The Infamous LST-325: A WWII survivor’s journey through the Heart of Tennessee

Hendersonville, Tenn. (October 6, 2026) – When the British and French armies were pinned against the sea at Dunkirk, military strategists`learned a brutal lesson: Modern warfare required a way to move thousands of troops, tanks, and heavy equipment onto unapproved shores where no deep-water ports existed.

The solution was the Landing Ship, Tank (LST). During World War II, American shipyards-often built in leveled cornfields and largely staffed by women, produced 1,051 of these massive vessels. Today, only one remains fully operational: the USS LST-325.

Homeported in Evansville, Indiana, the LST-325 spends eleven months of the year as a static museum. But every fall, the veteran crew fires up the engines and takes this 328-foot piece of living history on the road. This autumn, the LST-325 is charting a course down the Cumberland River, drawing massive crowds as it navigates through the heart of Tennessee.

“It’s not about being a veteran, it’s about telling the story of the ship. We have around 50 volunteers, you’ll see guys in the front row working on the engine, guys who handle lines when we go through locks, all those things. About half are veterans, the other half are comprised of people that didn’t serve and wanted to tell the story. Their grandfather could’ve been on a ship like this, their mother might’ve built it. We all have the same passion, telling the story,” said Ken Rupp, Cruise Director for the LST-325.

A History Forged in Battle Built in 1942 and commissioned in 1943, the LST-325 did exactly what it was designed to do, deliver the fight to the enemy. It participated in the occupations of Salerno and Sicily before joining the armada at Normandy, landing troops and Patton’s tanks right on the beaches of France.

A history forged in battle' please use this: The LST’s service didn’t end in 1945. It was brought back into service in the early 1960s to build the Distant Early Warning Line in the Arctic Circle, and later transferred to the Greek Navy, where it served under the name Syros. It sailed longer for the Greeks than it did for the U.S. Navy.

By the year 2000, a group of dedicated LST veterans decided their story was forgotten. They located the ship in Greece, secured its release, and, in a move that literally required an act of Congress, brought a former naval asset back to the United States as a privately owned vessel.

Mastering the Inland Waterways Taking an ocean-going landing ship on a tour of the American Midwest is a monumental logistical feat. The ship burns roughly 7 gallons of fuel per mile, and the crew must constantly adjust the ballast tanks. On the ocean, the ship rode heavy with full ballast to slice through waves. On the shallow rivers the crew pumps the tanks dry, so the ship rides as high as possible.

The LST-325’s ability to tour cities like Hendersonville, Ashland City, and Clarksville relies entirely on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District. The Cumberland River is only navigable for a vessel of this size because of the intricate system of locks and dams maintained by USACE.

"The sight of seeing a World War II vessel, measuring over 300 feet long, navigating the Cumberland River and inside the tight chambers of Cheatham Lock, was a visual spectacle. Right Bank Recreation Area experienced a sudden, massive influx of visitors eager to capture photos and witness the historic transit firsthand. Vehicles were parked alongside the roadway and parking lots adjacent to the lock were filled. The locking process served as a major community gathering for people of all ages hoping to get a glimpse of the historic vessel," said Tadd Potter, Cheatham Lake natural resources program manager.

To charter from state to state and river to river, moving from the Ohio River down into Cumberland, the LST-325 must carefully transit through massive USACE locks like Cheatham and Barkley. It takes incredible precision between the ship’s pilot and the lockmasters to guide a 328-foot, flat-bottomed warship into the chambers.

To understand exactly how the LST-325 steps up and down the rivers on its journey to Nashville, here is a look at the Lock system in action:

The 2026 Cumberland River Tour The LST-325 is currently executing its fall river tour, moving away from the frigid winter engine-room temperatures of Indiana to the slightly milder climates of Tennessee.

Hendersonville, TN
Sept 23 – 29, 2026
Docked at Sanders Ferry Park. This served as the furthest point on the current route, attracting thousands of visitors over the weekend.
Ashland City, TN
Oct 1 – 6, 2026
Docked at River bluff Park, allowing visitors from the greater Nashville area to climb down into the massive tank deck.
Clarksville, TN
Oct 8 – 12, 2026
The final tour stops before the crew begins the journey back up the rivers toward Evansville, arriving by mid-October.

“11 months out of the year we are contracted to keep the LST in Evansville, IN. Evansville pays our light bill, water bill, gives us a place to park and has a museum for us! They fund all of that for us. Although, quite frankly, Evansville isn’t a big enough draw to support this. So we take it out on the road, one month out of the year, since 2000,” Rupp mentioned.

The sheer scale of the vessel is staggering. Visitors don’t just see a ship; they smell the oil, feel the cramped quarters, and touch the battle damage still rippling the hull from rough ocean crossings and combat landings.

For the veterans who fought to bring the LST home, and the thousands of visitors who tour its decks annually, the LST-325 isn’t just a museum, it’s a working, breathing testament to the ingenuity and grit of the World War II generation.

The Nashville District continues to manage a diverse portfolio of projects across multiple National Parks in the Cumberland and Tennessee River Basin, operating at various stages of development. The Corps remain committed to supporting recreation and conservation areas as future projects are further developed and funded.

The public can obtain news, updates and information from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District on the district’s website at https://www.lrd.usace.army.mil/About/Districts/Nashville-District/, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/nashvillecorps and on X (formerly Twitter) at http://www.x.com/nashvillecorps. Follow us on LinkedIn for the latest Nashville District employment and contracting opportunities at https://www.linkedin.com/company/u-s-army-corps-of-engineers-nashville-district.

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