.rzettek

gallery

LST 642 is a World War II vintage "Landing Ship Tank" was constructed at a shipyard in Illinois (I believe in Peoria) in 1944, saw service at Iwo Jima and the South Pacific in 1945. On December 6,1946 was in the Phillippine Islands and performed occupation duty in the Far East until Feburary1947. The ship grounded on a beach at Barter Island Alaska (Beaufort Sea) by the Navy in the Summer of 1947 and was abandoned in Feburary in 1948.. I took this picture in 1955 while working on the DEW Line. Barter is about 350 Miles North of the Artic Circle.