I asked about this the other week because I seemed to remember hearing a reference about it a while back but could not find anything. Then I saw a brief mention about it in the Supply Line. Finally I found this article on the internet... Does anybody have any details? I'd be very interested in participating with my GPA.
An association of European World War II amphibious military craft buffs will bring its annual convention to Evansville in August 2009.
It will mark the first time for the group — the 20-year-old European World Amphibious Association — to hold its Water Week outside Europe.
The presence of the LST 325 was the key to bringing both groups to Evansville, supporters say.
"The Military Vehicle Preservation Association was the cornerstone for the Water Week convention," said Garry Hisel of Jasper, Ind., who is coordinating that meeting. "We had to have the MVPA before they (European group) would talk about coming to the United States."
With it locked in, LST 325 Captain Robert Jornlin and LST board member Kenny Adams and their wives traveled to Holland the week of July 25 to win over the European association.
They presented their proposal at a dinner meeting July 25, said Adams of Covington, Ohio.
The European Amphibious Association has members from 11 or more countries, he said.
"They all have some ties to World War II because of their father or a grandfather that worked in the underground and rescued an American soldier and hid him under the porch," he said.
Members hope to bring their amphibious crafts — military transport vehicles that travel on land and water — to the United States.
Details are yet to be worked out, Adams said, but they likely will be placed on a boat in Sweden bound for an American port.
"If you get to the United States, we will help you from that day on with translators, shipping, whatever it takes," Adams said he and Jornlin pledged.
Adams said the Europeans want to get their amphibious vehicles in the Mississippi River. He indicated arrangements might be made after the two weeks of conventions here, to load them onto the LST 325 for a voyage to the Mississippi.
In Europe, the Water Week is normally held beside a river — this year's was on the Rhine — and members take their "ducks" normally for a half-day cruise on the river and then drive back to their convention site by road.
With the addition of the European group, Hisel said, "My convention just got a little bigger."
He expects the MVPA to bring a couple thousand people to Evansville over three or four days. Its members will have a variety of restored military vehicles ranging from tanks to bicycles.
Their activities will be held at the Vanderburgh 4-H Fairgrounds, Downtown and on the riverfront.
"It's a great thing, once-in-my-lifetime event," said Adams of the back-to-back conventions. "It's great for the ship and great for Evansville."
He said the gatherings will generate national publicity for the city.
"We need to make this really, really good for the Europeans. If we can't do that in the United States, we lose," he said.
"This is very welcome news. Having the European World Amphibious Association here boosts the visibility of our community and is positive economically," Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel said in a statement. "To convince a group to come to Evansville for its first convention outside of Europe speaks volumes about what our city has to offer."
The idea to bring World Water Week to Evansville first came up in August 2005 when two of the LST's Higgins boats were in Iceland for the filming of "Flags of Our Fathers." The European World Amphibious Association had some of its vehicles in the film, too. Its members heard about LST 325 and decided to come to Evansville to check it out
Thanks,
Tony
