Grandpa's Museum

The main reason for our little road trip to Michigan was to take Grandpa to the Bay County Historical Society's exhibit on the Patrol Craft Sailor Association. The PCSA is a group of Navy veterans that were on Sub Chasers and Patrol Craft boats in WW II and Korea. Grandpa was one of the PCSA's founding members and has been really looking forward to seeing the completed exhibit in Bay City, Michigan. He met with the museum's historian who talked to him about his ship and copied some of his old photos and memoirs to keep in their archives. Grandpa was even in a film they were showing about sub chasers as you entered the museum.  It was a really great experience to have with him and the family!

LST 235: That's one big ship

Grandpa has been SO excited about the LST 235 coming to Aurora. This LST is a tank landing ship that made invasions in Sicily and Salerno during WWII. What's so neat about this particular LST is that Grandpa's little wooden Sub Chaser went on invasions with it. He actually saw this thing in action almost seventy years ago. He was on cloud nine this weekend...he was down to see the boat three different times. Wherever he went with his Navy hat on, he had people thanking him for his service. It was a really special day to spend with him.

I met General Patton while we waited (2 hours!) in line to see the ship.

They had a bomber fly over before we went on board.

This is where the tanks go.

Apparently back in the day, those sailors needed a blueprint for making a sandwich.

 

Dad manning the guns.

The MASH jeep (Dad was excited, clearly).

I don't know how much sleep I would get in these...

Here's my favorite sailor.