User:Keb14

The LSM-354 was a landing ship medium built in Houston, Texas, for the United States’ Navy during World War II. The ship was commissioned on December 24, 1944, in a shipyard in Houston, Texas, with Captain Beane in command. The LSM-354 had special expanded officers' quarters to hold 6 to 7 officers of the flotilla staff for 36 LSMs, headed by a lieutenant commander (Commander Dineen). Earle Traub was the ship's Quartermaster 2nd Class. LSM-354 left Houston for Coco Solo, Panama, on February 8, 1945, with the extra commander and his staff aboard. It passed through the Panama Canal February 16 and traveled up the coast of Mexico to a small bay that Commander Dineen liked. Commander Dineen talked Captain Beane into staying overnight. LSM-354 stayed and beached on the sand, even opening the bow doors. During the night, the tide went out more than expected and, with no water to cool the generators, the air conditioning and the lights went off. It took hours to run a hose out to deep water and start a pump to cool the generators. The next day, LSM-354 headed for San Diego. The ship arrived at the port of San Pedro, California, March 2, and stayed until March 24. It then traveled on to San Francisco where the crew loaded tanks onto the well deck. LSM-354 left California, heading west, on March 28, arriving at Pearl Harbor, Oahu, on April 6, and leaving on May 8, after some liberty. The ship navigated to Eniwetok Atoll, where it stayed from May 20 to 21, and then moved on to Guam Island where it stayed from May 26 to July 3. Next, the LSM-354 went to Saipan Island to take on smoke machines to prepare the ship to help take over Truck Island from the Japanese. The plans changed, however, and LSM-354 was instead sent to Guadalcanal Island to bring barrels of aviation fuel north. LSM 354 crossed the Equator for the first time on July 11,1945, at 0137 hours at 163 degrees 37 minutes east longitude. Each crew member aboard LSM-354 who crossed the equator for the first time became members of “The Ancient Order of the Deep” during an on-board ceremony. LSM-354 was at Tulagi Island from July 13 to 17, and then headed on to Guadalcanal. There on Kokune Beach, 1000 barrels of oil and gas were loaded on-board and the ship returned to Eniwetok on July 28. The ship then left July 29, for Saipan to unload the barrels. On August 2, the ship arrived in Saipan and the crew unloaded the barrels. While there, the ship went in to floating dry dock to have the bottom painted. The War ended at 0913 hours on August 15, 1945, while LSM-354 was in the floating dry dock. The Commander of Flotilla 12 and his staff left LSM-354 to board their long-awaited Landing Craft Infantry (LCI) flag ship and LSM-354 left the floating dry dock August 23, to head to Leyte, Philippines, where the ship anchored from August 28 to September 10. Next, the ship headed to San Fabian, Luzon, from September 12 through 17, to upload 40 army soldiers, 25 trucks and other equipment to construct or widen roads in the hills of Japan so the roads would accommodate the US Army’s large equipment. LSM-354 was part of a large occupation force, under de-rated invasion orders, in a convoy headed to a landing at Wakayama, Honshu, Japan, on September 25. The crew unloaded freighters until October 4. LSM-354 then traveled on to Kure, Honshu, to unload other army equipment. The ship then went back to Wakayama from October 8 through October 24, to unload freighters. A hurricane left the ship dragging anchor all night. On October 25, the ship went on to Nagoya, Honshu, to unload men and equipment from freighters. On October 27, LSM-354 was ordered to return to Okinawa Island by October 30, to pick up the commander and his staff as their LCI flag ship was washed ashore during the same hurricane that LSM-354 had experienced in Wakayama. LSM-354 found them at Buckner Bay, Hagushi, on October 31, and then headed back to Samar in San Pedro Bay, Philippines. The ship stayed in San Pedro Bay from November 19 through December 26. LSM-354 then went over to Subic Bay, Luzon, on December 29, and stayed there through February 25, 1946. The ship next made a trip to San Fernando, Luzon, on February 26, 1946, to load 6 tanks and bring them back to Subic Bay by February 28. The commander and his staff left the ship and went ashore on March 5. The crew of the LSM-354 had liberty in Manila from March 6 through 7. Captain Dean and Executive Officer Lieutenant Solomon left the ship for the United States, on points, leaving the Engineer Officer Lieutenant Doig to bring the ship home. LSM-354 then headed to Samar and Guiuan, Philippines, from March 9 through 11, to take on 10 passengers for the trip back to the USA. LSM-354 found out that four other LSMs and two Yard Patrols (YPs) were to follow them back. The five LSMs and two YPs all arrived at Eniwetok March 25, and left heading east on March 27, minus one YP. The ships arrived at Pearl Harbor on April 6, where they left another YP and all of the passengers. LSM-354 departed Pearl Harbor on April 11, for San Francisco. At that point, Earle Traub, Quartermaster 2nd Class had enough points to get off and planned to take a train home to Yonkers, NY. However, as LSM-354 approached San Francisco, he observed the first signal light, near the Golden Gate Bridge; the message froze all personnel aboard until the ship reached the port of debarkation in Mobile, Alabama. The ship’s Quartermaster 2nd Class’ discharge date was now April 24. However, with all personnel on board, LSM-354 sailed for the Panama Canal Zone on April 27, and arrived at Balboa on May 10, passed through the canal and arrived at Coco Solo, Canal Zone, on May 14. LSM-354 took aboard 20 passengers and left for New Orleans, Louisiana. When LSM-354 arrived at a navy yard on the Mississippi River, south of New Orleans, it unloaded its passengers and all of its ammunition. On May 20, 1946, LSM-354 headed for Mobile, Alabama, and arrived later that same day, where it remained while the crew disembarked.