A World War II landing vessel, and one that actually was involved in the D-Day invasion of Normandy, sailed by tonight on the way to Moline. I just happened to be driving up the river in the direction of our scout activity and saw it gliding by. According to someone I talked to along the road whose father drove one of these bad boys in WWII, the ship could hold up to 4oo soldiers and ram the beach, its front dropping down and creating a ramp that vehicles could drive down. Some of the World War II vets that witnessed it as it sat in the lock at the Keokuk Dam were reportedly in tears as they remembered their fallen comrades. A group of veterans pooled together and bought the vessel after it had been sold to Crete and are raising money to restore it to its former glory. A crowd of missionaries and locals gathered at the end of Parley St. in Nauvoo to watch it pass.
