GUNTERSVILLE, DECATUR, Ala. – It’s a good time to be a maritime history fan in north Alabama, as ports in the region welcome sailing reproductions of two of the ships of Christopher Columbus and an original World War II Naval vessel that participated in D-Day operations at Omaha Beach in Normandy.
Niña and Pinta in Guntersville
Full-size, sailing reproductions of the Niña and Pinta, ships used by Christopher Columbus in his exploration of the New World, arrived in Guntersville this week, and will be at Guntersville City Harbor, 39 Paddle Wheel Dr., until Sept. 2.
According to The Columbus Foundation, “Both the Niña and Pinta will be touring together as a new and enhanced ‘sailing museum,’ for the purpose of educating the public and school children on the ‘caravel,’ a Portuguese ship used by Columbus and many early explorers to discover the world.”
The Pinta has certain modern conveniences like air conditioning below deck, to make its role as a museum a little easier, while the Niña is claimed to be the “most historically accurate Columbus replica ship ever built.”
Admission: $8.50 for adults, $7.50 for seniors age 60 and older, $6.50 age 5-16, free for ages 4 and younger
Group and school tours: minimum of 15 people, $5 per person
Tours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily
For information and school group bookings, call 787-672-2152
D-Day veteran LST 325 coming to Decatur
LST (Landing Ship Tank) 325, the last operational ship of its kind still in WWII configuration, will arrive in Decatur Aug. 28 in time for its crew to attend a VIP dinner at the Ingalls Harbor Pavilion that evening. From Aug. 29 through Sept. 3, the ship will be at Ingalls Harbor, 802 Market St. NW.
According to USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc., “On 5 June 1944 LST-325 sailed from Falmouth, England carrying elements of the 5th Special Engineer Brigade. LST-325 was part of Force ‘B,’ the back-up force for the troops going ashore at Omaha Beach on 6 June. On 7 June they anchored off Omaha Beach and unloaded the men and vehicles onto (smaller landing craft).
“Between June 1944 and the end of April 1945 LST-325 made 43 round trips between England and France, unloading at Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno and the city of Rouen on the Seine River.”
The stated mission of USS LST Ship Memorial, Inc. is “to educate its visitors to the role of the LST in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. It is our desire to preserve the memory of these ships and all the countless heroic men who died in battle during the service to their country. The names of all who died while serving on LSTs will be displayed on the ship. By preserving this priceless piece of American history, we will bring honor to the American ship building industries that produced them, the crews who served and defended them, and those who were carried onto the invasion shores by them.”
LST 325 will be open for tours daily, Aug. 29 through Sept. 3, from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.
Admission: $10 for adults 18 and older, $5 for youth 6-17, free for children younger than 5
WWII and Korean War vets no charge
For more information, including tickets to the Aug. 28 charity dinner, visit https://lstmemorial.org.
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