MEDAL of COMBAT VALOR THE FORGOTTEN BATTLE 60thth ANNIVERSARY HONORS THE FORGOTTEN WAR OF KOREAN WAR LST 289 After The Battle The U.S. Exercise Tiger Foundation Presents FOUNDATION HISTORY & HEROES & USCG Petty Officer Nathan Bruckenthal Remembrance The National Ceremony at United States Coast Guard Station Boston Stong Barnegat Light, NJ “LST’s, Their Finest Hour” April 28th, 2013 Remembrance A Forgotten Battle Secretary of the Navy Victims ~ Boston Marathon Korean War Memorial John Dalton, 1997 Sandy Hook Elem School Washington, D.C. Honors a Forgotten War Dedicated On April 29th,28th, 2000 hat began as a top Tribal Class destroyer HMS third lay crippled. Of the 4000 s e c r e t n a v a l ASHANTI and a covering force man force nearly a fourth were Woperation to prepare of motor torpedo boats. missing or killed . Official Dept. US Army and Naval forces for Anchored along with LST's 55 of Defense records confirm 749 the June 6th D-Day Invasion, and 382 they would be of no dead , 551 US Army and 198 This 5000 pound would end with one of the help to the ambushed LST US Navy. The death toll makes highest losses ever suffered in force of T-4. "Tiger" the costliest battle to anchor came off an combat by the US Army and Attacking in the pitch black U.S. forces at that point in the LST of the class that Navy in WW II. night, 9 German Navy "E" war after Pearl Harbor. At 0135 on the morning of April boats (torpedo) struck quickly On April 28th, 1944, the LST's were attacked on April 28th, 1944, eight Tank Landing and decisively. Without darkest yet finest hour Ships (LST's) and thier lone w a r n i n g L S T 5 0 7 w a s occurred. When, for one hour, 28th, 1944. It serves escort, the British corvette torpedoed first. Explosions and the men and ships of Convoy T- today as a beacon of HMS AZALEA, were en route to flame lit the night. At 0217 LST 4 fought the greatest naval the landing area. Slapton 531 is torpedoed. It sinks in six battle ever faced by an LST remembrance for all Sands was selected because minutes. Of the 496 soldiers force in history. Against its beach looked every bit like and sailors on her, 424 of them superior enemy warships, the TIGER Vets & US the beaches at Normandy that died. It would be on this ship Tiger amphibious force held its Forces in harms way. would be code named Utah that the state of Missouri would own. and Omaha by the allies. lose some 201 of its boys of the The German attack did not The eight LST's of LST Group 3206th. stop Exercise Tiger. Landing 32, formed convoy T-4. they LST 289 tried to evade the fast operations resumed later on were the support group for German "E" boats but was hit in the 28th. It is a credit to the elements of the 4th & 29th the stern. LST's 496, 515, and tenacity and determination of Infantry, 82nd Airborne and 511 all began firing at their the soldiers and sailors 188th Field Artillery Group attackers, LST 289 joined in involved in Exercise Tiger, that already ashore at Slapton returning fire while lowering t h e D - D a y i n v a s i o n a t Sands. landing craft to pull it out of N o r m a n d y o c c u r r e d a s The LST's were carrying the harms way. planned. 1st Engineer Special Brigade, At 0225 the LST 499 radioed The events surrounding the 3206th Quartermaster for help.Minutes later the lead Exercise Tiger were officially Company from Missouri, the ship ,LST 515 sent out an declassified in early August 3207th Company and 462nd urgent and chilling message. " 1944, two months after the and 478th combat truck 'E' boat attack". Radio stations Normandy Invasion. On April support companies as well as along the coast pick up the 28th 1996 Secretary of The other elements of the US dramatic calls for help. Navy John Dalton stated in his Army's engineer, signal, unaware of the top secret remarks “Tiger….was the medical and chemical corps operation underway, the calls LST’s finest hour.” along with some infantry. go unanswered. Only after an Miles south in the mouth of alert radio operator heard the Lyme bay, lay the bulk of the words "T-4", did the Naval This history was assembled Tiger naval force. Protected by Command realize the calls by the NJ/MO Tiger Assoc. the cruiser USS AGUSTA and were from "Tiger" and send and based on Navy reports, TheThe MissouriMissouri the new British "O" class help. DOD reports, and eye destroyers HMS ONSLOW and By 0240 the horror was slowly witness accounts. ExerciseExercise TigerTiger ArmyArmy HMS OBEDIENT as well as the realized. Two LST's sunk, a && NavyNavy AnchorAnchor MemorialMemorial On June 12th 1997 a request was made to US Navy Captain Gary The Missouri Chiavarotti, Director of the US Navy's Inactive Fleet by Exercise Tiger National Executive Director Walter Domanski. On July 13th Army & Navy 1997 the request was approved. The record approval time was Anchor Memorial because of Capt. Chiavarotti's desire to make a memorial to History and Notes "Tiger" a reality. The request was for two ex-LST anchors that vets and National Director Susan could serve as twin state and Haines on Dec. 16, 1997. Its 1500 mile national memorials to the Battle journey from Norfolk, Virginia was due of Exercise Tiger in New Jersey to the efforts of former US Navy Petty and Missouri. Working with Fred Officer Rocky Roberts who served on Hood, Director of Naval Sea LST USS LaMoure County 1194, and Systems Command Detachment, Uponor ETI of Columbia who donated Norfolk Naval Base and T.H. their transportation resources. Roberts’ "Tommy" Tise the NAVSEA ship, the LaMoure County hosted the Maintenance Facility Supervisor, 1995 Exercise Tiger ceremony and was the Exercise Tiger Association, the first LST and active ship of the U.S. National Foundation was given Navy to do so. At that time the LaMoure two 5000 pound stern anchors County was the Navy's last LST. Under from LST's of the Suffolk County the direction of Lt. Col. Marty Walker Class. The Missouri anchor was the Naval Reserve Officers Training used on an LST of this class. At Corps, University of Missouri, painted t h e r e q u e s t o f t h e Ti g e r it with official U.S. Navy paint that they Association the Navy will keep secured for this project. Lt. Matt the anchor in the official US Navy Mackenzie USN, oversaw the painting. I n v e n t o r y, p l a c i n g i t o n The Exercise Tiger Association, permanent loan to the Exercise National Foundation in conjunction Tiger Association making a w i t h t h e A u d r a i n C o u n t y lasting tribute to the courageous Commissioners Dick Webber, Roger American Sailors and Soldiers Young, Tom Groves and Missouri who gave their lives in combat residents dedicated the memorial’s host action with an enemy of the site in Mexico, Missouri. United States. Symbolically, the anchor will remain ever ready to To join the National Exercise Tiger again serve on an LST should an Foundation or to make a financial emergency exist for this type of contribution write c/o The National anchor. Exercise Tiger Foundation, P.O. Box The anchor arrived in 246 Columbia, MO 65205. Visit our C o l u m b i a , M i s s o u r i a s a website at www.exercisetiger.org for Christmas present to area "Tiger" more information or current updates. FOUNDATION Curent & Future Programs New Major Projects Planned - Funding Needed 1.) Eternal Flame of Valor for Iraq & Afghanistan Troops 2.) New Memorial Design at Mexico, MO Several new projects are planned, funding is needed to complete them. The Exercise Tiger Eternal Flame of Valor for Iraq & Afghanistan Wars is a concept that needs a location, costing in the neighborhood of $25,000. The flame dedicated to our 5000 troops killed since 2001 and those 50, 000 wounded would be a unique memorial. The first of its kind in the United States we would like for it to be located in Columbia Missouri, but are open to all interested parties. Contact the National Director. The second project should be to redesign the Exercise Tiger Army & Navy Anchor Memorial in Mexico, MO. Additional funding is needed for this project as well. The Audrain County commissioners are updating the courthouse facilities to accommodate handicapped and physically impaired individuals. Other projects funds are needed for along with legislative assistance are: Current & Future Programs, USS Exercise Tiger LPD (Future warship named after Tiger), MODOT Signage on Interstate 70, VFW 280 Plaque, CATS Campaign, HEROS Campaign, & Military Appreciation Day Game Trophy. The Historic USCG Wreath Tribute USCG Petty Officer “The Continental Ring of Honor” At 1 p.m. over 21 US Coast Guard Stations that “ring” the United States Nathan Bruckenthal will lay wreaths into the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Additionally, a USCG Cutter in Bahrain will lay wreaths into the Persian Gulf, a “That Others May Live” historical first and in Saint Louis Missouri, the Upper Mississippi River sector will lay a wreath at the Golden Arches, a historical first.