From beaches of Normandy to Hannibal shore: Come aboard the LST 325 Landing Ship Tank this weekend

HANNIBAL, Mo. – The USS LST 325 that arrived at Omaha Beach in Normandy during the D-Day Invasion on June 6, 1944, pulled up to the shore along the Hannibal riverfront on Friday morning,

The ship is available for tours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily through Sunday.

The 328-foot-long landing ship was in Sicily on July 10, 1943, for Operation Husky, which opened the island and the Mediterranean Sea lanes to Allied merchant ships for the first time since 1941.

The ship is one of only 1,021 LSTs built to deposit cargo on hostile beaches, then retract offshore to get another load. LSTs were used during World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The LSTs carried up to 20 Sherman tanks in the ship’s hold, and up to 30-40 trucks, tons of fuel, ammunition or supplies and soldiers on the main deck.

For most of the year, the ship is docked in Evansville, Ind., for local tours. During the late summer, the LST goes to other ports so more people can come aboard and take in the historical ship.

Tours are $15 for those 18 and above, and $7 for those from ages 5-17. Anyone under $5 is free. All WWII and Korean War veterans are free.