Grist Mill on itinerary for reunion of WWII veterans

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Woodland will help play host to some of the men of “The Greatest Generation’’ as they attend the NW LCI (Northwest Landing Craft Infantry) National Reunion Sept. 25-27.

Two weeks prior to the event, approximately 150 people including veterans, their spouses and family members had signed up to attend the 2014 reunion in the year of the 70th anniversary of D-Day and the Normandy beach landings of World War II.

Rick Holmes, one of two directors of the NW LCI Association, said, “It’s widely exceeded our expectations. The national reunion last year only had 70 (people) and 150 are registered for this one.”

The itinerary includes a private tour of the 138-year-old Cedar Creek Grist Mill in Woodland, a ride on the Chehalis-Centralia Railroad’s 1916 steam locomotive and a private tour of the only fully-restored-to-1943-original-condition LCI in the world.

Area residents are invited to meet these WWII vets in the Hospitality Suite at The Red Lion Inn at the Quay in Vancouver from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sat., Sept. 27. From there, attendees will be shuttled in groups of 12 to the restored vessel so they’ll be milling around the Hospitality Suite before and after their tour, sharing stories and memories of their service with other servicemen. It’s a terrific opportunity to thank these brave men for their role in history and hear first-hand stories of crewing these amphibious boats.   

Attendees are coming from all over the U.S., including Florida, New York, Philadelphia and Michigan. Sue Cosper, wife of Holmes and second director of the NW LCI Association, shared that one Saturday evening banquet table has been reserved for a very special party.

“One of the men called to reserve a table for eight. He and two other men that served on one LCI are alive today and they’re meeting at this reunion and are going to sit together,” Cosper said.

According to the USS Landing Craft Infantry website, LCIs served and continue to serve all over the world including North Africa and the Pacific. But, it’s the photos of ships beached along the shores of Normandy with soldiers running up their bows onto the sand that are etched in the minds of so many.

Measuring 158-feet long and carrying a crew of 24-60 sailors, LCIs were quite small compared to the arguable super stars of any war – a battleship with an average bow to stern length of over 885 feet during the WWII era.



The LCI-713 that the men will tour on Sept. 27 was discovered years ago at a tugboat company in Stevenson that purchased it after WWII to use as a tug. Holmes shared that the vessel proved too tall for the Gorge winds and it became a large storage locker and was slowly parted out to service other tugs in the company’s fleet.

One day it was discovered by late Portland business owner, Art Raz, of Raz Transportation. Raz intended to cut it up and repurpose it but, once he took possession of it, he realized its historical value and began the slow process of restoring it. He put a call out to LCI veterans who bought into the restoration idea, the Amphibious Forces Memorial Museum was formed and that non-profit entity purchased LCI-713 in 2004.

Many others were made into fishing boats and several are used as tour boats in the New York harbor but the one docked at the Port of Portland is the only remaining LCI “in exact original configuration,” according to Holmes. It was recently positioned next to PT658-the only operational WWII-vintage PT boat in the world.

Holmes pointed out one of the facts that make LCIs and this group of men visiting the Northwest so special.

“LCIs were not in the regular stream of the Navy. They were reservists. They were issued basic equipment, compass and sexton, to navigate with and told ‘OK take her to the Philippines and here’s your compass and sexton. Good luck. Let us know when you get there,’” Holmes said. 

For these veterans ranging in age from 87-93 years old to travel such long distances to step foot on a to-spec restoration of a ship they served on 70 years ago is remarkable. Holmes pointed out that he’s escorted local veterans around the ship in the past and they begin to relay war stories their own families have never heard.

“They get on the ship and they open up so there’s a connection,” Holmes said. “It’s quite an emotional thing for them.”

To tour the restored LCI-713 or for more information on the Amphibious Forces Memorial Museum, go to www.amphibiousforces.org.