Bringing Back a Hero

Book excerpt: A true story of the 29 men who brought back a WWII LST in 2000-01 from Crete, Greece to Mobile, AL. Robert Jornlin was made Captain by the crew replacing the original Captain. This is the behind the scenes story as told by him. He has given over 600 spellbounding talks all over the USA. The ship was in terrible shape, 58 yrs. old. The first men found the ship in the Greek Navy 'bone yard.' I told my wife I would be gone only six weeks, but repairs, red tape, and many obstacles placed in the way by our government delayed the departure. The fifty man crew dwindled to just twenty-eight as the Captain in desperation signed on a History Channel video photographer as a crewman. These delays pushed the departure into early winter in the Mediterranean Sea and North Atlantic, but these veterans would not give up on LST 325 that beached at Sicily in '43 and was at D-day June 6, 1944. Average age of this crew now 72, started from Crete on Nov.14th for the U.S. This is their story.