A Cornfield Shipyard

Description

Between the years 1942 and 1945, the Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company, Shipbuilding Division, constructed 167 LST’s (Landing Ship,Tank) at the Evansville Shipyards. This book details the history of the shipyard, it tells the stories of the ships built there, and the brave crews who sailed them off to war. The book contains significant historical text, and is illustrated with diagrams and photographs, many never before published. The book is now in its fourth printing and continues to be popular with former shipyard workers, former LST crewmen, and the families of these men and women.

In July, 2003, the USS LST 325 sailed majestically up the Ohio River to Evansville, Indiana. During her 11-day visit over 35,000 people toured this historic ship. While the LST 325 was a product of a Philadelphia shipyard, it is virtually identical to the LSTs that were constructed in Evansville’s “Cornfield Shipyard.” The return of an LST to Evansville’s riverfront sparked a renewed interest in the Evansville Shipyard and the 167 LSTs built here. Therefore, in honor of the over 70,000 men and women who worked at the Evansville Shipyard and the thousands of brave men who served on the ships in World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam, we are proud to present this edition of “A Cornfield Shipyard ” by Andrew L. Clark.

About the Author
Andrew Clark is an amateur historian who lives in Ft. Branch, Indiana, with his wife, Rebecca, son, William, and daughter, Emilee. Clark, a native of Alton, Illinois, served in the United States Marine Corps from 1974-1980 and is now a 23 year veteran of the Indiana State Police. He has always been interested in the history of World War II and the men and equipment of that era. When he learned that a shipyard in Evansville built 167 LSTs, it was simply a labor of love to research and write the book.