9
