Uss Lst-818

mausmp · #1 (**permalink**) November 3rd, 2006, 06:48 AM

Searching for any former members of this Large, Slow Target which cruised the Pacific after 1944. My father, Gilbert L. "Bud" Austing, Jr. was a Seaman 2d on board until it was decommissioned in 1946.

billwilli · #2 (**permalink**) November 21st, 2006, 10:00 PM

Am interested in anything you have on USS LST 818. My father served on that ship during the war and for a period of time after cessation of hostilities. I know he had several close friends that he contacted every Christmas, but I have no information on their full names.

mausmp · #3 (**permalink**) November 22nd, 2006, 06:18 AM

Greetings, billwilli; Dad always remembered, with fondness, his days on the 818. I have a balsa wood model he made of it when I was a small child. Pretty detailed showing crew quarters, officer quarters, detachable decks, cargo hold, bow doors that open and the tank ramp that drops down. Dad passed in Aug '94; the former XO, Lt (j.g.) G. Lacey attended his funeral in Dayton, OH. From what I remember, the 818 was built in Evanston, IL in mid to late '44. At one time, I had a list of about former crewmen but can't put my hands on it right now. Contact me if you will at mausmp@neohio.twcbc.com; we'll trade e-mails if you'd like!

Mike Austing
Dennison, OH

billwilli · #4 (**permalink**) November 25th, 2006, 07:05 PM

Mike great to hear from you. I have sent you an e-mail to your address in your last post. Sounds like our father's could have served on the LST 818 at the same time. They quite likely knew each other. Would be interesting to find out if they did. Am quite interested in your crew list if you can find it. I have a couple of nick-names of some of his closer friends. One of them was from your area....IL, IN, or OH. I sent details in my e-mail. Hope we can share info.

Ken